Model comparison
Claude Sonnet 4.6 vs Claude Sonnet 5
List rate, corouter rate, context, and which ID to send for claude-sonnet-4-6 versus claude-sonnet-5. A sample of 1 million input tokens plus 200 thousand output tokens is about $1.20 on corouter (input $0.600, output $0.600). A sample of 1 million input tokens plus 200 thousand output tokens is about $0.800 on corouter (input $0.400, output $0.400).
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Claude Sonnet 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| ID | claude-sonnet-4-6 | claude-sonnet-5 |
| Vendor | Anthropic | Anthropic |
| List input | $3.00 | $2.00 |
| corouter input | $0.600 | $0.400 |
| List output | $15.00 | $10.00 |
| corouter output | $3.00 | $2.00 |
| Cache read | $0.060 | $0.040 |
| Context | 1M | 1M |
Price gap
On output, Claude Sonnet 5 is lower: $2.00 on corouter versus $3.00 for Claude Sonnet 4.6, about 1.50×. Input is $0.400 versus $0.600.
Window and modalities
Both windows are 1M. Claude Sonnet 4.6 is listed with these modalities: Chat, Vision, Code. Claude Sonnet 5 is listed with these modalities: Chat, Vision, Code.
When to send claude-sonnet-4-6
Claude Sonnet 4.6 keeps the previous Sonnet list rate, above Sonnet 5, with a 1M window and the Code tag. Send claude-sonnet-4-6 when a runbook still names it.
Both are Anthropic IDs. The field you change is model: claude-sonnet-4-6 or claude-sonnet-5.
When to send claude-sonnet-5
Claude Sonnet 5 lists below Sonnet 4.6 on both input and output and keeps the 1M window plus the Code tag. Send claude-sonnet-5 for that newer Sonnet ID.
Both are Anthropic IDs. The field you change is model: claude-sonnet-5 or claude-sonnet-4-6.
The same volume, two bills
A sample of 1 million input tokens plus 200 thousand output tokens is about $1.20 on corouter (input $0.600, output $0.600).
A sample of 1 million input tokens plus 200 thousand output tokens is about $0.800 on corouter (input $0.400, output $0.400).
Questions
- Which output rate is lower, Claude Sonnet 4.6 or Claude Sonnet 5?
- On output, Claude Sonnet 5 is lower: $2.00 on corouter versus $3.00 for Claude Sonnet 4.6, about 1.50×. Input is $0.400 versus $0.600.
- Is corouter affiliated with the model vendors?
- No. corouter is not affiliated with OpenAI or Anthropic. Vendor names identify the model and the published list rate.
- How do you start billing?
- Create a console account and spend prepaid credits. The minimum top-up is $5. The API base is https://api.corouter.co. Put the ID you chose in the model field.