OpusPlan Alias - Claude Code

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