# Anthropic doubles Opus 5.5 fast mode pricing to $8/$40 per million tokens

Digest AI · Generative AI & Models · published 2026-10-29T01:25:00Z

Canonical: https://digestai.news/story/anthropic-doubles-opus-5-5-fast-mode-pricing-to-8-40-per-million-token

## Summary

Anthropic’s Opus 5.5 fast mode now costs **$8 per million input tokens** and **$40 per million output tokens**, double the standard rates of **$4/$20**. The feature accelerates output token generation by up to **2.5x** but does not reduce the time to first token. Anthropic’s official documentation confirms the same model is used, with only inference speed altered.

The cost-effectiveness of fast mode depends on output length. For a **3,000-token response**, the price increase is **$0.076 per run**, saving about **45 seconds** at 40 tokens/second. However, for shorter outputs (e.g., **300 tokens**), the savings drop to **2–4 seconds**, making the **$5–$29/hour** estimate for saved time less compelling. The author notes that standard output speeds are unlisted, requiring assumptions (40, 60, or 80 tokens/sec) to calculate savings. Background tasks or long outputs may justify the cost, while short, real-time tasks likely won’t.

The article also compares Opus 5.5 fast mode to the cheaper **Sonnet 5.5** ($2/$10), cautioning users to weigh model performance against speed needs before opting for the premium tier.

## Key points

- Opus 5.5 fast mode doubles pricing to $8/$40 per million tokens, matching 2.5x output speed but no TTFT change
- Savings per hour vary from $5–$29 depending on output length and assumed token speeds (40–80/sec)
- Anthropic’s documentation excludes Batch API support and warns of rate limits; switching back resets prompt cache

## Why it matters

The price hike and variable savings could shift adoption of faster inference toward long-form tasks or bulk processing, while shorter queries may remain cost-prohibitive. Users must now calculate token volumes and wait times to justify the premium.

## Sources

1. [Claude Opus 5.5 fast mode costs double; the price to buy 1 hour of waiting time is about $5 to $29](https://note.com/ai_scout_jp/n/n5292762feed9?hl=en) (note.com, 2026-10-29)

## Cite

Digest AI, "Anthropic doubles Opus 5.5 fast mode pricing to $8/$40 per million tokens", 29 October 2026, https://digestai.news/story/anthropic-doubles-opus-5-5-fast-mode-pricing-to-8-40-per-million-token

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