Model comparison

Claude Opus 4.6 vs Claude Sonnet 5

Pricing, context window and real answers (August 2026)

Claude Opus 4.6 (Anthropic) and Claude Sonnet 5 (Anthropic), compared as you can actually call them on FastMetal. Both are served from the same OpenAI-compatible endpoint and API key; switching is a change to the model string.

Specs and pricing

anthropic logoClaude Opus 4.6anthropic logoClaude Sonnet 5
ProviderAnthropicAnthropic
Input (per 1M tokens)¥850¥357.4
Output (per 1M tokens)¥4,200¥1,787
Typical cost (1,000 in + 500 out tokens × 1,000 calls)¥2,950¥1,251
Context window1,000,000 tokens1,000,000 tokens
Release date2/4/20266/30/2026
Input modalitiestext, imagetext, image, file
Arena · overall#5 · ELO 1,497#47 · ELO 1,461
Arena · Japanese#16 · ELO 1,482#33 · ELO 1,447
Arena · coding#5 · ELO 1,546#22 · ELO 1,522

Prices are FastMetal's yen rates before tax. Arena ranks are as of the latest leaderboard scrape.

Which should you pick?

  • On price, Claude Sonnet 5: ¥1,787 per 1M output tokens, 57% less than Claude Opus 4.6.
  • On the Overall arena board, Claude Opus 4.6 ranks higher (#5; Claude Sonnet 5 is #47).
  • On the Japanese arena board, Claude Opus 4.6 ranks higher (#16; Claude Sonnet 5 is #33).
  • On the Coding arena board, Claude Opus 4.6 ranks higher (#5; Claude Sonnet 5 is #22).
  • If in doubt, try both on the same key. Switching is a change to the model string, and each is billed at its own rate.

Real answers to the same prompts

Exactly what the FastMetal gateway returned, side by side. Not benchmark scores: actual output.

Count the number of 'r's in 'strawberry'

Count the number of 'r's in 'strawberry'. Explain your reasoning step by step.

Claude Opus 4.6

I need to count the number of 'r's in the word 'strawberry'. Let me go through it letter by letter. **s** - not an r **t** - not an r **r** - this is an r ✓ (count: 1) **a** - not an r **w** - not an r **b** - not an r **e** - not an r **r** - this is an r ✓ (count: 2) **r** - this is an r ✓ (count: 3) **y** - not an r There are **3** r's in 'strawberry'.
3.2s158 output tokens

Claude Sonnet 5

# Counting 'r's in "strawberry" **Step 1: Spell out the word letter by letter** s - t - r - a - w - b - e - r - r - y **Step 2: Number each letter position** | Position | Letter | |----------|--------| | 1 | s | | 2 | t | | 3 | **r** | | 4 | a | | 5 | w | | 6 | b | | 7 | e | | 8 | **r** | | 9 | **r** | | 10 | y | **Step 3: Identify and count the 'r's** - Position 3: **r** ✓ (1st r) - Position 8: **r** ✓ (2nd r) - Position 9: **r** ✓ (3rd r) **Answer: There are 3 r's in "strawberry"**
5.9s405 output tokens

Debug This Error

I'm getting the following error in my Node.js application: TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map') at UserList (/app/components/UserList.js:12:25) at renderWithHooks (/app/node_modules/rea…

Claude Opus 4.6

# Understanding the Error The error `Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map')` means that **`users` is `undefined`** when the component renders. You're trying to call `.map()` on a value that doesn't exist yet. This typically happens when: - The parent component doesn't pass the `users` prop - The data is being fetched asynchronously and hasn't loaded yet - The prop name is misspelled ## Solutions ### 1. Add a Default Parameter Value (Simplest Fix) ```javascript function UserList({ users = [] }) { return ( <ul> {users.map(user => <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>)} </ul> ); } ``` ### 2. Add a Guard with Optional Chaining ```javascript function UserList({…
10.5s599 output tokens

Claude Sonnet 5

# Root Cause The `UserList` component receives `users` as a prop, but at the time it's rendered, `users` is `undefined` — not an empty array, but literally missing. When your code tries to call `.map()` on `undefined`, JavaScript throws that `TypeError`. This typically happens when: - The parent component hasn't fetched the data yet (e.g., an API call is still in progress) - The prop name doesn't match what's being passed down (typo) - The data source (API/state) genuinely returns `undefined` in some case # Fixes **1. Add a default prop value (quick fix)** ```jsx function UserList({ users = [] }) { return ( <ul> {users.map(user => <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>)} </u…
8.8s750 output tokens

Code Review

Please review the following Python function and suggest improvements for readability, performance, and best practices: def get_data(url, retries=3): import requests import time for i in range(retries):…

Claude Opus 4.6

# Code Review: `get_data` Function ## Original Issues Identified 1. **Imports inside function** – reduces clarity and adds per-call overhead 2. **Bare `except`** – catches everything including `KeyboardInterrupt` and `SystemExit` 3. **`== True` comparison** – non-Pythonic 4. **Manual list building** – could use a list comprehension 5. **No logging** – failures happen silently 6. **No response validation** – assumes JSON is always a list of dicts with specific keys 7. **Magic numbers** – `timeout=10`, `sleep(2)` unexplained 8. **Vague function/variable names** – `r`, `data`, `get_data` --- ## Improved Version ```python import logging import time from typing import Any import requests fr…
19.9s1223 output tokens

Claude Sonnet 5

## Review of `get_data` Function Here's an improved version followed by an explanation of the changes: ```python import logging import time from typing import Any import requests logger = logging.getLogger(__name__) def get_data( url: str, retries: int = 3, timeout: float = 10.0, backoff_factor: float = 2.0, ) -> list[dict[str, Any]]: """ Fetch active items from the given URL. Args: url: The endpoint to fetch data from. retries: Number of attempts before giving up. timeout: Request timeout in seconds. backoff_factor: Multiplier for exponential backoff between retries. Returns: A list of dicts with "name" and "id"…
14.0s1299 output tokens

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Frequently asked questions

Which is cheaper, Claude Opus 4.6 or Claude Sonnet 5?
Per 1M output tokens, Claude Opus 4.6 is ¥4,200 and Claude Sonnet 5 is ¥1,787 on FastMetal (yen, before tax), so Claude Sonnet 5 is cheaper.
How do the context windows of Claude Opus 4.6 and Claude Sonnet 5 compare?
Claude Opus 4.6 takes 1,000,000 tokens; Claude Sonnet 5 takes 1,000,000.
Which ranks higher, Claude Opus 4.6 or Claude Sonnet 5?
Claude Opus 4.6 ranks higher on the public arena (Claude Opus 4.6 #16, Claude Sonnet 5 #33). Ranks move as the leaderboard updates.
Can I use Claude Opus 4.6 and Claude Sonnet 5 with the same API key?
Yes. On FastMetal's OpenAI-compatible endpoint, switch by passing "anthropic-claude-opus-4-6" or "anthropic-claude-sonnet-5" as the model. Each is billed at its own rate from the same prepaid balance.

Try both on one API key

Create an account and add credit to call Claude Opus 4.6 and Claude Sonnet 5 from the browser chat and the API. No monthly fee.

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