Claude Advisor Mode: Smarter Sonnet/Haiku for Less
Pair Opus as advisor with Sonnet or Haiku via API for back-and-forth guidance, boosting SWE-bench scores (74.8% vs 72.1%) and cutting costs (96¢ vs $19 per agentic task).
Advisor-Executor Dynamic Delivers Adaptive Planning
Claude's advisor strategy automatically pairs Opus (advisor) with Sonnet or Haiku (executor) through Anthropic's API, enabling dynamic collaboration. Unlike one-shot planning where Opus outlines once and hands off, this setup maintains shared context with constant back-and-forth: the executor consults Opus at decision points or stumbling blocks. Opus provides guidance without tool calls—only the cheaper executor handles them—keeping costs low while leveraging Opus's reasoning for complex hurdles. Use this in web apps or any Anthropic API integration outside Claude Code for production-ready agentic workflows that outperform solo models.
Proven Gains Across Benchmarks and Costs
Sonnet 4o (high reasoning) with Opus advisor hits 74.8% on SWE-bench (vs 72.1% solo), 60.4% on BrowseComp (vs 58.1%), and similar edges on TerminalBench—all at under 96¢ per agentic task versus nearly $19 solo. This bridges the gap between Sonnet's affordability and Opus's power, avoiding overkill for routine tasks while elevating mid-tier performance. Results stem from adaptive advising, making it ideal for cost-sensitive AI pipelines where Anthropic's pricing often demands optimization.
Simple API Switch for Immediate Wins
Activate by setting type: "advisor" and max_uses (limits Opus consultations per task) in API calls—no Claude Code required. This upgrade targets API-driven projects, yielding a 'middle-ground' performer cheaper than plain Sonnet, with better reliability on agentic tasks like coding or browsing.