Model Comparison
Claude Opus 4.5 vs Llama 3.2 90B InstructWhich is better in 2026?
Claude Opus 4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Llama 3.2 90B Instruct is 27.6x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Claude Opus 4.5 vs Llama 3.2 90B Instruct — which is better?
Claude Opus 4.5 (by Anthropic) and Llama 3.2 90B Instruct (by Meta) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.
Claude Opus 4.5 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Llama 3.2 90B Instruct is better at 0 benchmarks. Claude Opus 4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Llama 3.2 90B Instruct is roughly 27.6x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Claude Opus 4.5 also accepts a larger context window (200,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose Claude Opus 4.5 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 200,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Nov 2025
Choose Llama 3.2 90B Instruct if…
- cost matters — it's about 27.6x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Claude Opus 4.5 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Llama 3.2 90B Instruct is better at 0 benchmarks.
Claude Opus 4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Claude Opus 4.5 ($5.00/1M tokens) is 14.3x more expensive than Llama 3.2 90B Instruct ($0.35/1M tokens).
For output processing, Claude Opus 4.5 ($25.00/1M tokens) is 62.5x more expensive than Llama 3.2 90B Instruct ($0.40/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Claude Opus 4.5 is more expensive than Llama 3.2 90B Instruct.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Claude Opus 4.5 accepts 200,000 input tokens compared to Llama 3.2 90B Instruct's 128,000 tokens. Llama 3.2 90B Instruct can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while Claude Opus 4.5 is limited to 64,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Claude Opus 4.5 and Llama 3.2 90B Instruct support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Claude Opus 4.5
Llama 3.2 90B Instruct
License
Usage and distribution terms
Claude Opus 4.5 is licensed under a proprietary license, while Llama 3.2 90B Instruct uses Llama 3.2.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Proprietary
Closed source
Llama 3.2
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Claude Opus 4.5 was released on 2025-11-24, while Llama 3.2 90B Instruct was released on 2024-09-25.
Claude Opus 4.5 is 14 months newer than Llama 3.2 90B Instruct.
Nov 24, 2025
6 months ago
1.2yr newerSep 25, 2024
1.7 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Claude Opus 4.5 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2025-03-31, while Llama 3.2 90B Instruct's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Claude Opus 4.5's training data extends to 2025-03-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without Llama 3.2 90B Instruct's cutoff date.
Mar 2025
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Provider Availability
Claude Opus 4.5 is available from Anthropic. Llama 3.2 90B Instruct is available from DeepInfra, Bedrock, Fireworks, Together, Hyperbolic.
Claude Opus 4.5
Llama 3.2 90B Instruct
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Claude Opus 4.5
View detailsAnthropic
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about Claude Opus 4.5 vs Llama 3.2 90B Instruct.