Claude Sonnet 4.6 vs Grok 4
Complete pricing and performance comparison between Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 4.6 and xAI's Grok 4.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
Claude Sonnet 4.6
1.0x cheaper input, 1.0x cheaper output
Larger Context
Grok 4
2.0M vs 200K
Higher Quality
Claude Sonnet 4.6
Score: 44 vs 42
Faster
Claude Sonnet 4.6
54 vs 49 tok/s
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Grok 4 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Anthropic | xAI | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $3 | $3 | Same |
| Output / 1M tokens | $15 | $15 | Same |
| Context Window | 200K | 2.0M | 10x difference |
| Max Output | 64K | 16K |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Grok 4 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | 44 | 42 | Claude Sonnet 4.6 |
| Output Speed | 54 tok/s | 49 tok/s | Claude Sonnet 4.6 |
| Time to First Token | 1.17s | 9.39s | Claude Sonnet 4.6 |
| Value (Quality/$) | 14.8 | 13.8 | Higher = better value |
Benchmark data from Artificial Analysis. Quality Index is a composite score across reasoning, coding, and knowledge tasks.
Cost at Scale
Estimated cost at different usage levels (3:1 input-to-output token ratio, typical for chat).
| Usage | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Grok 4 | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0075 | $0.0075 | Same |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.075 | $0.075 | Same |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.750 | $0.750 | Same |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $7.50 | $7.50 | Same |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $75.00 | $75.00 | Same |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $7500.00 | $7500.00 | Same |
Pros & Cons
Claude Sonnet 4.6 Strengths
- +Higher max output tokens
- +Faster output (54 vs 49 tok/s)
- +Higher quality score (44 vs 42)
- +Lower latency (faster first token)
Grok 4 Strengths
- +Larger context window (2.0M vs 200K)
When to Use Each Model
Choose Claude Sonnet 4.6 for
- →Generating long-form content or detailed code
- →Tasks requiring maximum accuracy and reasoning
- →Real-time applications, chat, or autocomplete
Choose Grok 4 for
- →Long documents, large codebases, or multi-turn conversations
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, Claude Sonnet 4.6 or Grok 4?
For input tokens, Claude Sonnet 4.6 is 1.0x cheaper at $3/1M tokens. For output tokens, Claude Sonnet 4.6 is 1.0x cheaper at $15/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), Claude Sonnet 4.6 costs $7.50 vs Grok 4 at $7.50.
What's the context window difference?
Claude Sonnet 4.6 supports 200K context (200,000 tokens), while Grok 4 supports 2.0M (2,000,000 tokens). Grok 4 can handle 10x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
Quality Index: Claude Sonnet 4.6 scores 44 vs Grok 4 at 42. Speed: Claude Sonnet 4.6 generates 54 tok/s vs Grok 4 at 49 tok/s. Time to first token: Claude Sonnet 4.6 at 1.17s vs Grok 4 at 9.39s.
When should I choose Claude Sonnet 4.6 over Grok 4?
Choose Claude Sonnet 4.6 when you need: Higher max output tokens, Faster output (54 vs 49 tok/s), Higher quality score (44 vs 42), Lower latency (faster first token). Choose Grok 4 when you need: Larger context window (2.0M vs 200K).
How much would 10,000 API requests cost?
At 1K input + 300 output tokens per request (typical chat): Claude Sonnet 4.6 = $75.00, Grok 4 = $75.00. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): Claude Sonnet 4.6 = $450.00, Grok 4 = $450.00.