Claude Haiku 4.5, released recently, is the newest version of Anthropic’s smallest—and fastest—AI model. Thanks to its integration with planning software Sonnet, this new version shines when it comes to managing complex planning tasks at scale. While doing so, it unleashes Haiku-powered sub-agents to complete operations at blazing speeds. The newest release is only two weeks after the introduction of Sonnet 4.5 and two months since the last Opus 4.1.
Claude Haiku 4.5 is a superstar in performance metrics. It’s right on the heels of Sonnet 4 and other leading models such as OpenAI’s GPT-5 and Google’s Gemini 2.5. Showcases similar performance across benchmarks on tool use, computer operations, and visual reasoning. Perhaps most importantly, the model’s potency, particularly in software development tools, has positioned it to be a major contender in the overall AI sphere.
The updated features of Claude Haiku 4.5 provide significant benefits for developers. Most importantly, it works at 1/3 of the cost of Sonnet 4 and yet provides over two times the speed. Having an efficient model is important, but especially so in robotic environments where latency can be an extreme concern.
Anthropic’s strategy includes making Claude Haiku 4.5 the default option for all free plans, which is expected to attract users seeking powerful yet economical AI solutions. The company expects this version to be especially attractive for users of free AI offerings. It packs in impressive features while still minimizing server impact.
Mike Krieger, co-founder of Anthropic, emphasized the model’s potential impact on production environments:
“It’s opening up entirely new categories of what’s possible with AI in production environments – with Sonnet handling complex planning while Haiku-powered sub-agents execute at speed.”
Andrew Filev added that the advancements represented by Claude Haiku 4.5 are transformative:
“Unlocking an entirely new set of use cases.”
This speedy release indicates that Anthropic is quickly iterating on its technology to improve usability and performance.
Claude Haiku 4.5 released to commercial availability! This new, thrilling addition enhances Anthropic’s variety of AI models, providing developers with a well-rounded toolkit to suit their unique needs.
“We’re giving people a complete agent toolbox where each model has the right combination of intelligence, speed, and cost for different parts of the job,” Krieger stated.
