Updated July 6, 2026
Tracker update: Claude Sonnet 5 shipped June 30, 2026 and is now the default Sonnet, replacing Sonnet 4.6. As of July 6, 2026, Anthropic’s lineup is Claude Fable 5 (top tier above Opus; $10 in / $50 out per MTok; Mythos 5 is the limited-availability sibling), Claude Opus 4.8 ($5/$25), Claude Sonnet 5 (released June 30, 2026; now the default for Free and Pro; introductory $2/$10 per MTok through Aug 31, 2026, then $3/$15), and Claude Haiku 4.5 ($1/$5). Opus 4.7 and Sonnet 4.6 are now legacy. Full details: the Claude Fable 5 Complete Guide.
Last refreshed: June 9, 2026
Model Accuracy Note — Updated June 9, 2026
Current flagship: Claude Opus 4.8 (claude-opus-4-8). Current models: Fable 5 (top tier) · Opus 4.8 · Sonnet 5 · Haiku 4.5. Claude Opus 4.6 referenced in this article has been superseded. See current model tracker →
claude-fable-5) is the top tier, with Claude Opus 4.8 (claude-opus-4-8) and Claude Sonnet 4.6 (claude-sonnet-4-6) below it. Original Claude 4.0 models deprecated — retiring June 15, 2026.Anthropic releases model updates frequently and the naming can be confusing. This page tracks the current Claude model lineup, the exact API strings to use, what’s deprecated, and what’s coming next. Bookmark it and check back — it’s updated when Anthropic ships changes.
Current Models (June 2026)
| Model | API String | Context | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Fable 5 | claude-fable-5 |
1M | Highest capability — frontier reasoning and agentic tasks |
| Claude Opus 4.8 | claude-opus-4-8 |
200K (1M beta) | Complex reasoning, long-horizon agentic tasks (highest Opus tier) |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | claude-sonnet-4-6 |
200K (1M beta) | Production default — near-Opus performance at lower cost |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 |
200K | Speed, cost efficiency, high-volume tasks |
Deprecated Models (Action Required)
| Model | API String | Retirement Date | Migrate To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Sonnet 4 (original) | claude-sonnet-4-20250514 |
June 15, 2026 | claude-sonnet-4-6 |
| Claude Opus 4 (original) | claude-opus-4-20250514 |
June 15, 2026 | claude-opus-4-8 |
If you have 20250514 in any API calls or model strings in production code, you have until June 15 to update them. Search your codebase for that date string now.
What Changed From 4.0 to 4.6
The Claude 4.6 models (released February 2026) are meaningful upgrades over the original 4.0 release (May 2025). Key improvements in Sonnet 4.6: near-Opus-level performance on coding and document comprehension, dramatically improved computer use (navigating browsers, filling forms, operating software), better instruction-following with fewer errors, and the 1M token context window in beta. Opus 4.6 adds the same 1M context with additional improvements to long-horizon reasoning and multi-step agentic tasks.
Model Naming: How It Works
Anthropic uses a generation.version format. The “4” is the major generation (fourth architecture generation). The “.6” is a version increment within that generation — a meaningful capability update without a full architecture change. Haiku, Sonnet, and Opus are tiers within each generation: speed/cost, balanced, and maximum capability respectively. The date suffix in API strings (like 20250514) is the training cutoff snapshot used for that specific release.
What’s Coming Next
The next-generation model shipped in June 2026 as Claude Fable 5 (claude-fable-5), the new top tier above Opus 4.8, priced at $10 input / $50 output per MTok with a 1M token context window. The earlier “Fennec” codename speculation is resolved — Fable 5 is the released product. See Claude 5 Release Date: What We Know for the latest.
Model Selection for API Developers
For most production use cases in June 2026: use claude-sonnet-4-6 as your default. It handles the vast majority of tasks at better economics than Opus. Use claude-opus-4-8 for tasks that require maximum reasoning depth — complex multi-step analysis, difficult coding problems, long-horizon agentic runs. Use claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 for high-volume, latency-sensitive, or cost-constrained tasks where raw capability is less critical than speed.
What is the latest Claude model right now?
As of July 2026, the newest and most capable model is Claude Fable 5 (claude-fable-5). The current Opus-tier model is Claude Opus 4.8 (claude-opus-4-8), Claude Sonnet 5 (claude-sonnet-5) is the production default (released June 30, 2026, replacing Sonnet 4.6), and Claude Haiku 4.5 (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) is the speed/cost tier.
Is Claude Sonnet 4.6 better than Claude Opus 4?
Yes, in most practical benchmarks. Claude Sonnet 4.6 outperforms the original Opus 4.0 on coding, document comprehension, and instruction-following — at a lower price point. This follows Anthropic’s consistent pattern of new Sonnet tiers exceeding prior Opus tiers.
What Claude model string should I use in my API calls?
Use claude-sonnet-4-6 for most tasks. Use claude-opus-4-8 for maximum capability. Use claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 for speed and volume. Avoid claude-sonnet-4-20250514 and claude-opus-4-20250514 — these retire June 15, 2026.
Current Claude Models — May 2026
Anthropic’s current production model lineup as of May 2026:
| Model | API String | Context | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 4.8 | claude-opus-4-8 | 200K tokens | Complex reasoning, long-form analysis |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | claude-sonnet-4-6 | 200K tokens | Everyday tasks, best balance of speed and quality |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 | 200K tokens | High-volume, latency-sensitive tasks |
Deprecated as of May 2026: Claude 3 Opus, Claude 3 Sonnet, Claude 3 Haiku (Claude 3.5 Haiku remains available). See the full deprecation timeline.
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Everything you need to use Claude — pricing, models, API setup, and release history.
🔌 Claude API Model IDs & Strings
📡 Current Claude Model Version Tracker
⚙️ How to Install Claude Code
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📅 Claude 4 Release & Deprecation Guide
📜 Claude Release History: Every Model
📈 Anthropic IPO: Timeline & Valuation
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current Claude model version in June 2026?
The current Claude models as of June 2026 (verified from Anthropic’s official API docs): Claude Fable 5 (top tier, model ID: claude-fable-5), Claude Opus 4.8 (highest Opus tier, model ID: claude-opus-4-8), Claude Sonnet 5 (claude-sonnet-5, production default, released June 30, 2026), and Claude Haiku 4.5 (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001). Sonnet 4.6 is now legacy.
What is Claude Opus 4.8?
Claude Opus 4.8 is Anthropic’s most capable Opus-tier model as of June 2026 (Claude Fable 5 sits above it as the overall top tier). It offers the best performance for complex reasoning, long-horizon agentic coding, and high-autonomy work. API pricing is $5 input / $25 output per million tokens with a 1M token context window.
What model does Claude Pro use?
Claude Pro gives access to Claude Opus 4.8, Claude Sonnet 5, and Haiku 4.5, subject to per-session usage limits. For heavier usage, Claude Max 5x ($100/month) or Max 20x ($200/month) provide significantly more headroom.
How do I know which Claude version I’m using?
In claude.ai, the model selector appears when starting a new conversation. In the API, the model version is explicitly set in your API call parameters (e.g., claude-opus-4-8). The API always returns the exact model ID used in each response.
Is Claude Opus 4.8 the same as claude-opus-4-8?
Yes. Claude Opus 4.8 is the marketing name; claude-opus-4-8 is the API model ID. Both refer to the same model. Unlike earlier Claude versions, the 4.8 model ID has no date suffix — it is a pinned snapshot, not an evergreen alias.
What happened to Claude Opus 4.7?
Claude Opus 4.8 succeeded Claude Opus 4.7 as the top Opus-tier model (Claude Fable 5 is the overall flagship above Opus). Opus 4.7 remains available via API but Anthropic recommends Opus 4.8 for new deployments. Users currently on Opus 4.7 should migrate — see Anthropic’s migration guide at platform.claude.com.
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