Anthropic API Cuts Flagship Opus Model Prices by 67% in Major Update to Version 4.5, Launching New Pricing Structure
What happened
Between the Oct 4, 2025 and Jan 1, 2026 captures of Anthropic's pricing page, Pulse recorded 7 changes: Flagship Opus model output price decreased from $75/MTok (v4.1) to $25/MTok (v4.5) - 67% reduction; Haiku model upgraded from version 3.5 to version 4.5; Flagship Opus model input price decreased from $15/MTok (v4.1) to $5/MTok (v4.5) - 67% reduction; Haiku output price increased from $4/MTok (v3.5) to $5/MTok (v4.5) - 25% increase; Opus 4.1 removed from latest models section and moved to legacy models; Opus 4.5 model launched as new flagship 'Most intelligent model for building agents and coding' with pricing of $5/MTok input and $25/MTok output; Haiku input price increased from $0.80/MTok (v3.5) to $1/MTok (v4.5) - 25% increase. Pulse files it as a pricing change (price decrease, plan renamed, price increase, plan removed, new plan) with a neutral direction. Pulse's latest capture (Nov 9, 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 + $0.50 per MTok cache read, Fable 5 at $12.50 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 Tiered Pricing and Prompt Caching for Sonnet 4.5, Restructuring Costs Based on Token Length" (Q3 2025). Before that Pulse recorded "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 OpenAI and X also changed their AI & Machine Learning pricing pages. Those moves are listed further down, and the Pulse Agent can compare them side by side.
- Price decrease—Price
Flagship Opus model output price decreased from $75/MTok (v4.1) to $25/MTok (v4.5) - 67% reduction
- Changed—Planversion 3.5version 4.5
- Price decrease—Price
Flagship Opus model input price decreased from $15/MTok (v4.1) to $5/MTok (v4.5) - 67% reduction
- Price increase—Price
Haiku output price increased from $4/MTok (v3.5) to $5/MTok (v4.5) - 25% increase
- Changed—Plan
Beforelatest models section and moved
Afterlegacy models
- AddedOpus 4.5PlanNot listedOpus 4.5 model
- Price increase—Price
Haiku input price increased from $0.80/MTok (v3.5) to $1/MTok (v4.5) - 25% increase
| Plan | Field | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Price | — | $25/MTok | Price decrease |
| — | Plan | version 3.5 | version 4.5 | Changed |
| — | Price | — | $5/MTok | Price decrease |
| — | Price | — | $5/MTok | Price increase |
| — | Plan | latest models section and moved | legacy models | Changed |
| Opus 4.5 | Plan | Not listed | Opus 4.5 model | Added |
| — | Price | — | $1/MTok | Price increase |
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 Oct 4, 2025 and Jan 1, 2026; the change is marked near the top of the page, where "version 3.5" becomes "version 4.5".
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Anthropic, pricing history
Full history- Week of Feb 2, 2026PackagingAnthropic API rolls out tiered pricing for Opus 4.6 by context length
- Feb 9, 2026PackagingAnthropic API unveils Opus 4.6 pricing with new >200K token tiers
- Week of Dec 29, 2025PackagingAnthropic 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 This change
- Q3 2025PackagingAnthropic API Introduces Tiered Pricing and Prompt Caching for Sonnet 4.5, Restructuring Costs Based on Token Length
- Q2 2025PackagingAnthropic 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- OpenAINov 13OpenAI repositions all 4 ChatGPT plan taglines by use case
- OpenAINov 11OpenAI reframes all four plan taglines with new Best for use-case pitches
- XNov 9X drops Grok Imagine Image Quality model from API pricing table
- OpenAINov 9OpenAI API firms up GPT-5.6 Sol discount deadline: Nov. 30, 2026
- OpenAINov 8OpenAI: all four ChatGPT plan taglines rewritten to 'Best for...' framing
Questions about this change
Did Anthropic raise prices in January 2026?
No — prices went down. Between Oct 4, 2025 and Jan 1, 2026 Anthropic's pricing page showed 2 price cuts: Flagship Opus model output price decreased from $75/MTok (v4.1) to $25/MTok (v4.5) - 67% reduction; Flagship Opus model input price decreased from $15/MTok (v4.1) to $5/MTok (v4.5) - 67% reduction.
What changed on Anthropic's pricing page between Oct 4, 2025 and Jan 1, 2026?
Flagship Opus model output price decreased from $75/MTok (v4.1) to $25/MTok (v4.5) - 67% reduction; plan: version 3.5 → version 4.5, changed; Flagship Opus model input price decreased from $15/MTok (v4.1) to $5/MTok (v4.5) - 67% reduction; Haiku output price increased from $4/MTok (v3.5) to $5/MTok (v4.5) - 25% increase; plan: latest models section and moved → legacy models, changed; Opus 4.5 plan added: Opus 4.5 model; Haiku input price increased from $0.80/MTok (v3.5) to $1/MTok (v4.5) - 25% increase. Pulse compared the captures it took on Oct 4, 2025 and Jan 1, 2026; the before/after table above lists each item as written on the page.
How often does Anthropic change its pricing?
Pulse recorded 0 other pricing-page changes for Anthropic in the 90 days before this one; the previous change was "Anthropic API Introduces Tiered Pricing and Prompt Caching for Sonnet 4.5, Restructuring Costs Based on Token Length" in Q3 2025; Anthropic has been tracked since 2024-11-17.