Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 16, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, Claude Fable 5 delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,616 vs 1,438), while Claude Fable 5 leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (80%), while Claude Haiku 4.5 is more budget-friendly at $5/1M per 1M output tokens. Review the complete breakdown below to determine which model best fits your performance and budget requirements.
10 direct benchmark disciplines evaluated across capability, speed, and cost
Anthropic top-tier X-High reasoning model engineered for heavy multi-step tasks. Official API $10/$50 per 1M tokens (Claude Platform pricing, Aug 2026).
Anthropic cheap/fast Claude SKU. Official Claude Platform list price $1/$5 per 1M tokens (Anthropic Haiku page).
Currently comparing Claude Fable 5 vs Claude Haiku 4.5. Alternative family tiers available.
Simulate accuracy gains vs added response time & token cost
Reasoning models “think before answering” by generating internal reasoning tokens. Higher effort improves math, coding, and logic accuracy, but increases response delay and token costs.
Δ 178 Arena Elo pts
175 tok/s
$5 / 1M output
Relative percentile scores computed across all active models in the benchmark catalog.
Comparing top Western standard models with China's leading frontier rival across 6 skill dimensions. Tap any spoke or dot to inspect.
Category wins across reasoning intelligence, generation speed, and token cost.
Preference Elo, Coding proficiency, SWE-bench & LiveBench accuracy
Generation throughput and time to first token responsiveness
Cost per million tokens and max context window length
| Benchmark | Claude Fable 5 | Claude Haiku 4.5 | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +178 | ||
| Coding Elo | +176 | ||
| LiveBench | +12.8% | ||
| SWE-bench | +21.8% | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +13.6% | ||
| Time to first token | +245 ms | ||
| Output speed | 58 tok/s | 175 tok/s | +117 tok/s |
| Input price | +$9/1M | ||
| Output price | +$45/1M | ||
| Context window | +800k |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
Claude Haiku 4.5 is estimated to save $990.00/month ($11,880/year).
Higher SWE-bench (80%).
Lower output list price ($5/1M).
Lower TTFT (95 ms).
Larger window (1M).
Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Claude Fable 5).
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | Claude Fable 5 | Higher SWE-bench (80%). |
| High-volume chat | Claude Haiku 4.5 | Lower output list price ($5/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | Claude Haiku 4.5 | Lower TTFT (95 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | Claude Fable 5 | Larger window (1M). |
| Screenshots / vision | Claude Fable 5 | Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Claude Fable 5). |
$1/$5 hosted Claude vs a cheap long-context open sibling. The alternative-to-Sonnet pair that is honest.
Fable 5 is Anthropic's top-tier X-High reasoning tier. Read SWE-bench and output price together.
Huge window, cheap hosted lists. The Haiku alternative that is actually open-weight.
Official Anthropic list $1/$5. This is the SKU behind “cheapest Claude alternative” that is still Claude.
No comments posted on this matchup yet. Be the first to share an evaluation note!
Dynamic OpenGraph banner generated at /compare/claude-fable-5-vs-claude-haiku-4-5/opengraph-image
Verified Head-to-Head Telemetry
compare · Aug 16, 2026
Haiku 4.5 vs Llama 4 Scout: cheap Claude versus cheap open Llama
launch · Jun 15, 2026
Claude Fable 5: the $10/$50 X-High Reasoning Anthropic SKU
launch · Apr 8, 2026
Llama 4 Scout: long-context open sibling of Maverick
launch · Oct 22, 2025
Claude Haiku 4.5 at $1/$5: the cheap Claude people actually ship
