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Claude Sonnet 5 vs Claude Sonnet 4.6
A straight cost comparison of Claude Sonnet 5 (Anthropic) and Claude Sonnet 4.6 (Anthropic), per 1,000,000 tokens, verified October 2026.
Rate-by-rate comparison
| Metric | Claude Sonnet 5 | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Input / 1M | $2 | $3 | Claude Sonnet 5 |
| Cached input / 1M | $0.20 | $0.30 | Claude Sonnet 5 |
| Cache write / 1M | $2.50 | $3.75 | Claude Sonnet 5 |
| Output / 1M | $10 | $15 | Claude Sonnet 5 |
| Context window | 1,000,000 | 1,000,000 | Tie |
| Batch API | Yes | Yes | Tie |
| Long-context tier | None | None | — |
For per-token metrics, the lower number wins. For context window and batch support, the higher or broader option wins. A dash means the provider does not publish that rate: a missing cache-write fee means writes are not billed per token, while a missing cached-input rate means cache hits bill at the full input rate.
Blended cost: 1M input + 250K output
| Model | Blended cost | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Sonnet 5 | $4.50 | Cheaper |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | $6.75 | +$2.25 |
Three workloads, two bills
| Workload | Claude Sonnet 5 | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Support chat 1,000 requests · 4K input / 600 output | $14 | $21 | Claude Sonnet 5 |
| RAG with caching 1,000 requests · 50K input (45K cached) / 1K output | $29.10 | $43.66 | Claude Sonnet 5 |
| Nightly batch job 10,000 requests · 10K input / 2K output | $200 | $300 | Claude Sonnet 5 |
Which one should you pick?
Claude Sonnet 5 wins on support chat, cached RAG, nightly batch job, while Claude Sonnet 4.6 wins on none of the three workloads above.
Beyond price, the two differ on input rate ($2 vs $3); output rate ($10 vs $15); cached-input rate ($0.20 vs $0.30); cache-write rate ($2.50 vs $3.75).
Batch mode is available on Claude Sonnet 5 and Claude Sonnet 4.6, which halves the nightly job. Both publish cached-input discounts, so a stable system prompt is worth caching on either.
FAQ
Is Claude Sonnet 5 cheaper than Claude Sonnet 4.6?
On a blended 1M-input-plus-250K-output workload, Claude Sonnet 5 is cheaper by 33% ($4.50 vs $6.75). The gap changes for cache-heavy prompts and for batch jobs, as the workload table shows.
Which handles longer prompts, Claude Sonnet 5 or Claude Sonnet 4.6?
Both models share the same 1,000,000-token context window. Neither model publishes a long-context surcharge.
Do both models support prompt caching?
Claude Sonnet 5 bills cached reads at $0.20 per 1M; Claude Sonnet 4.6 at $0.30.