Claude Fable 5.1 vs Claude Opus 4.8
Claude Fable 5.1 leads the LLM Stats Score 56.8 to 51.1. Claude Opus 4.8 is 2.0x cheaper per token.
Anthropic · Anthropic · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Claude Fable 5.1 leads the overall LLM Stats Score 56.8 to 51.1, ranking #2 overall.
In the 2 individual benchmarks reported for both models, Claude Fable 5.1 wins 2; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, Claude Opus 4.8 is roughly 2.0x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Claude Fable 5.1
- overall performance matters — it scores 56.8 and ranks #2 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning and agents — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 2 of 2 exact shared results
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Sep 2026
Choose Claude Opus 4.8
- cost matters — it's about 2.0x cheaper per token
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
7 reported for Claude Fable 5.1 · 27 for Claude Opus 4.8
Claude Fable 5.1 outperforms in 2 benchmarks (Humanity's Last Exam, Terminal-Bench 4.0), while Claude Opus 4.8 is better at 0 benchmarks.
Claude Fable 5.1 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Claude Fable 5.1 ($10.00/1M tokens) is 2.0x more expensive than Claude Opus 4.8 ($5.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, Claude Fable 5.1 ($50.00/1M tokens) is 2.0x more expensive than Claude Opus 4.8 ($25.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Claude Fable 5.1 is more expensive than Claude Opus 4.8.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Both models have the same input context window of 1,000,000 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 128,000 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both Claude Fable 5.1 and Claude Opus 4.8 support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Claude Fable 5.1
Claude Opus 4.8
License
Usage and distribution terms
Both models are licensed under proprietary licenses.
Both models have usage restrictions defined by their respective organizations.
Proprietary
Closed source
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Claude Fable 5.1 was released on 2026-09-01, while Claude Opus 4.8 was released on 2026-05-28.
Claude Fable 5.1 is 3 months newer than Claude Opus 4.8.
Sep 1, 2026
2 days ago
3mo newerMay 28, 2026
3 months ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
Claude Fable 5.1 is available from Anthropic. Claude Opus 4.8 is available from Anthropic, Vertex AI.
Claude Fable 5.1
Claude Opus 4.8
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Claude Fable 5.1 and Claude Opus 4.8 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Claude Fable 5.1 vs Claude Opus 4.8.