Anthropic API Introduces Tiered Pricing and Prompt Caching for Sonnet 4.5, Restructuring Costs Based on Token Length
What happened
Between the Jul 6, 2025 and Oct 4, 2025 captures of Anthropic's pricing page, Pulse recorded 5 changes: Claude Opus 4 renamed to Opus 4.1; Batch service tier description changed from 'Save 50% by processing asynchronous workloads together' to 'For asynchronous workloads that can be processed together for better efficiency'; Claude Sonnet 4 renamed to Sonnet 4.5; Sonnet 4.5 prompt caching introduced tiered thresholds at 200K tokens for write ($3.75/MTok for ≤200K, $7.50/MTok for >200K) and read ($0.30/MTok for ≤200K, $0.60/MTok for >200K); Sonnet 4.5 introduced tiered pricing based on prompt length: input $3/MTok for ≤200K tokens and $6/MTok for >200K tokens; output $15/MTok for ≤200K tokens and $22.50/MTok for >200K tokens. Pulse files it as a packaging change (plan renamed, feature change, threshold added, package change) with an upward direction. Pulse's latest capture (Oct 12, 2026) lists Haiku 4.5 at $5 per MTok output + $1.25 per MTok cache write, Sonnet 5 at $2 per MTok input + $10 per MTok output, Opus 5 at $6.25 per MTok cache write + $0.5 per MTok cache read, Fable 5 at $12.5 per MTok cache write + $1 per MTok cache read and Opus 4.8 at $6.25 per MTok cache write + $5 per MTok input.
Anthropic's previous recorded change was "Anthropic API Introduces Code Execution Tool with 50 Free Hours Daily, Enhancing Service Offerings and Flexibility for Users" (Q2 2025). Anthropic has been tracked since 2024-11-17.
In the same window Microsoft and OpenAI also changed their AI & Machine Learning pricing pages. Those moves are listed further down, and the Pulse Agent can compare them side by side.
- — · PlanRenamedClaude Opus 4Opus 4.1
- — · FeatureChanged
Before'Save 50% by processing asynchronous workloads together'
After'For asynchronous workloads that can be processed together
- Sonnet 4.5 · PlanRenamedClaude Sonnet 4Sonnet 4.5
- Sonnet 4.5 · LimitAddedNo tiered thresholdstiered thresholds
- Sonnet 4.5 · PackagingAddedNo tiered pricing basedtiered pricing based
| Plan | Field | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Plan | Claude Opus 4 | Opus 4.1 | Renamed |
| — | Feature | 'Save 50% by processing asynchronous workloads together' | 'For asynchronous workloads that can be processed together | Changed |
| Sonnet 4.5 | Plan | Claude Sonnet 4 | Sonnet 4.5 | Renamed |
| Sonnet 4.5 | Limit | No tiered thresholds | tiered thresholds | Added |
| Sonnet 4.5 | Packaging | No tiered pricing based | tiered pricing based | Added |
Values as written on Anthropic's public pricing page in the two captures Pulse compared; where the page states no number, the cells give the wording before and after.
Evidence
The two captures Pulse comparedFull-page captures of Anthropic's pricing page (anthropic.com) from Jul 6, 2025 and Oct 4, 2025; the change is marked near the top of the page, where "Claude Opus 4" becomes "Opus 4.1".
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Anthropic, the last 90 days
Full history- Feb 9, 2026packagingAnthropic API unveils Opus 4.6 pricing with new >200K token tiers
- Week 2, 2026packagingAnthropic API ends holiday promo, drops 2x usage boost for paid subscribers
- Jan 10, 2026packagingAnthropic API Cuts Flagship Opus Model Prices by 67% in Major Update to Version 4.5, Launching New Pricing Structure
- Q3 2025improvedAnthropic API Introduces Tiered Pricing and Prompt Caching for Sonnet 4.5, Restructuring Costs Based on Token Length · this change
- Q2 2025improvedAnthropic API Introduces Code Execution Tool with 50 Free Hours Daily, Enhancing Service Offerings and Flexibility for Users
Across AI & Machine Learning in the same window
All AI & Machine Learning changes- MicrosoftOct 26Microsoft Teams Business adds Cowork and Autopilot AI, with usage-based billing
- MicrosoftOct 26Microsoft Copilot adds usage-based billing for advanced AI, prices hold
- OpenAIOct 26OpenAI rewrites Free, Go, Plus and Pro taglines in "Best for" format
- MicrosoftOct 19Microsoft Speech hides specific LLM models from Voice Live tier headers
- MicrosoftOct 19Microsoft 365 Copilot: Business plan relabeled as add-on
Questions about this change
Did Anthropic raise prices in October 2025?
No list-price increase was recorded between Jul 6, 2025 and Oct 4, 2025. The change Pulse detected was a packaging change: plan renamed, feature change, threshold added, package change.
What changed on Anthropic's pricing page between Jul 6, 2025 and Oct 4, 2025?
Plan: Claude Opus 4 → Opus 4.1, renamed; feature: 'Save 50% by processing asynchronous workloads together' → 'For asynchronous workloads that can be processed together, changed; Sonnet 4.5 plan: Claude Sonnet 4 → Sonnet 4.5, renamed; Sonnet 4.5 limit: No tiered thresholds → tiered thresholds, added; Sonnet 4.5 packaging: No tiered pricing based → tiered pricing based, added. Pulse compared the captures it took on Jul 6, 2025 and Oct 4, 2025; the before/after table above lists each item as written on the page.
How often does Anthropic change its pricing?
Pulse recorded 1 other pricing-page change for Anthropic in the 90 days before this one; the previous change was "Anthropic API Introduces Code Execution Tool with 50 Free Hours Daily, Enhancing Service Offerings and Flexibility for Users" in Q2 2025; Anthropic has been tracked since 2024-11-17.