AI & LLMs · Guide · AI & Prompt Tools
What Changed in Claude 4
Claude 4.x lineup: 1M context across Sonnet+Opus, prompt caching at 90% off, Claude Code, Computer Use API, Skills + Hooks. What got better in practice.
By FreeToolArena Staff · Updated June 2026 · 6 min read
Claude 4 (Opus 4, Sonnet 4, then 4.5, 4.6, 4.7 across 2025-2026) reshaped Anthropic’s lineup. The headline: better agentic reliability, 1M context across the lineup, prompt caching that actually pays off, and Claude Code as a flagship product.
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What’s new vs Claude 3.7
- 1M context across Sonnet + Opus. Haiku stays at 200k.
- Prompt caching: default 5-min, optional 1-hour TTL, 90% off cached input. Industry-leading.
- Top-tier SWE-bench Verified, Aider, Terminal-Bench scores. Best agentic coder.
- Claude Code: terminal-first agent, bundled with Pro/Max plans.
- Skills + Hooks: reusable behavior packages and event listeners.
- Computer Use API: agents that operate a desktop UI.
The model lineup in 2026
- Opus 4.7 — top reliability, 5x the cost of Sonnet.
- Sonnet 4.6 — default daily driver, 95% of Opus quality.
- Haiku 4.5 — budget tier, fast, full tool surface.
What got better in practice
- Long agentic loops (30+ steps) are far more reliable.
- Output style is cleaner, less marketing-flavored.
- Web search is competent (still behind Perplexity for grounded research).
- Projects (persistent context across conversations) make ongoing work much smoother.
Where Claude still loses
- No native image gen, no Sora-style video, no voice mode equivalent (yet).
- API price slightly higher than GPT-5 ($3/$15 vs $2.50/$10) — but caching narrows the gap.
- Pro plan ($20) caps tighter than ChatGPT Plus on heavy days.
Compare to alternatives at Claude vs ChatGPT and Claude vs Gemini. Pricing breakdown at Claude pricing explained.
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- AI Prompt GeneratorTurn a vague idea into a structured prompt. Pick role, task, context, constraints, and output format. Works with ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.AI & Prompt Tools
- AI Prompt LibraryBrowse a curated catalog of prompt templates for writing, coding, marketing, and research. One click to copy.AI & Prompt Tools
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