None
None
Long Story Video Skill
Turn your idea into 10s–10min video—AI writes scripts, prompts, and generates footage automatically.
Ads Video Skill
Generate professional ads and sales videos—AI auto-generates scripts, prompts, and footage.
3D Science Explainer Video Skill
Convert scientific concepts into stunning 3D explain animations
Feedback
freeTrialImage.bannerPity
freeTrialImage.upgradeUnlock
- ✓freeTrialImage.benefitHd
- ✓freeTrialImage.benefitWatermark
- ✓freeTrialImage.benefitUnlimited
opus 5 vs opus 5.5
See how Opus 5.5 trims the bill and speeds up output on tough reasoning tasks — while matching Opus 5 answer for answer.
All Tools
Discover our comprehensive AI-powered animation toolkit
MiniMax H3
MiniMax H3 AI Video Generator
Seedance 2.5
The Future of AI Video Is Here.
Seedance 2.0
The Future of AI Video Is Here.
Veo3.1
Create Stunning Videos with Veo3.1
FLUX 3 Video Generator
Kling 3.0
Next-Gen AI Video Generator
Grok Video Generator
Create Videos from Text or Images with AI
MiniMax H3 video generator
MiniMax H3 AI Video Generator
Where Opus 5 vs Opus 5.5 Actually Differ
The vendor says Opus 5.5 spends less and replies faster than Opus 5. These trials check whether those gains survive genuine, unsimplified problem solving.
- What the Vendor Promises on Price and PaceThe headline numbers claim roughly 40% smaller bills, over 30% quicker generation, and reasoning that keeps pace with Claude Fable 5.1 instead of lagging behind.
- New Per-Token RatesThe newer model charges $4 per million input tokens and $20 per million generated, replacing the older $5 and $25 tiers — a cut that alone trims a fifth off the bill.
- How the Reasoning Tests Were BuiltBoth models received the very same prompts via the Anthropic API, adaptive thinking left at default effort, with a single run per puzzle per model.
Step by Step: Running the Opus 5 vs Opus 5.5 Trials
Each model faced three demanding puzzles once, with token counts, elapsed time, and list-price spend recorded on every single call.
Opus 5 vs Opus 5.5 Scoreboard: Cost, Speed, Accuracy
Spend, token volume, generation pace, and breakdown points captured during every Opus 5 and Opus 5.5 trial.
Grid Puzzle Precision
All 28 cells landed correctly for both releases, though Opus 5.5 flagged that it had not fully proven its answer was the sole solution.
Output Token Economy
On the stone game Opus 5.5 emitted 62% fewer output tokens, and it spent 43% less on the grid — mostly by saying less.
Generation Throughput
Opus 5.5 averaged 103.4 tokens per second versus 93.1 for its predecessor, roughly 11% quicker, peaking at a 19% edge on one problem.
Spend Per Puzzle
The grid run cost $0.16 instead of $0.27, and the stone game $0.58 instead of $1.88, bringing the whole experiment to $10.50.
Where Both Models Stumble
Neither model cracked the ordering task: each could burn close to 20 minutes of thinking and return nothing at all, and Opus 5.5 ended on a refusal stop reason.
When to Add a Code Tool
If a problem boils down to counting, the ordering test included, give the model a code execution tool instead of expecting it to reason its way to the figure.
Opus 5 vs Opus 5.5: Your Questions, Answered
Answers on pricing, generation speed, and reasoning outcomes for Opus 5 and Opus 5.5.
Does Opus 5.5 cost less than Opus 5?
Yes — the grid puzzle cost 43% less and the stone game 69% less, a saving that traces back to shorter output.
Does Opus 5.5 respond faster than Opus 5?
Yes, about 11% faster across the board and up to 19% on one problem, though that falls short of the 30% figure the vendor advertises.
Is Opus 5.5 smarter at reasoning?
No. Across the three puzzles the two were impossible to tell apart: both solved the grid and the stone game, and both failed the constrained ordering task.
Why would Opus 5.5 refuse a harmless request?
During the ordering trial it ended with a refusal stop reason and no output at all — most likely a safety filter misreading a benign task.
Should I move from Opus 5 to Opus 5.5?
If Opus 5 is your current workhorse, yes: reasoning quality holds steady while costs and waiting time drop — just cap output tokens before you start.
How can I keep spending under control on tough tasks?
Cap output tokens and watch the meter, because either model can think for roughly 20 minutes, return nothing, and still bill you for every token.
Run Your Own Opus 5 vs Opus 5.5 Comparison
Grab the prompts above, test both Claude models on your own workload, and switch to Opus 5.5 with an output cap to keep the savings and the speed.