Updated March 26, 2026· Based on independent benchmark data
Claude Sonnet 4.6 (Adaptive Reasoning, Max Effort) leads in intelligence with a score of 51.7 vs 49.7. Claude Sonnet 4.6 (Adaptive Reasoning, Max Effort) is 1.7x cheaper at $3.00/1M tokens vs $5.00/1M.
| Metric | Claude Sonnet 4.6 (Adaptive Reasoning, Max Effort) | Claude Opus 4.5 (Reasoning) |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligence Score | 51.7 | 49.7 |
| Coding Score | 50.9 | 47.8 |
| Math Score | N/A | 91.3 |
| Speed (tok/s) | 71 tok/s | 57 tok/s |
| Latency (TTFT) | 32.16s | 10.41s |
| Input Price / 1M tokens | $3.00 | $5.00 |
| Output Price / 1M tokens | $15 | $25 |
| Context Window |
Claude Sonnet 4.6 (Adaptive Reasoning, Max Effort) outperforms Claude Opus 4.5 (Reasoning) on the intelligence index with a score of 51.7 compared to 49.7. For coding tasks, Claude Sonnet 4.6 (Adaptive Reasoning, Max Effort) has the edge with a coding score of 50.9 vs 47.8.
Claude Sonnet 4.6 (Adaptive Reasoning, Max Effort) generates output significantly faster at 71 tok/s compared to Claude Opus 4.5 (Reasoning)'s 57 tok/s, making it 1.2x faster for streaming responses. Time to first token is 10.41s for Claude Opus 4.5 (Reasoning) vs 32.16s for Claude Sonnet 4.6 (Adaptive Reasoning, Max Effort), which affects perceived responsiveness in interactive applications.
Claude Sonnet 4.6 (Adaptive Reasoning, Max Effort) is more affordable at $3.00/1M input tokens ($15/1M output), while Claude Opus 4.5 (Reasoning) costs $5.00/1M input ($25/1M output). For a typical workload of 100 requests per day at 2,000 tokens each, Claude Sonnet 4.6 (Adaptive Reasoning, Max Effort) would cost approximately $18.00/month vs $30.00/month for Claude Opus 4.5 (Reasoning) in input costs alone.
Choose Claude Sonnet 4.6 (Adaptive Reasoning, Max Effort) when you need stronger coding performance (50.9), lower cost.
Claude Sonnet 4.6 (Adaptive Reasoning, Max Effort) scores higher on coding benchmarks (50.9 vs 47.8), making it the better choice for programming tasks.
Claude Sonnet 4.6 (Adaptive Reasoning, Max Effort) is cheaper at $3.00/1M input tokens vs $5.00/1M for Claude Opus 4.5 (Reasoning).
Claude Sonnet 4.6 (Adaptive Reasoning, Max Effort) is faster, producing output at 71 tok/s compared to Claude Opus 4.5 (Reasoning)'s 57 tok/s.
No, Claude Sonnet 4.6 (Adaptive Reasoning, Max Effort) does not support image input. Neither model supports image input.
Data last synced: March 26, 2026
| N/A |
| N/A |
| Max Output Tokens | N/A | N/A |
| Input Modalities | Text | Text |
| Output Modalities | Text | Text |
| Free Tier | No | No |
It depends on your priorities. Claude Sonnet 4.6 (Adaptive Reasoning, Max Effort) scores higher on intelligence (51.7), but Claude Opus 4.5 (Reasoning) may be better for specific use cases like budget-conscious projects or speed-critical applications.