Input vs output token spend
Output tokens usually cost several times more than input, so answer length is what really drives your bill.
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AI & LLM Cost
Claude API Cost Calculator
Estimate your Anthropic bill fast. Pick a Claude model, enter your request volume and token sizes, and see the monthly cost with a comparison across Opus, Sonnet and Haiku for 2026.
Estimated monthly cost
$0
Cost per request—
Cost per 1,000 requests—
Input token cost—
Output token cost—
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The same workload priced across AI models
Your monthly token volume run through popular 2026 models, cheapest first.
What the Claude API Cost Calculator does
Anthropic bills the Claude API per token, and the three tiers sit far apart on price. Claude Haiku is the fast, low cost option, Claude Sonnet is the balanced workhorse most apps run on, and Claude Opus is the premium model for the hardest reasoning. Because Opus costs many times more than Sonnet, matching the tier to the task is the key budgeting decision.
This Claude API cost calculator prices your workload on the model you choose and compares it across all three tiers, so you can see exactly how much a step up to Opus or down to Haiku changes your monthly bill.
Heads up on pricing. The rates built into this tool are public list estimates for July 2026 and can change without notice. Providers also offer batch discounts, prompt caching and volume tiers that lower real costs, so treat the output as a planning estimate, not a quote.
The formula
cost = (input tokens ÷ 1M × input rate) + (output tokens ÷ 1M × output rate)
Sonnet 4.5: $3 input, $15 output per million tokens
Sonnet 4.5: $3 input, $15 output per million tokens
Worked example
On Claude Sonnet 4.5, 100,000 requests a month at 1,000 input and 500 output tokens cost 100M × $3 + 50M × $15 per million = $300 + $750 = about $1,050 a month. The same on Claude Haiku 4.5 is roughly $350, while Opus 4.1 jumps to about $5,250.
Claude API pricing used (per 1M tokens, July 2026 estimates)
| Model | Input / 1M | Output / 1M |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 4.1 | $15.00 | $75.00 |
| Claude Sonnet 4.5 | $3.00 | $15.00 |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | $1.00 | $5.00 |
July 2026 list estimates. Anthropic offers prompt caching and batch processing that can cut costs substantially on repeated context and non-urgent jobs.
Ways to lower your AI costs
- Match the model to the task. Route simple requests to a small model like GPT-5 mini, Gemini Flash or DeepSeek V3, and keep premium models for complex reasoning where quality pays off.
- Cache repeated context. Prompt caching means you stop paying full price for the same system prompt or documents on every call.
- Cap output length. Output tokens cost several times more than input, so limiting response length is often the fastest saving you can make.
- Trim prompts and history. Summarize old conversation turns and drop context the model does not actually need to answer well.
- Batch non-urgent work. Many providers offer batch pricing at around half the standard rate for jobs that can wait a few hours.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Claude API cost in 2026?
Claude Sonnet 4.5 is about $3 per million input tokens and $15 output. Haiku is cheaper and Opus is the premium tier. Enter your usage above for a tailored figure.
Which Claude model should I use?
Sonnet suits most production work. Use Haiku for high volume, latency sensitive tasks, and reserve Opus for the most demanding reasoning where quality justifies the price.
Does Claude support prompt caching?
Yes. Caching a stable system prompt or long context avoids re-billing those tokens at full rate on every call, which is a large saving for chat and agents.
Is Claude cheaper than GPT-5?
It depends on the tier. Sonnet is priced above GPT-5 on input but competitive overall, while Haiku undercuts most premium models. Compare on your own tokens to be sure.
Are these prices official?
They are July 2026 list estimates. Confirm current rates on the Anthropic pricing page before budgeting.