OpusPlan Alias - Claude Code
Hybrid mode: Opus for planning, Sonnet for execution.
OpusPlan is a hybrid model setting that uses Opus for planning and Sonnet for execution. You get Opus-quality architecture with Sonnet's speed and cost for the actual work.
What it does
When you pick OpusPlan, Claude Code runs plan-mode turns and reasoning-heavy steps on Opus, then hands off the concrete tool calls to Sonnet. The split happens automatically - you don't manually swap models. Results tend to be better than pure Sonnet on hard tasks and cheaper than pure Opus.
When to use it
- Complex refactors where the plan is the hard part but execution is mechanical.
- Cost-conscious workflows that still need strong reasoning.
- Long sessions where flat Opus pricing would be painful.
- Default model for day-to-day work on non-trivial projects.
Gotchas
- Handoffs between models add a small amount of latency per turn.
- Execution still benefits from extended thinking - don't assume Sonnet can coast.
- Some benchmarks measure pure models only. OpusPlan numbers may not match reported Opus or Sonnet scores.
Official docs: https://code.claude.com/docs/en/model-config.md#opusplan-model-setting
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