Is Claude Opus 4 actually worth it?

Описание: Anthropic has launched Claude Opus 4, a high-performance language model currently being used for complex, long-running tasks ranging from orbital simulations and physics engines to art and game development. Users have built projects like a solar system simulator, a dynamic flight model, a double pendulum with color tracking, and even a functioning version of Tetris.

Claude Opus 4 is positioned as the most capable coding model available today. It supports advanced agent behaviors, long-term memory through a file system-style architecture, and maintains coherence across sessions. This allows it to handle intensive workloads such as AI-assisted game navigation or detailed application development.

Compared to Claude Sonnet 4, which is optimized for speed and cost, Opus is designed for depth and durability. Sonnet is often more visually refined for lightweight tasks, while Opus focuses on logical consistency and technical robustness.

In side-by-side tests:
Opus produced better logic and realism in a Pokémon battle interface, while Sonnet delivered stronger visual design.For a plant care HTML app, Sonnet kept things minimalist, whereas Opus added features at the cost of clarity.In creative tests like the “pelican riding a bicycle” prompt, Opus leaned realistic; Sonnet leaned playful.While Opus 4 typically outperforms Sonnet 4, the difference isn’t always dramatic—and the cost is significantly higher. Opus is priced at $15 per million input tokens and $75 per million output, compared to Sonnet’s $3 and $15 respectively.

The question remains whether the performance gains justify the additional cost, depending on the project.