Claude Opus 5 launches with similar performance as Fable 5 for ‘half the price’

Anthropic launched Claude Opus 5, an AI model that costs half the price of its Fable 5 model while delivering similar performance, according to company benchmarks. Opus 5 outperforms Fable 5 in business workflows, computer use, and agentic research, and is expected to intervene 85% less often than Fable 5, which carries heavier restrictions.

Anthropic says its Claude Opus 5 AI model is an improvement that takes less effort to deliver similar results as the nearly-banned Fable 5. Claude Opus 5 is available now https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-opus-5 as the next version of what used to be Anthropic’s highest performer. When Fable 5 was released https://9to5google.com/2026/06/09/anthropic-claude-mythos-fable-5-model-release/ , recalled, then released again https://9to5google.com/2026/07/01/anthropic-fable-5-returns-to-claude/ , it sat above Opus 4.8 in terms of pure performance. The margins have shifted slightly. Claude Opus 5 reportedly costs half the price of Fable 5, yet it delivers results that are similar in performance. Benchmarks released by Anthropic detail the disparity. It looks like Fable 5 is slightly better in a few areas, but the difference is narrow. In areas like business workflows, computer use, and agentic research, Claude Opus 5 performs better. Fable 5 is famously a token-monster, too. Anthropic says it improved the Opus model, all while keeping the costs similar to what users were used to with Opus 4.8. Anthropic also notes that even when Opus 5 runs at minimal effort, it still succeeds in more tasks than other models at high effort when working through business workflows. Fable 5 is currently available to users, but it carries heavier restrictions. The new Opus 5 release, though, is expected to intervene around 85% less often. Fable 5 is still king in terms of highly advanced tasks in cybersecurity exploitation and biology, but Opus 5 is expected to present a much more capable model to the broader user base. Opus 5 is available on all platforms starting today. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More. https://9to5mac.com/about/ affiliate our homepage http://9to5google.com/ for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Google on exclusive stories https://9to5google.com/feature/exclusive/ , reviews https://9to5google.com/guides/reviews/ , how-tos https://9to5google.com/guides/how-to/ , and subscribe to our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/9to5google