Introduction
Claude 4, launched by Anthropic on May 22, 2025, marks a significant advancement in artificial intelligence, particularly in coding, advanced reasoning, and AI agent capabilities (Anthropic: Claude 4 Release). This model family includes two main versions: Claude Opus 4 and Claude Sonnet 4, each tailored for different use cases and performance demands. Released amidst intense industry competition, Claude 4 reportedly outperforms OpenAI’s o3 and Google Gemini 2.5 Pro in multiple benchmarks (Ars Technica: Claude 4 Coding Ability). This report details both models’ capabilities, performance, applications, pricing, and accessibility.
Model Overview
Claude Opus 4
Claude Opus 4 is described by Anthropic as the “world’s best coding model,” engineered for complex, long-duration tasks and agent workflows (Mashable: Claude 4 Model Introduction). Notably, in tests by Rakuten, Opus 4 autonomously ran for seven consecutive hours, excelling at tasks that demand deep reasoning, memory, and multi-step processing—ideal for advanced users and enterprise needs.
Claude Sonnet 4
A significant upgrade from Claude Sonnet 3.7, Sonnet 4 brings improved coding and reasoning abilities while remaining highly efficient and responsive (GitHub Changelog: Claude 4 in GitHub Copilot). It strikes a balance between high performance and cost, making it suitable for a broad range of applications including real-time code assistance and content generation.
Key Differences
| Model | Target Users | Task Types | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 4 | Paid Users | Complex, long-running tasks | Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise subscriptions only |
| Claude Sonnet 4 | Free and Paid Users | Efficient, broadly applicable tasks | All users including free tier |
Opus 4 targets scenarios demanding advanced computation and persistent task management, while Sonnet 4 excels at high throughput and rapid response applications.
Features & Highlights
Coding Capabilities
Both models score impressively on software engineering benchmarks such as SWE-bench, demonstrating state-of-the-art coding abilities. Opus 4 and Sonnet 4 achieve scores of 72.5% and 72.7% on SWE-bench, respectively, surpassing OpenAI o3 and Gemini 2.5 Pro (TechCrunch: Claude 4 Reasoning Ability).
Extended Reasoning Mode
Claude 4 introduces “extended reasoning mode,” enabling the model to perform multi-step reasoning for complex problems, and utilize web search and other tools for enhanced responses (Anthropic: Claude 4 Release). This functionality allows for a breakdown of intricate tasks and delivery of more accurate answers.
Memory Abilities
Enhanced memory functions allow the model to extract and retain key information from local files, maintaining continuity and building implicit knowledge over long-term tasks (AWS: Claude in Bedrock). This is especially valuable for use cases involving large-scale documents or data processing.
Security & Ethics
Claude 4 adheres to Anthropic’s Constitutional AI principles for safe and ethical responses. Compared with Sonnet 3.7, reward signals for hacking activities are reduced by 65%, significantly improving security (Mashable: Claude 4 Model Introduction). Opus 4 also integrates stricter safeguards, including harmful content detection and cybersecurity features.
Context Window
Claude 4 supports a 200,000-token context window, ideal for handling large text inputs (Anthropic: Claude Opus 4). In specific scenarios, Anthropic may extend the context window up to 1 million tokens.
Benchmark Performance
| Benchmark | Claude Opus 4 | Claude Sonnet 4 | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| SWE-bench | 72.5% | 72.7% | Software engineering performance |
| Terminal-bench | 43.2% | N/A | Terminal operation tasks |
| GPQA Diamond | 74.9% | 70.0% | Graduate-level knowledge and reasoning |
| MMMLU | 87.4% | 85.4% | Multidisciplinary professional knowledge |
| MMMU | 73.7% | 72.6% | Multimodal understanding |
| AIME | 33.9% | 33.1% | Mathematical reasoning |
Opus 4 demonstrates greater prowess in advanced reasoning, while Sonnet 4 offers a slight edge in coding tasks.
Application Scenarios
Claude Opus 4
- Autonomous coding agents: Executes complex, multi-hour coding tasks such as code refactoring or large project development.
- In-depth data analysis: Handles large datasets and multi-step analytics.
- Research and development: Supports academic and business research requiring intricate reasoning and persistent task management.
Claude Sonnet 4
- Real-time coding assistance: Provides instant code suggestions and completions via GitHub Copilot.
- Content generation: Quickly produces articles, reports, and educational materials.
- Interactive tools: Suitable for educational platforms and customer service engagements.
Both models are integrated into GitHub Copilot; Sonnet 4 is available to all paid Copilot plans, while Opus 4 is limited to Enterprise and Pro+ plans (GitHub Changelog: Claude 4 in GitHub Copilot).
Conclusion
With Opus 4 and Sonnet 4, Claude 4 offers robust solutions for coding, reasoning, and AI agent applications. Opus 4 targets users requiring high computational power and persistence, while Sonnet 4 delivers efficient and budget-friendly performance for a wide audience. Through integrations with platforms like GitHub Copilot and a strong commitment to safety and ethics, Claude 4 positions itself at the forefront of AI in 2025. As user feedback and use cases grow, Claude 4 is poised to further propel the advancement of AI technology.
