Claude Sonnet 4.6 vs Haiku 4.5: Full Comparison
Sonnet 4.6 and Haiku 4.5 are the two most commonly used Claude models. Sonnet 4.6 provides higher quality reasoning with adaptive thinking and is the default for Claude Code, while Haiku offers the fastest responses at the lowest price point.
| Spec | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Claude Haiku 4.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Context Window | 200K | 200K |
| Max Output | 64K | 64K |
| Vision | ||
| Extended Thinking | ||
| Adaptive Thinking | ||
| Input Price | $3/MTok | $1/MTok |
| Output Price | $15/MTok | $5/MTok |
Choose Sonnet 4.6 for quality-sensitive tasks like code generation and analysis — it now includes adaptive thinking. Choose Haiku 4.5 for latency-sensitive applications and high-volume processing where speed matters most.
Should I use Sonnet 4.6 or Haiku 4.5 for my chatbot?
For most chatbots, Haiku 4.5 is the better choice due to its faster response times and lower cost. Use Sonnet 4.6 if your chatbot requires nuanced reasoning, adaptive thinking, or handles complex queries.
What is the price difference between Sonnet 4.6 and Haiku 4.5?
Sonnet 4.6 costs $3/$15 per MTok (input/output), while Haiku 4.5 costs $1/$5 per MTok. Haiku is 3x cheaper, making it ideal for high-volume applications.