Premium models are not the default lane. They are escalation tools for work where a better answer is worth more than the API bill.
The current ladder: use Sonnet 5 for daily Claude production, Opus 5.5 for consequential premium Claude work, and the GPT-6 route that fits the OpenAI-native workload. Use Astra for planning-specific evaluation, Luna for bounded high-volume work, and Sol when the harder tier can change the result. Fable 5 subscription use is now through usage credits; Mythos 5 remains approved-access only.
For the dated return analysis, read /posts/fable-5-returns-claude-sonnet-5/. For the deeper Fable-specific buying guide, read /posts/claude-fable-5-mythos-5-cost-guardrails/.
Quick Comparison
Prices are per 1 million tokens.
| Model | Input | Output | Cache read | Context | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Fable 5 | $10 | $50 | Verify current docs | 1M | Restored premium escalation; not a default lane |
| Claude Opus 5.5 | $4 | $20 | $0.20 | 1M | Current premium Claude route |
| GPT-6 Sol | $2 | $10 | $0.20 | 1.05M | Hard-work OpenAI route |
| GPT-6 Luna | $0.10 | $0.50 | $0.01 | 1.05M | Bounded high-volume OpenAI route |
| GPT-6 Astra | See planning evidence | See planning evidence | See guide | Planning-specific evidence | Evaluate planning behavior before broader routing |
| Claude Sonnet 5 | $2 | $10 | verify current pricing docs | 1M | Current daily Claude production lane |
Historical price rows
These rows retain the earlier GPT-5.5, GPT-5.6, and Opus 5 comparison inputs. They are dated pricing evidence, not current quotes for GPT-6 or Opus 5.5.
| Historical model | Input | Output | Batch input/output | Historical role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 5 | $5 | $25 | $2.50 / $12.50 | Prior premium Claude baseline |
| GPT-5.6 Sol | $5 | $30 | $2.50 / $15 | Prior OpenAI flagship tier |
| GPT-5.6 Terra | $2 | $12 | $1 / $6 | Prior OpenAI balanced tier |
| GPT-5.6 Luna | $0.20 | $1.20 | $0.10 / $0.60 | Prior OpenAI high-volume tier |
| GPT-5.5 standard, short context | $5 | $30 | $2.50 / $15 | Existing integrations and dated comparisons |
| GPT-5.5 standard, long context | $10 | $45 | $5 / $22.50 | Dated long-context comparison |
| GPT-5.5 Pro, short context | $30 | $180 | $15 / $90 | Dated Pro-tier comparison |
The current price anchors above are provider list-price observations: Opus 5.5 $4/$20 with $0.20 cache read, GPT-6 Sol $2/$10 with $0.20 cache read, and GPT-6 Luna $0.10/$0.50 with $0.01 cache read. Confirm context tiers, batch treatment, plan entitlements, and checkout before purchase.
Model Notes
Claude Fable 5
Anthropic suspended Fable on June 12 and says the export controls were lifted June 30. Fable returned globally on native Claude surfaces July 1. Treat it as a high-cost guarded escalation, not a default lane. Keep its current usage-credit and pricing details tied to the live provider/account route rather than deriving a ratio from the historical Opus 5 row.
If your account has access, re-test it only for long-horizon autonomous coding, vision-heavy reconstruction, scientific or analytical work, and expensive decisions where Opus is visibly not enough. Avoid it when zero-data-retention terms are required, when cyber/bio/chem fallback would break the workflow, or when you need predictable low-cost scale.
Claude Opus 5.5
Opus 5.5 is the current premium Claude route for architecture, hard debugging, code review, multi-file reasoning, and second-pass arbitration. Read the Opus 5.5 guide for current availability, pricing, and the extended independent review. Treat the provider’s benchmarks and independent reports as evidence to inspect, not as an AIHackers universal ranking.
Claude Opus 5: historical evidence
Artificial Analysis reported Opus 5 max at $2.03 per Intelligence Index task versus Sonnet 5 max at $1.53, so Opus is not categorically cheaper. Its high/xhigh configurations can deliver stronger performance at lower task cost on specific evaluations. On AA-Briefcase, Opus 5 max cost $17.79 per task versus Fable’s $22.30; high effort cost $10.41 and still narrowly exceeded Fable, but averaged 25.7 minutes per task.
Those Opus 5 observations remain useful for historical comparison. They do not establish Opus 5.5 task cost, latency, or rank. Opus 4.8 remains available as a historical baseline.
The historical value comparison against GLM-5.2 remains conservative and belongs to the Opus 5 record. It is not a price comparison against Opus 5.5.
Claude Sonnet 5
Sonnet 5 is the default Claude production test. Its current API rate is $2/$10 per million input/output tokens, checked September 27; that listing supersedes the earlier scheduled increase. The new tokenizer can produce about 30% more tokens for equivalent text, so compare complete request and agent-loop cost rather than list price alone.
Move up only when Sonnet fails in a way that matters.
GPT-6 family
Use GPT-6 Luna for bounded OpenAI-native work, GPT-6 Sol when the harder tier can change the result, and GPT-6 Astra for planning-specific evaluation. Check the linked guides for dated prices, plan entitlements, and context rules.
Compare the GPT-6 route when Codex/OpenAI tooling, API behavior, or planning performance matter more than Claude’s model behavior. Record the exact model ID and route because product aliases and API records can differ.
GPT-5.5 and GPT-5.6: historical evidence
The prior GPT-5.5 and GPT-5.6 comparisons retain their original prices, access statements, and benchmark dates. Keep them for migration and reproducibility; do not carry their values or availability forward to GPT-6. The historical Luna price-cut analysis separates its benchmark evidence, token subtotals, and CAR.
Use the GPT-6 Sol/Luna guide for current pricing and access.
Comparable Evidence
These are selected model records with individual checked dates, not a complete latest-release catalog. Anthropic’s overview also lists Sonnet 5.5 and Fable 5.1; the older Sonnet 5 and Fable 5 results below do not evaluate those successors.
benchmark artifact
Selected Premium and Restricted Model Evidence
| Model | Provider | Status | Context | Input price | Output price | Coding signal | Tool-use signal | Benchmark evidence | Speed | Verdict | Sources | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-6 Sol | OpenAI |
active API gpt-6-sol; paid Work/Codex rollout, separate from Chat. Client/workspace access varies. | 1.05M | $2.00 / 1M $2 input / $0.20 cache / $2.50 cache write / $10 output; above 272K: 2x input/cache, 1.5x output | $10.00 / 1M | AA Coding Agent Index 57 at max in Codex harness; predecessor 55 in same report. | OpenAI starting effort Medium; API dollars separate from Work/Codex credits. |
| not verified | Everyday and complex coding candidate; lower prices do not remove quality and review costs. | OpenAI GPT-6 Sol, Artificial Analysis GPT-6 Sol and Luna evaluation | 2026-09-27 |
| GPT-6 Luna | OpenAI |
active API gpt-6-luna; paid Work/Codex rollout and Free/Go desktop access where available. Not Chat. | 1.05M | $0.10 / 1M $0.10 input / $0.01 cache / $0.125 cache write / $0.50 output; above 272K: 2x input/cache, 1.5x output | $0.50 / 1M | AA Coding Agent Index 41 at max in Codex harness; predecessor 43 in same report. | OpenAI starting effort High for focused work; evaluate review burden before routing. |
| not verified | Focused high-volume candidate with acceptance checks; cheaper output is not a universal capability upgrade. | OpenAI GPT-6 Luna, Artificial Analysis GPT-6 Sol and Luna evaluation | 2026-09-27 |
| Claude Sonnet 5 | Anthropic |
active Generally available across Claude plans, Claude Code, the Claude API, GitHub Copilot, and supported AWS paths. | 1M | $2.00 / 1M $2.00 input / $10.00 output checked September 27; earlier launch schedule superseded | $10.00 / 1M | Anthropic reports substantial coding and agentic gains over Sonnet 4.6; independent normalized results are pending. | Available in Claude Code and the Claude API; adaptive thinking is on by default. |
| No site-owned normalized latency result is verified. | First Claude cost/performance test before Opus 5.5; escalate only when the premium pass changes the accepted result. | Claude Sonnet 5 current specifications, Anthropic Claude Sonnet 5 launch [archive], Claude Sonnet 5 migration guide [archive], GitHub Copilot Claude Sonnet 5 launch [archive], Claude Sonnet 5 on AWS [archive], Artificial Analysis: Claude Opus 5 [archive] | 2026-09-27 |
| Claude Opus 5.5 | Anthropic |
active September 22 release; claude-opus-5-5 on Claude API and documented cloud routes. Verify plan and region. | 1M | $4.00 / 1M $4 input / $0.20 cache read / $20 output per 1M; 5m cache write $5; 1h write $8; Fast separate | $20.00 / 1M | AA Terminal-Bench 4.0: 59.6% at max with default fallback; level with Astra xhigh in that run. | Always-on adaptive thinking; medium default. API migration has breaking changes. |
| Anthropic reports over 30% faster output generation than Opus 5; not an AIHackers measurement. | Premium coding and knowledge-work candidate; start medium and measure the gain from higher effort. | Claude Opus 5.5 specifications and pricing, Anthropic Opus 5.5 launch, Artificial Analysis Opus 5.5 evaluation | 2026-09-27 |
| Claude Fable 5 | Anthropic |
active Generally available; temporary subscription allowances ended July 7 and current subscription use is through usage credits. | 1M | $10.00 / 1M $10.00 input / $1.00 cache hit / $50.00 output per 1M tokens | $50.00 / 1M | Anthropic reports frontier launch results; independent reproducible ranking is pending. | Guarded-domain requests can refuse or fall back; verify account behavior before routing. |
| Task latency varies; compare complete-task runtime before escalation. | Dated Fable 5 evidence, not a Fable 5.1 evaluation. High-cost guarded escalation only; use Opus 5.5 as the practical Claude premium baseline. | Claude models overview [archive], Claude API pricing [archive], Anthropic Fable 5 and Mythos 5 [archive], Anthropic Fable/Mythos access statement [archive], Anthropic Fable 5 redeployment [archive], Artificial Analysis: Claude Opus 5 [archive], Artificial Analysis: Claude Opus 5 on AA-Briefcase [archive] | 2026-07-25 |
| Claude Mythos 5 | Anthropic |
restricted Restored to a set of approved US organizations; broader Glasswing access remains restricted. | 1M | $10.00 / 1M $10.00 input / $1.00 cache hit / $50.00 output per 1M tokens | $50.00 / 1M | General coding quality is not independently verified for an accessible production route. | Invitation-only research access; account and compliance approval required. |
| not verified | Restricted research context, not a normal production or buying recommendation. | Claude models overview [archive], Claude API pricing [archive], Anthropic Fable 5 and Mythos 5 [archive], Anthropic Fable/Mythos access statement [archive], Anthropic Fable 5 redeployment [archive] | 2026-07-01 |
Current routes are shown with explicit status. Scores are not normalized across different benchmark families, and current model prices remain tied to the owner records.
benchmark artifact
Historical Premium Evidence
| Model | Provider | Status | Context | Input price | Output price | Coding signal | Tool-use signal | Benchmark evidence | Speed | Verdict | Sources | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-5.5 | OpenAI |
active Prior generation; October 14 retirement announced for ChatGPT/Work/Codex sign-in, not API. Dated metrics retained. | 1.05M API; 400K Codex | $5.00 / 1M $5.00 input / $30.00 output per 1M tokens | $30.00 / 1M | not verified | not verified | not verified | not verified | Primary coding seat while ChatGPT/Codex limits fit the workload. | OpenAI GPT-5.5 API model page, OpenAI GPT-5.5 ChatGPT limits, Artificial Analysis: GPT-5.5, LMArena leaderboard dataset | 2026-06-28 |
| GPT-5.6 Sol | OpenAI |
historical Previous generation; dated scores and prices retained. Current routing: GPT-6 Astra, Sol and Luna. Historical status here does not imply API retirement. | 1.05M | $5.00 / 1M $5.00 input / $0.50 cache read / $30.00 output per 1M tokens | $30.00 / 1M | Artificial Analysis reports 80 on its Coding Agent Index at max effort; OpenAI reports 64.6% on SWE-bench Pro. | Generally available in API and paid Codex plans; max and ultra modes are vendor-documented. |
| OpenAI announced a selected-customer Cerebras preview for July; production latency is not verified. | Historical comparison record; use GPT-6 Astra, Sol and Luna for current evaluation candidates. | OpenAI GPT-5.6 general availability [archive], OpenAI API pricing [archive], Artificial Analysis GPT-5.6 evaluation [archive], Agent Arena leaderboard, OpenAI GPT-5.6 availability [archive], OpenAI GPT-5.6 system card | 2026-08-01 |
| Claude Opus 5 | Anthropic |
historical Previous generation; dated scores and prices retained. Current routing: Opus 5.5. Historical status here does not imply API retirement. | 1M | $5.00 / 1M $5.00 input / $0.50 cache hit / $25.00 output per 1M tokens; Fast mode $10.00 / $50.00 | $25.00 / 1M | Anthropic reports major agentic-coding gains; Artificial Analysis reports joint first on its Coding Agent Index at xhigh. | Thinking is on by default; five effort settings materially change cost, latency, and task performance. |
| Artificial Analysis reports high/xhigh/max AA-Briefcase runtimes of 25.7/34.3/36.2 minutes per task; Fast mode is a separate API research preview. | Historical comparison record; use Opus 5.5 for current evaluation candidates. | Anthropic Claude Opus 5 launch [archive], What's new in Claude Opus 5 [archive], Claude Opus 5 system card [archive], Claude models overview [archive], Claude API pricing [archive], Artificial Analysis: Claude Opus 5 [archive], Artificial Analysis: Claude Opus 5 on AA-Briefcase [archive] | 2026-07-25 |
| Claude Opus 4.8 | Anthropic |
historical Historical comparison; use Opus 5.5 for current premium evaluation. | 1M | $5.00 / 1M $5.00 input / $25.00 output per 1M tokens | $25.00 / 1M | Historical premium Claude baseline; use Opus 5 for new task-level comparisons. | Still available for pinned integrations; new Claude premium routing should test Opus 5. |
| Artificial Analysis measured 57.3 output tokens/s; provider and workload latency vary. | Historical premium baseline. Use Claude Opus 5.5 for current Claude premium routing. | Claude models overview [archive], Claude API pricing [archive], Artificial Analysis: Claude Opus 4.8 [archive], Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index v4.1, LMArena leaderboard dataset, Berkeley Function Calling Leaderboard | 2026-07-25 |
These rows preserve the earlier benchmark and pricing records. They are not current GPT-6 or Opus 5.5 rankings.
Decision Matrix
| If you need… | Start with | Escalate to |
|---|---|---|
| Routine production coding | Sonnet 5 | Opus 5.5 if architecture or multi-file reasoning fails |
| Premium Claude code review | Opus 5.5 | Raise effort only when measured gains justify the latency |
| Long-horizon autonomous coding | Opus 5.5 | Fable only after access and guardrail tests |
| Vision-heavy reconstruction | Opus 5.5 | GPT-6, Gemini, or Fable only if live output is better |
| OpenAI-native workflow | GPT-6 Luna | GPT-6 Sol when the harder tier changes the result; Astra for planning evaluation |
| Cyber, bio, or chemistry work | Do a guardrail test first | Trusted access or another approved model |
| Zero-data-retention workload | Avoid Fable/Mythos-class routes | Use a model/contract that meets the requirement |
Historical cost sanity check
The following example preserves the earlier price inputs. It is not a current GPT-6 or Opus 5.5 quote; use the current rows and guides for live numbers.
For a 100K-input / 20K-output request:
| Model | Approx cost |
|---|---|
| Claude Sonnet 5 | $0.40 introductory / $0.60 standard |
| GPT-5.6 Luna standard short context | $0.044 |
| GPT-5.6 Terra standard short context | $0.44 |
| Claude Opus 5 | $1.00 |
| GPT-5.6 Sol standard short context | $1.10 |
| GPT-5.5 standard short context | $1.10 |
| GPT-5.5 standard long context | $1.90 |
| Claude Fable 5 | $2.00 |
| GPT-5.5 Pro short context | $6.60 |
If a task is routine, those deltas compound quickly. If a task is high-stakes and a better answer prevents a costly mistake, the premium can be rational.
What To Verify Before Committing Spend
- Does Sonnet already solve the task well enough?
- Does Opus 5.5 improve the answer materially, and at which effort?
- Is Fable available through your target account, plan, cloud, and region?
- Do its retention, usage-credit, and guardrail terms fit the workload?
- Does the Covered Model 30-day minimum fit your data policy?
- Does the right GPT-6 route beat Claude for this workload?
- Can you measure cost per successful task, not just benchmark score?
Sources
- Anthropic: Redeploying Fable 5 (Archive)
- Anthropic: Covered Models
- Anthropic: Data retention practices for Covered Models
- Anthropic: Claude Fable 5 and Claude Mythos 5 (Archive)
- Anthropic: Statement on the US government directive to suspend access to Fable 5 and Mythos 5 (Archive)
- WIRED: Anthropic Says It’s Taking Claude Fable 5 Offline to Comply With US Government Order (Archive)
- The Verge: Anthropic cuts off Fable 5 and Mythos 5 access following government order (Archive)
- Claude API docs: Fable/Mythos model introduction (Archive)
- Claude API docs: Pricing (Archive)
- Anthropic: Claude Sonnet 5 launch (Archive)
- Anthropic: Claude Opus 5.5 guide
- Anthropic: Claude Opus 5 historical launch (Archive)
- Anthropic Platform: What’s new in Claude Opus 5 (Archive)
- Artificial Analysis: Opus 5 Intelligence Index analysis (Archive)
- Artificial Analysis: Opus 5 on AA-Briefcase (Archive)
- Anthropic Platform: Sonnet 5 migration guide (Archive)
- OpenAI: API pricing (Archive)
- OpenAI: GPT-6 Sol/Luna pricing owner
- OpenAI: GPT-6 Astra planning evidence
- OpenAI: historical GPT-5.6 price update (Archive)
- OpenAI: historical GPT-5.6 general availability
- OpenAI: historical GPT-5.6 system card
- WIRED: Anthropic Is Still at Odds With the White House Over Claude Fable 5 (Archive) — June 15: talks unresolved
- The Verge: Trump’s Anthropic shutdown just made the case for non-American AI (Archive) — June 15: sovereign AI reaction
- The Verge: Anthropic got hit by export rules nobody understands (Archive) — June 17: no clear statutory process
- Business Insider: An AI startup is suing the US government for taking away Anthropic’s new model (Archive) — June 24: reported Fable restoration behind nationality and onboarding controls
Related links
- GPT-6 Sol/Luna pricing owner
- GPT-6 Astra planning evidence
- Historical GPT-5.6 Luna price-cut analysis
- Claude Fable 5 decision guide
- Claude vs OpenAI data retention
- Claude Opus 5.5 guide
- Claude Opus 5 historical guide
- Claude Opus 4.8 historical guide
- Budget Tier LLM Comparison — Models under $1/1M tokens
- Mid-Range Tier LLM Comparison — Models $1-$3/1M tokens
- Claude vs OpenAI pricing — Provider pricing head-to-head
- Smart Spend Guide — Spend strategy before premium escalation
OpenAI GPT-6 and Claude Opus 5.5 pointers were refreshed September 27, 2026. Fable, Mythos, and other vendor evidence retain their source dates; pricing, entitlements, latency, safeguards, and benchmark results can change independently.