Opus follows instructions better than sonnet for big tasks, but it can sometimes overthink or overengineer something. Sonnet tends to be more direct but can sometimes not follow instructions as good as opus. I'd say opus is great at planning and executing big tasks, while sonnet is best for simpler tasks that dont need the intelligence of opus.or at least plan with opus, code with sonnet, is another way. Answer from Hauven on reddit.com
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Anthropic
anthropic.com › news › claude-4
Introducing Claude 4
These models advance our customers' AI strategies across the board: Opus 4 pushes boundaries in coding, research, writing, and scientific discovery, while Sonnet 4 brings frontier performance to everyday use cases as an instant upgrade from Sonnet 3.7. Claude 4 models lead on SWE-bench Verified, ...
Discussions

How big of a difference is there between Opus and Sonnet for coding?
My take on this is that occasionally the resulting code is quite shitty with Sonnet, while it is almost never a problem with Opus. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/ClaudeAI
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July 27, 2025
Is opus really better than sonnet in Claude code?
The hype around max 5x is having nigh infinite Sonnet. The hype around max 20x is having nigh infinite Opus. It is hard to get in your grove when you're being reminded of limits all the time :/ Opus is better for certain categories of complex task. It is not necessary for everything. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/ClaudeAI
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June 26, 2025
Is Claude Code Sonnet 4.5 Really Better Than Opus 4.1? Not Seeing It. : ClaudeCode
🌐 r/ClaudeCode
Claude Opus/Sonnet vs pro? : ClaudeAI
Hey, I always work with at least 2-3 Springboot Microservices per problem I solve, sometimes databases involved and complex tasks. My question:... More on old.reddit.com
🌐 r/ClaudeAI
People also ask

How does Claude 3.7 Sonnet improve coding workflows?
Claude 3.7 Sonnet provides tools like the Claude Code command-line tool and Thinking Mode to streamline coding, allowing developers to handle complex tasks more effectively and understand the model's reasoning during code generation and problem-solving.
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latenode.com
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Claude 3.7 Sonnet vs. Claude 3.5 Opus: Major Leaps in ...
What is "Thinking Mode" in Claude 3.7 Sonnet and how does it enhance reasoning?
"Thinking Mode" is a feature in Claude 3.7 Sonnet that provides a detailed, step-by-step reasoning process, adjusting its approach based on task complexity and significantly improving accuracy in areas like math, physics, and in-depth analysis.
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latenode.com
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Claude 3.7 Sonnet vs. Claude 3.5 Opus: Major Leaps in ...
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Eden AI
edenai.co › post › claude-sonnet-4-vs-claude-opus-4
Claude Sonnet 4 vs Claude Opus 4
Claude Opus 4 and Claude Sonnet 4 are both strong performers, but with distinct strengths. Claude Opus 4 outperforms Sonnet 4 in several key areas: it achieves higher accuracy in terminal coding (50.0% vs. 41.3%), high school math competition ...
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Writingmate
writingmate.ai › blog › claude-sonnet-vs-opus
Claude 3.5 Sonnet vs Claude 3 Opus: A Comprehensive Comparison | Writingmate Blog
January 31, 2025 - In those internal evaluations, Sonnet solved 64% of coding problems, so it outperformed Opus a lot. Remember, Claude Opus solved just 38%, a weak result in my opinion. This makes Sonnet particularly useful for developers that are working on ...
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DEV Community
dev.to › nodeshiftcloud › claude-4-opus-vs-sonnet-benchmarks-and-dev-workflow-with-claude-code-11fa
Claude 4: Opus vs Sonnet, Benchmarks, and Dev Workflow with Claude Code - DEV Community
May 24, 2025 - For high-compute results, multiple ... tasks are approached at scale. Claude Opus 4 represents a major leap forward in building digital systems that can handle deep, uninterrupted thinking....
Find elsewhere
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Medium
medium.com › @leucopsis › claude-sonnet-4-and-opus-4-a-review-db68b004db90
Claude Sonnet 4 and Opus 4, a Review | by Barnacle Goose | Medium
May 29, 2025 - Opus 4 can “work continuously for several hours” on coding or problem-solving tasks, “dramatically outperforming all earlier Sonnet models” on long, complex coding problems.
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Hacker News
news.ycombinator.com › item
I still feel like the difference between Sonnet and Opus is a bit unclear. Somew... | Hacker News
October 25, 2024 - And finally, in the table in the blogpost, Opus isn't even included? It seems to me like Opus is the best model they have, but they don't want people to default using it, maybe the ROI is lower on Opus or something · When I manually tested it, I feel like Opus gives slightly better replies ...
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Anthropic
anthropic.com › news › claude-opus-4-5
Introducing Claude Opus 4.5
November 24, 2025 - Claude Opus 4.5 catches more issues in code reviews without sacrificing precision. For production code review at scale, that reliability matters. Based on testing with Junie, our coding agent, Claude Opus 4.5 outperforms Sonnet 4.5 across all benchmarks. It requires fewer steps to solve tasks ...
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Medium
medium.com › @ayaanhaider.dev › sonnet-4-5-vs-haiku-4-5-vs-opus-4-1-which-claude-model-actually-works-best-in-real-projects-7183c0dc2249
Sonnet 4.5 vs Haiku 4.5 vs Opus 4.1 — Which Claude Model Actually Works Best in Real Projects | by Ayaan haider | Medium
October 18, 2025 - But don’t expect it to remember everything in long sessions. Sonnet 4.5 Sonnet is the all-rounder. It’s the model I trust for daily work — writing logic, managing state, connecting APIs, and handling multiple files.
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Skywork
skywork.ai › home › claude sonnet 4.5 vs claude opus: which one should you choose?
Claude Sonnet 4.5 vs Claude Opus: which one should you choose? - Skywork ai
October 3, 2025 - A: Yes, the data shows clear gains on software-focused evaluations for Claude Sonnet 4.5. It retains context for much longer, which is critical for complex debugging and large code refactoring projects.
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ClaudeLog
claudelog.com › home › faqs › sonnet vs opus
Claude Sonnet 4.5 vs Opus for Claude Code - Performance Comparison | ClaudeLog
November 24, 2025 - Sonnet 4.5 is excellent for fast daily coding work, while Opus 4.5 is state-of-the-art for software engineering (leading SWE-bench Verified), complex reasoning, and agentic workflows.
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Creole Studios
creolestudios.com › home › claude opus 4 or sonnet 4? how to choose the right ai for your workflow
Claude Opus 4 vs Sonnet 4: Pick the Right AI Model
September 23, 2025 - This isn’t just fast code completion—it’s thoughtful problem-solving over time, showcasing its strength in memory retention and contextual awareness. Widely Integrated Into AI Infrastructure Claude Opus 4 is now available on major cloud platforms: ... These integrations make it easy for enterprises to embed Opus into production workflows—whether in data science, enterprise automation, or software pipelines. Everyday Performance That Scales While Sonnet 4 isn’t as advanced as Opus in reasoning depth, it delivers high-quality performance on the majority of general-purpose tasks, including summarization, conversation, content generation, and lightweight coding.
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Medium
medium.com › @ferreradaniel › claude-4-opus-vs-sonnet-the-future-of-ai-coding-tools-in-2025-which-model-wins-c1baa9f445f7
Claude 4 Opus vs Sonnet: The Future of AI Coding Tools in 2025 — Which Model Wins? | by Daniel Ferrera | Medium
May 23, 2025 - Claude 4 Sonnet is the zippier, and is a more affordable sibling. It’s a major upgrade from Sonnet 3.7 and scores a whopping 72.7% on Sway Bench. If Opus is the marathon runner, Sonnet’s your sprinter — fast, efficient, and still wicked smart.
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Skywork
skywork.ai › home › claude sonnet 4.5 vs claude opus avis pratique
Claude Sonnet 4.5 vs Claude Opus Avis pratique - Skywork ai
October 7, 2025 - Sécurité et alignement : Sonnet a été entraîné avec plus de mesures de sécurité et de classificateurs ; pour beaucoup d’utilisateurs, cela signifie moins de sorties étranges ou risquées lors des sessions à haute autonomie.
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Data Studios
datastudios.org › post › claude-opus-4-5-vs-claude-sonnet-4-5-full-report-and-comparison-of-features-performance-pricing-a
Claude Opus 4.5 vs Claude Sonnet 4.5: Full Report and Comparison of Features, Performance, Pricing and more
1 month ago - Opus’s stronger logical planning ... weigh these advantages against Sonnet’s practical strengths. Claude Sonnet 4.5 is optimized for the developer experience....