title: Claude Opus 5.5 vs Fable 5.2: which to choose description: Compare Claude Opus 5.5 and Fable 5.2 specs, current quota rates, and setup. For Opus, choose AWSQ for lower cost or CCMAX for stability and responsiveness. Fable 5.2 requires CCMAX.
Claude Opus 5.5 vs Fable 5.2: which to choose
Claude Opus 5.5 and Claude Fable 5.2 are both Anthropic models with a 1M context window and 128K max synchronous output. Anthropic recommends starting with Opus 5.5 for most coding and knowledge work, and using Fable 5.2 for more demanding long-horizon reasoning, or when Opus 5.5 at higher effort still falls short. This page answers both "Opus 5.5 vs Fable 5.2" and "Fable 5.2 vs Opus 5.5". On AI in IDE, the practical difference is the channel: Opus 5.5 (claude-opus-5-5) can run on AWSQ, which debits quota at 0.8× the configured model price, or on CCMAX at 2×. For the same model, billable usage, and speed mode, CCMAX consumes 2.5 times as much quota as AWSQ. Fable 5.2 (claude-fable-5-2) is available only on CCMAX. Choose an AWSQ key for lower-cost Opus use, or a CCMAX key when stability and responsiveness matter more. See the pricing page for quota details. Mythos is not available on this gateway.
Which model should I start with?
Start with Claude Opus 5.5 for most coding and knowledge work; switch to Claude Fable 5.2 when the task is long-horizon or official guidance says Opus at higher effort is still not enough.
Choose the model and channel separately. For Opus 5.5, AWSQ favors lower cost, while CCMAX favors the experience. AWSQ uses the AWS Amazon Q service; CCMAX uses official Claude Max subscriptions for Claude Code. In our experience, CCMAX is generally more stable and responds faster, often delivering better results with the same model. This is our usage observation, not a performance guarantee. Fable 5.2 requires CCMAX.
Anthropic's models overview states: "If you're unsure which model to use, start with Claude Opus 5.5 for most workloads. Use Claude Fable 5.2 for demanding reasoning and long-horizon agentic work, or when your evals on Claude Opus 5.5 at higher effort still fall short." That is official product guidance, not an AI in IDE benchmark. See the models overview, the Opus 5.5 overview, the Fable 5.2 overview, and the Fable announcement.
How do official specs and prices compare?
Both models share a 1M context window, 128K max output, June 2026 knowledge cutoff, always-on adaptive thinking, and moderate comparative latency; they differ in official price, default effort, and intended workload.
| Claude Opus 5.5 | Claude Fable 5.2 | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official role | Long-horizon agentic coding and knowledge work; Anthropic suggests starting here for most work | Demanding reasoning and long-horizon agentic work | Models overview, Opus overview, Fable overview |
| Claude API model ID | claude-opus-5-5 | claude-fable-5-2 | Same overviews |
| Release date | 2026-09-22 | 2026-11-09 | Overviews; Fable announcement |
| Context / max synchronous output | 1M / 128K | 1M / 128K | Overviews |
| Official list price (USD per 1M tokens) | Input $4 / output $20; 5-minute cache write $5; 1-hour cache write $8; cache read $0.20 | Input $8 / output $40; 5-minute cache write $10; 1-hour cache write $16; cache read $0.20 | Anthropic pricing |
| Official Fast mode list price | Input $8 / output $40 | Input $16 / output $80 | Opus product page, Fable product page, release notes |
| Knowledge cutoff | June 2026 | June 2026 | Overviews |
| Thinking | Adaptive, always on | Adaptive, always on | Overviews |
| Default effort | medium | high | Overviews |
| Comparative latency | Moderate | Moderate | Overviews (a relative band, not a measured latency) |
Official Fast mode list prices are shown above. How AI in IDE bills Opus 5.5 Fast mode, when the upstream actually uses it, is documented in the configuration guide and follows usage.speed. This page does not state a Fable Fast price for this site.
Which AI in IDE channel do I need?
Use an AWSQ or CCMAX key for Opus 5.5; use a CCMAX key for Fable 5.2. AWSQ cannot call Fable or Mythos, and Mythos is not available on this gateway.
The published multipliers are AWSQ 0.8× and CCMAX 2× the configured model price. For the same model, billable usage, and speed mode, CCMAX consumes 2.5 times as much quota as AWSQ. For Opus, choose AWSQ to prioritize cost or CCMAX to prioritize stability and responsiveness. Fable requires CCMAX regardless of that preference. See the pricing page for rates.
The same account can hold keys on more than one channel, and those keys share the account balance. See the configuration guide and the pricing page.
What quota does each model use on AI in IDE?
Quota rates are the configured catalog price times the published channel multiplier. For equal billable usage and speed mode, Opus 5.5 costs less quota on AWSQ than on CCMAX. Fable 5.2 has no AWSQ rate because that channel cannot call it.
The table reads current Opus 5.5 and Fable 5.2 rates from the live catalog and applies each channel multiplier. Fable is shown as unavailable on AWSQ. If a price cannot be loaded or a model is not configured, the table says so instead of showing an estimated price.
| Claude Opus 5.5 · AWSQ | Claude Opus 5.5 · CCMAX | Claude Fable 5.2 · AWSQ | Claude Fable 5.2 · CCMAX | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Availability | Available | Available | Unavailable | Available |
| Input | $3.20 | $8.00 | Unavailable | $16.00 |
| Cache read | $0.16 | $0.40 | Unavailable | $0.40 |
| Output | $16.00 | $40.00 | Unavailable | $80.00 |
Reference provider rate
| Claude Opus 5.5 | Claude Fable 5.2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Input | $4.00 | $8.00 |
| Cache read | $0.20 | $0.20 |
| Output | $20.00 | $40.00 |
USD per 1M tokens. Quota rates use the current AI in IDE base price × the channel multiplier (AWSQ 0.8×, CCMAX 2×). Figures are standard rates and do not include Pro or Team member discounts. Provider prices as of 2026-11-02.
Quota is your usage balance, not the amount you pay at checkout. Pro and Team plans reduce Claude token charges by 10% and 15%, respectively: you pay 90% or 85% of the channel token rates. Those discounts do not apply to GPT or Gemini. The table shows standard rates before member discounts. See the pricing page for plan details, or estimate a purchase with the top-up cost calculator.
How do I call each model on AI in IDE?
Create a dashboard key on the required channel, set the base URL to https://api.aiinide.com, and send the exact model ID.
Claude Opus 5.5 can use an AWSQ or CCMAX key. The model ID is claude-opus-5-5. The configuration guide also accepts the alias claude-opus-5.5. Replace the placeholder with your dashboard key and run this in a Bash-compatible shell:
1 curl --globoff 'https://api.aiinide.com/v1/messages' \2 -H "x-api-key: YOUR_DASHBOARD_API_KEY" \3 -H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \4 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \5 -d '{"model":"claude-opus-5-5","messages":[{"role":"user","content":"Hello"}],"max_tokens":256}'
Claude Fable 5.2 requires a CCMAX key. The model ID is claude-fable-5-2. Use the same request shape and change only the model ID and the key:
1 curl --globoff 'https://api.aiinide.com/v1/messages' \2 -H "x-api-key: YOUR_DASHBOARD_API_KEY" \3 -H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \4 -H "Content-Type: application/json" \5 -d '{"model":"claude-fable-5-2","messages":[{"role":"user","content":"Hello"}],"max_tokens":256}'
These are billable requests and consume quota. For Claude Code, set ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL to https://api.aiinide.com (do not append /v1; Claude Code adds /v1/messages). OpenAI-compatible clients use https://api.aiinide.com/v1 instead. See the configuration guide, Claude Code in VS Code, and the Claude Code in Cursor guide.
FAQ
Which should I pick, Opus 5.5 or Fable 5.2?
Start with Opus 5.5 for most work; use Fable 5.2 for heavier long-horizon reasoning, following Anthropic's guidance. With Opus, choose AWSQ for cost or CCMAX for stability and responsiveness. Fable requires a CCMAX key.
Is this the same as "Fable 5.2 vs Opus 5.5"?
Yes. This page covers both word orders.
What are the model IDs on AI in IDE?
claude-opus-5-5 and claude-fable-5-2. Opus also accepts the alias claude-opus-5.5 as documented in the configuration guide.
Can I use Fable 5.2 on AWSQ?
No. Fable is available only on CCMAX.
Can I use Opus 5.5 on AWSQ and CCMAX?
Yes. Both channels accept claude-opus-5-5. AWSQ uses 0.8× the configured model price and CCMAX uses 2×. Choose AWSQ for lower cost or CCMAX for stability and responsiveness; both are valid choices for Opus.
Is Mythos available?
No. Mythos is currently unavailable on AI in IDE.
How do channel multipliers change quota use?
AWSQ uses 0.8× the configured model price and CCMAX uses 2×; they change consumption speed, not the quota you purchased. The ratio is 2.5 for the same model, billable usage, and speed mode. Actual totals can differ when responses use different token counts or tools.
Do Pro and Team discounts apply?
Yes. Pro reduces Claude token charges by 10% (pay 90% of channel rates); Team reduces them by 15% (pay 85%). These discounts do not apply to GPT or Gemini. Check the live pricing page for plan details.
Are the context windows different?
No. Both official context windows are 1M tokens, with 128K max synchronous output.
What is the official price difference?
Anthropic lists Opus 5.5 at $4 input / $20 output per 1M tokens and Fable 5.2 at $8 / $40. Your quota debit on AI in IDE also depends on the channel: Opus 5.5 can use the lower-cost AWSQ channel, while Fable 5.2 is CCMAX-only.
How do I call them from Claude Code?
Create the right channel key, set ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL to https://api.aiinide.com, and use the model ID above. See the configuration guide.
Does Fast mode cost more?
Official Fast mode list prices are double the standard list prices. AI in IDE documents that Opus 5.5 Fast billing follows usage.speed when the upstream actually uses Fast mode. This page does not state a Fable Fast price for this site.
Can I switch models mid-project?
Yes, if the key's channel supports the target model. A CCMAX key can call both Opus and Fable. To move Opus to AWSQ for lower cost, switch to an AWSQ key; changing only the model ID does not change the channel.
When should I choose AWSQ or CCMAX for Opus 5.5?
Choose AWSQ when cost comes first, and CCMAX when stability and responsiveness come first. With equal billable usage and speed mode, CCMAX uses 2.5 times the quota for the same model. Our experience is that CCMAX is generally more stable and responds faster; this is an observation, not a guarantee. Fable requires CCMAX.
Your next step
- Need a key? Sign in, then create an AWSQ or CCMAX key. For Opus 5.5, choose AWSQ for cost or CCMAX for stability and responsiveness. Fable 5.2 requires CCMAX.
- Already have a key? Send one of the requests above on the channel that supports the model.
- Planning a budget? Use the top-up cost calculator or the pricing page.
- Model details: Claude Opus 5.5, Claude Fable 5.2, and the models list.