Claude Sonnet 4 vs Claude Sonnet 4.6

Compare Anthropic and Anthropic AI models

Anthropic

Claude Sonnet 4

Anthropic

Claude Sonnet 4.6

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Cost Comparison (1000 input + 500 output tokens, 100 requests/day)

Claude Sonnet 4

Per Request:$0.0105

Daily:$1.05

Monthly:$31.50

Yearly:$383.25

Claude Sonnet 4.6

Per Request:$0.0105

Daily:$1.05

Monthly:$31.50

Yearly:$383.25

Cost Differences

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Claude Sonnet 4.6 costs less than Claude Sonnet 4

Feature Comparison

Feature	Claude Sonnet 4	Claude Sonnet 4.6
Provider	Anthropic	Anthropic
Input Price	$3.00/1M tokens	$3.00/1M tokens
Output Price	$15.00/1M tokens	$15.00/1M tokens
Context Window	200,000 tokens	1,000,000 tokens
Max Output	64,000 tokens	65,536 tokens
Category	standard	balanced
Capabilities	textvisioncodereasoning	textvisioncodereasoningcomputer-use
Release Date	5/14/2025	2/18/2026

Claude Sonnet 4 vs Claude Sonnet 4.6: Which Should You Choose?

Choosing between Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Sonnet 4.6 depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. Claude Sonnet 4.6 is the more affordable option at $3.00/1M input tokens. Meanwhile, Claude Sonnet 4.6 offers a significantly larger context window at 1,000,000 tokens vs 200,000 for Claude Sonnet 4.

These models target different tiers: Claude Sonnet 4 is a standard model while Claude Sonnet 4.6 is balanced. This means they're optimized for different workloads. Claude Sonnet 4.6 targets more demanding workloads, while Claude Sonnet 4 provides a cost-effective option for everyday tasks.

Output costs matter too. Claude Sonnet 4 charges $15.00/1M output tokens vs $15.00 for Claude Sonnet 4.6.

Multimodal capabilities: Both models support vision (image understanding), so you can send images alongside text prompts with either option.

Best Use Cases

Choose Claude Sonnet 4 when:

• You're already using Anthropic's API ecosystem

Choose Claude Sonnet 4.6 when:

• You need a larger context window (1,000,000 tokens)
• You need more capabilities (computer-use)
• You need longer outputs (up to 65,536 tokens)
• You're already using Anthropic's API ecosystem

Try Different Scenarios

Use the calculator below to see how costs change with different usage patterns

Claude Sonnet 4 (Anthropic)

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Claude Sonnet 4.6 (Anthropic)

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, Claude Sonnet 4 or Claude Sonnet 4.6?▼

Claude Sonnet 4.6 is cheaper for input tokens at $3.00 per million tokens vs $3.00 for Claude Sonnet 4.

What is the context window difference between Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Sonnet 4.6?▼

Claude Sonnet 4 supports 200,000 tokens while Claude Sonnet 4.6 supports 1,000,000 tokens — a difference of 800,000 tokens in favor of Claude Sonnet 4.6.

Which model is better for AI Agent / Agentic Workflows?▼

Both models support text, code, reasoning. For ai agent / agentic workflows, Claude Sonnet 4.6 is the lower-cost option, while Claude Sonnet 4.6 offers a larger context window (1,000,000 vs 200,000 tokens). Choose Claude Sonnet 4.6 for budget sensitivity or Claude Sonnet 4.6 for longer context tasks.

Which model has better overall pricing for heavy usage?▼

At 100 requests/day with 1,000 input and 500 output tokens each, Claude Sonnet 4 costs about $31.50/month and Claude Sonnet 4.6 costs about $31.50/month. Overall, Claude Sonnet 4.6 has lower combined input + output rates ($3.00 in, $15.00 out) vs Claude Sonnet 4.