Claude (Anthropic)
Overview
Claude Series is Anthropic's family of large language models. Founded in 2021 by former OpenAI researchers, Anthropic centers its work around AI safety via the Constitutional AI approach. As of 2026, the flagship lineup is Claude Opus 4.6 / Sonnet 4.6 / Haiku 4.5, with the 1M token context window now generally available at standard pricing. Claude is widely regarded as having industry-leading coding capabilities.
Latest Model: Claude 4.6 Series
In March 2026, Opus 4.6 and Sonnet 4.6 launched with 1M token context now GA at standard pricing — no more premium long-context rates.
Three-Tier Lineup
| Model | Use Case | API Price (Input/Output per 1M tokens) | Max Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 4.6 | Flagship, enterprise workloads | $5 / $25 | 128k |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Balanced, everyday tasks | $3 / $15 | 64k |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | Fastest, low-cost | $1 / $5 | — |
Key Features
1. 1M Token Context (GA)
Opus 4.6 and Sonnet 4.6 now include 1M token context at standard pricing. The premium long-context rates have been eliminated.
2. Adaptive Thinking
Claude autonomously decides when and how much to think. At the default effort level (High), Claude almost always thinks, balancing instant answers for simple queries with deep reasoning for complex tasks.
3. Dynamic Web Filtering
Web search and fetch tools now support dynamic filtering — Claude writes and executes code to filter results before they reach the context window.
4. Claude Code (Coding Agent)
Terminal-based autonomous coding agent. Multi-file editing, full-project understanding, and autonomous file operations. Agent Teams enables multi-instance collaboration (experimental).
5. Artifacts / Projects
Real-time preview of code, documents, and apps during chat (Artifacts). Long-term project management with shared context (Projects).
Claude Plans
| Plan | Monthly | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Limited access to Sonnet 4.6 |
| Pro | $20 | Opus 4.6, Projects, Artifacts |
| Max (5x) | $100 | 5x Pro usage |
| Max (20x) | $200 | 20x Pro usage, priority access |
| Team / Enterprise | Contact sales | Team features, admin console, SSO |
Strengths
- ✅ Industry-leading coding — top scores on SWE-bench benchmarks
- ✅ 1M token context at standard pricing (GA)
- ✅ Adaptive thinking — autonomous depth-of-thought control
- ✅ Safety-focused — Constitutional AI approach
- ✅ Claude Code — powerful terminal-integrated coding agent
- ✅ Agent Teams — multi-instance collaboration (experimental)
Weaknesses
- ❌ No image/video generation
- ❌ Smaller plugin ecosystem than OpenAI
- ❌ Limited free tier usage
- ❌ Real-time info only via Pro web search
Official Resources
- Website: https://www.anthropic.com
- Claude.ai: https://claude.ai
- API Docs: https://docs.claude.com
- Pricing: https://www.anthropic.com/pricing