Is Claude Sonnet 4.6 cheaper than Claude Opus 4.6?
Yes, Claude Sonnet 4.6 is primarily cheaper with a starting input price of $0.6/1M tokens, which is about 40% less than Claude Opus 4.6's $1/1M tokens.
Claude Sonnet 4.6
Starting at $0.6/1M tkns
VS
Claude Opus 4.6
Starting at $1/1M tkns
AI Overview: TL;DR
When comparing Claude Sonnet 4.6 and Claude Opus 4.6 API pricing for 2026, Claude Sonnet 4.6 is the more cost-effective option for basic input queries. It is approximately 40% cheaper starting at $0.6/1M tokens. However, your choice should also factor in context window limits (200k vs 200k) and supported modalities.
Technical Specifications & Pricing Table
| Feature | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Claude Opus 4.6 |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Input Price | $0.6 / 1M tokens | $1 / 1M tokens |
| Model Category | Claude | Claude |
| Max Context Window | 200k tokens | 200k tokens |
| Supported Modalities | text, image | text, image |
| Routed Channels Count | 22 channels | 20 channels |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which model has a larger context window?
Claude Sonnet 4.6 supports a maximum input context of 200,000 tokens, while Claude Opus 4.6 supports 200,000 tokens.