Claude Opus 5.5: Price and Performance Analysis of the New Model
We take a concise look at Claude Opus 5.5's pricing, benchmark results, and the changes it brings compared to Opus 5.
Claude Opus 5.5 is Anthropic's newest language model, released on September 22, 2026. It's designed for long-running agentic coding and complex knowledge work. Compared to its predecessor, it's 40% cheaper and runs 30% faster out of the gate. This is a significant update for businesses in terms of both performance and cost.
In short:
- Price: $4 per 1M input tokens, $20 per 1M output tokens
- Highest score yet on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index at 58 points
- 1 million token context window, supports text and image input
- Accessible via AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure
What is the new model?
This model is the most powerful release in Anthropic's Claude family. It was announced by Anthropic on September 22, 2026. The model is specifically optimized for long-running agentic coding tasks and deep knowledge work. Its knowledge cutoff is set at June 2026.
The model can process text and image inputs simultaneously. Thanks to its 1 million token context window, it can analyze large codebases or lengthy documents in a single pass. This feature makes a big difference for enterprise software projects.
What's the pricing like?
The new version costs $4 per 1 million input tokens and $20 per 1 million output tokens. According to Artificial Analysis data, this price is 40% cheaper than the previous version. Output speed has also increased by 30%.
Cache read cost is $0.20 per 1 million tokens, which is 60% cheaper than Opus 5. Anthropic designed this reduction to lower costs for frequently repeated agentic tasks.
Here's the pricing comparison:
| Model | Input (1M tokens) | Output (1M tokens) |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Sonnet 5 | $2 | $10 |
| Claude Opus 5.5 | $4 | $20 |
| Claude Fable 5.1 | $10 | $50 |
This model is positioned between Sonnet 5 and Fable 5.1. Prices can also vary by up to 11x across different effort levels. This detail is specifically highlighted in the Artificial Analysis report.
How good is its performance?
The new model scored 58 points on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, the highest score measured so far. This result reflects the model's overall reasoning capacity.
The benchmark results are also noteworthy. According to Kingy AI data, the model:
- Achieved 66.4% success on Terminal-Bench 4.0
- Scored 1846 Elo on GDPval-AA v2.1
- Reached 67.7% accuracy on Humanity's Last Exam
These results show the model is particularly strong at terminal-based coding tasks and complex academic questions. Compared to GPT-6 Astra, both models perform equally at 59.6% on Terminal-Bench 4.0. However, it maintains its lead in agentic knowledge work.
What changed from the previous version?
There are several important changes on the API side. These changes may affect existing integrations.
- The thinking feature can no longer be turned off
- The forced tool_choice option has been removed
- The default effort level has been lowered to medium
- The computer-use tool type has been updated
Developers should review these changes when migrating their existing code to the new version. Applications using forced tool_choice in particular may need additional adjustments.
Who can access it?
Users on Claude Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans can access this model directly. For enterprise customers, the model is also available through AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure.
This multi-cloud support offers an advantage for businesses with different infrastructure preferences. Sonnet 5.5 and Haiku 5.5 models will also become available in the coming weeks. These two models may be preferred for smaller-scale, cost-focused projects.
Which businesses is it suitable for?
This model is especially favored for projects requiring long-running autonomous coding tasks. It also delivers strong performance in complex data analysis and multi-step workflows.
The use of agentic AI in enterprise software development processes is growing rapidly. In such projects, choosing the right model directly affects development time and cost. At EngerekTech, we evaluate these kinds of up-to-date tools while developing custom software solutions for our clients. You can find more content on similar technology topics on our blog page.
Frequently asked questions
When was it released?
It was announced by Anthropic on September 22, 2026. It brought significant price and speed improvements compared to Opus 5.
What's the price?
It costs $4 per 1 million input tokens and $20 per 1 million output tokens. This price is roughly 40% cheaper than before.
Which cloud platforms is it available on?
It's offered on AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure. This allows organizations with different infrastructure preferences to integrate it easily.
Is it better than GPT-6 Astra?
The two models perform equally on Terminal-Bench 4.0, both scoring 59.6%. However, it stands out in general agentic knowledge work.
Sources
The new model delivers a clear step forward over its predecessor in both price and performance. It has become a strong option for businesses working on agentic software projects. Anyone looking for guidance on choosing the right model and architecture can get in touch with the EngerekTech team.
