Claude Opus 4.5: What Developers Need to Know

What's New in Opus 4.5

• Extended thinking for complex problems
• 40% better on coding benchmarks
• Improved instruction following
• Better at long-context tasks

When to Use Opus vs Sonnet

Use Opus for:

• Complex multi-file refactoring
• Architecture decisions
• Debugging subtle issues
• Code review with explanations
• Tasks requiring deep reasoning

Use Sonnet for:

• Simple code generation
• Quick fixes
• Boilerplate and CRUD
• High-volume tasks
• Cost-sensitive workflows

Extended Thinking Tips

Opus can "think" before responding. Trigger it with:

• "Think step by step..."
• Complex multi-part questions
• "Consider all edge cases..."

Pricing Comparison

• Opus: $15/M input, $75/M output
• Sonnet: $3/M input, $15/M output

Our Workflow

Sonnet for 80% of tasks. Opus for architecture, debugging, and reviews. This cuts costs 60% with minimal quality loss.