Claude API Cost Calculator 2026
Best performance-to-cost ratio for coding, writing, and analysis · $3.00 / 1M input · $15.00 / 1M output · 200K context
Show prompt caching prices
Cache writes +25%. Cache reads -90%. Savings from the 2nd request onward.
Estimated monthly cost
$105.00
Per API call
$0.01
Monthly (10,000 calls)
$105.00
Annual (estimated)
$1,260.00
Input (1,000 × 10,000 calls)$30.00
Output (500 × 10,000 calls)$75.00
Output tokens cost 2.5x more than input for this model. Capping max_tokens is the fastest way to cut costs without changing your prompt.
Switching to Claude Haiku 4.5 for the same volume would save approximately $77.00 per month. Best for classification, routing, and simple summarization.
Annual spend projection: $1,260.00. Route simpler calls to Haiku 4.5 and reserve this model for tasks that need it.
All Claude model pricing (August 2026)
Compare Claude vs OpenAI| Model | Context | Input / 1M | Output / 1M |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude 5 Family (Latest) | |||
| Claude Opus 5new | 200K | $15.00 | $75.00 |
| Claude Sonnet 5best value· selected | 200K | $3.00 | $15.00 |
| Claude Fable 5new | 200K | $10.00 | $50.00 |
| Claude 4 Family (Previous Gen) | |||
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | 200K | $0.80 | $4.00 |
| Claude Opus 4.7 | 200K | $15.00 | $75.00 |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | 200K | $3.00 | $15.00 |
Prices per million tokens. Last verified August 2026. Confirm latest rates at anthropic.com/pricing.
About this Claude API pricing calculator
The Claude API Pricing Calculator estimates your monthly Anthropic API spend based on model choice, average tokens per call, and expected call volume. It covers all models available as of August 2026, including the full Claude 5 family: Claude Opus 5, Claude Sonnet 5, and Claude Fable 5, plus Claude Haiku 4.5 and previous-generation Claude 4 models still in production use.
Anthropic prices input and output tokens separately, with output tokens costing more in every model tier. The calculator accounts for both. A prompt caching toggle shows cache write and cache read rates alongside standard pricing, so you can estimate savings for applications with long, repeated system prompts or document context. Enter your average prompt length, expected response length, and monthly call volume to get a reliable cost projection before committing to production scale.
Claude 5 model breakdown (August 2026)
Claude Opus 5
Most capableFrontier reasoning, extended thinking, complex research, and tasks where output accuracy is the top priority.
Input / 1M
$15.00
Output / 1M
$75.00
Context
200K
Claude Sonnet 5
Best valueStrong performance across coding, writing, analysis, and multi-step reasoning at 5x lower cost than Opus 5.
Input / 1M
$3.00
Output / 1M
$15.00
Context
200K
Claude Fable 5
Creative specialistOptimized for creative writing, narrative generation, storytelling, and roleplay tasks. New in Claude 5 family.
Input / 1M
$10.00
Output / 1M
$50.00
Context
200K
Claude Haiku 4.5
FastestHighest throughput at lowest cost. Best for classification, routing, triage, and high-volume lightweight tasks.
Input / 1M
$0.80
Output / 1M
$4.00
Context
200K
How it works
What is prompt caching and how much does it save?
Prompt caching lets Claude store repeated context between API calls so you are not re-billed for the same input on every request. Cache reads cost 90% less than standard input tokens, making it highly effective for applications with long system prompts or repeated document context.
Cache writes cost 25% more than the base input price, but savings start from the very next request. For a Sonnet 5 call with a 50,000-token system prompt, the standard input cost is $0.15 per call. With caching, subsequent calls cost $0.015 for that same prompt, a 90% reduction. The toggle above shows the exact cached versus uncached cost for your token count.
For multi-model cost comparisons including caching scenarios, the LLM cost comparison tool shows costs across Claude, OpenAI, and Gemini side by side.
Which Claude model is the best value in 2026?
Claude Sonnet 5 is the best value for most production applications in 2026, offering strong capability at $3.00 per 1 million input tokens. It handles coding, writing, analysis, and multi-step reasoning well at a fraction of Opus 5 pricing.
Claude Haiku 4.5 is the right choice when volume is high and tasks are straightforward: classification, extraction, summarization, or customer support routing. At $0.80 per 1 million input tokens, it costs 73% less than Sonnet 5. Claude Fable 5 is the clear choice for creative and narrative tasks. Reserve Claude Opus 5 for tasks where output accuracy is critical and cost is secondary.
Frequently asked questions about Claude API pricing
What are all the Claude API models available in 2026?+
As of August 2026, Anthropic offers the Claude 5 family (Claude Opus 5, Claude Sonnet 5, Claude Fable 5) and Claude Haiku 4.5. Claude Opus 5 is the most capable, Claude Sonnet 5 offers the best performance-to-cost ratio, Claude Fable 5 is optimized for creative and narrative tasks, and Claude Haiku 4.5 is the fastest and cheapest for high-volume workloads.
How much does the Claude 5 API cost in 2026?+
Claude Sonnet 5 costs $3.00 per 1M input and $15.00 per 1M output tokens. Claude Opus 5 costs $15.00 per 1M input and $75.00 per 1M output tokens. Claude Fable 5 costs $10.00 per 1M input and $50.00 per 1M output tokens. Claude Haiku 4.5 is the most affordable at $0.80 input and $4.00 output per 1M tokens.
What is Claude Fable 5 and what is it used for?+
Claude Fable 5 is the specialized model in the Claude 5 family, optimized for creative writing, narrative generation, storytelling, and roleplay tasks. It is priced at $10.00 per 1M input tokens and $50.00 per 1M output tokens, sitting between Sonnet 5 and Opus 5.
What is the difference between Claude Opus 5 and Claude Sonnet 5?+
Claude Opus 5 is the most capable model in the Claude 5 family, designed for frontier reasoning, extended thinking, and tasks where accuracy is the priority, at $15.00 per 1M input tokens. Claude Sonnet 5 delivers strong performance across coding, writing, and analysis at $3.00 per 1M input tokens, making it 5x cheaper. For most production workloads, Sonnet 5 offers the best value.
What is Claude Haiku 4.5 used for?+
Claude Haiku 4.5 is the fastest and most affordable model at $0.80 per 1M input tokens. It is best for high-volume, latency-sensitive tasks: classification, content routing, customer support triage, real-time summarization, and lightweight extraction where cost efficiency matters most.
What is prompt caching and how much does it save?+
Prompt caching stores repeated context between API calls so you are not re-billed for the same input on every request. Cache reads cost 90% less than standard input tokens. Cache writes cost 25% more, but savings begin from the very next request. For a Sonnet 5 call with a 50,000-token system prompt, caching reduces the input cost from $0.15 to $0.015 per call, a 90% reduction.
What context window do Claude models support in 2026?+
All Claude 2026 models, including the full Claude 5 family and Haiku 4.5, support a 200,000 token context window. This is equivalent to roughly 150,000 words in a single API call. For repeated processing of the same long document, use prompt caching to cut costs by up to 90%.
How does Claude API pricing compare to OpenAI GPT-4o in 2026?+
Claude Sonnet 5 costs $3.00 per 1M input vs GPT-4o at $2.50. Output costs $15.00 vs $10.00. Claude offers a 200K context window versus GPT-4o at 128K. For many workloads, the larger context window reduces chunking overhead and can offset the higher per-token cost.
Which Claude model should I use for my application in 2026?+
Use Claude Haiku 4.5 for high-volume simple tasks. Use Claude Sonnet 5 for most production workloads: coding, writing, analysis, and multi-step reasoning. Use Claude Fable 5 for creative writing, storytelling, and narrative tasks. Reserve Claude Opus 5 for complex frontier-level reasoning where maximum accuracy is the priority.
How do I calculate my monthly Claude API bill?+
Multiply your average input tokens per request by monthly call volume and the per-million input rate. Do the same for output tokens. Add both totals. For example, 1,000 input plus 500 output tokens on Sonnet 5 at 10,000 calls per month: input is $30.00, output is $75.00, total is $105.00 per month. This calculator does it automatically.
Does Anthropic offer free Claude API credits?+
New Anthropic accounts may receive small trial credits. Ongoing production use requires a paid account. Claude.ai Pro and Max provide chat interface access but do not include API credits.