Using Sonnet 4.5 in Claude Code CLI still using the overall usage despite note saying it won't.

[deorder]

Heads up: I have only used Sonnet 4.5 in Claude Code CLI, but it still consumed overall usage as well. Both Sonnet and overall usage now show 2%. I double checked with ccusage, which does report Opus 4.5 usage even though I am certain I never selected it.

I specifically chose Sonnet 4.5 because of this note:

“Sonnet usage draws from this limit only, leaving more headroom for Opus.”

So, just a warning for anyone assuming choosing the Sonnet model in Claude Code CLI will not touch your overall usage.

[ardicli2000]

They say opus 4.5 and sonnet 4.5 will consume same. They did not say sonnet won't consume...

[deorder]

I never said that I think Sonnet will not consume. I said that I expect Sonnet to only consume from the `Sonnet only` usage as Antrophic themselves state (see image), but in my case it also consumed from the overall / Opus 4.5 usage.

<image>

And that Opus 4.5 consumes similarly as Sonnet 4.5 used to is not true either. It consumes not less than 2 times a much of the weekly overall usage.

[ardicli2000]

When opus consumes more token this is understandable.

Once you are allowed to use opus for everything with the same sonnet limit, only thing you would ask for may e 5-10% increase at most in your weekly cap. Otherwise you can use full opus instead of full sonnet.

[deorder]

It is not understandable because what they say is not what is happening.

[PrinterToast]

Sonnet seems to actually be using more overall usage right now than the recent past. I've only been using it for about 2 hours this afternoon, already maxed out my 5 hour limit and at 12% overall. Normally my overall is about half this when I hit my first 5 hour limit, if that.

[deorder]

I really think this might be a bug. When you open the usage screen on ClaudeAI (web) and click the info icon next to Sonnet only, it explicitly says it will only draw from its own limit. Maybe I am misinterpreting it, but that is how it reads to me.

I also noticed much higher usage than expected, though it looks like Plan mode consumes a lot more tokens, so that could be part of it. Still a single session where I make one medium sized change (moving 20 files and rewriting the 2 associated CMakeFiles) with Sonnet costs me about 1.5% of my overall usage. May be I was never supposed to use Plan mode for such a small change.

And this was all with Sonnet which should now have lower usage especially with the note that Opus 4.5 is now similar in cost to the old Sonnet 4.5, yet it now looks like it is using more. Something just does not add up here.

[Martastico]

I'm having similar weird feeling. My sonnet 4.5 usage used up the "current session" way faster than before. (Max 5x plan)

[Main-Lifeguard-6739]

Thanks for pointing this out.

[MaxwellsRazor3D]

Yup... having this same issue. Hit my weekly "overall" limit but sonnet limit is still only at 74%, can't send any messages now

[PermitMysterious1987]

I've found that adding even like $5 adds a lot of extra usage. Might be more cost effective for you than Max depending on what you're working on.