Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 1, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, Grok 4 delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,488 vs 1,455), while Claude Sonnet 4 leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (62.8%), while Claude Sonnet 4 is more budget-friendly at $15/1M per 1M output tokens, while Grok 4 provides faster response streaming (98 tok/s). Review the complete breakdown below to determine which model best fits your performance and budget requirements.
7 direct benchmark disciplines evaluated across capability, speed, and cost
First Sonnet 4 generation. Bridge between 3.5/3.7 and Sonnet 5.
Δ 33 Arena Elo pts
98 tok/s
$15 / 1M output
Relative percentile scores computed across all active models in the benchmark catalog.
Comparing top Western standard models with China's leading frontier rival across 6 skill dimensions. Tap any spoke or dot to inspect.
Category wins across reasoning intelligence, generation speed, and token cost.
Preference Elo, Coding proficiency, SWE-bench & LiveBench accuracy
Generation throughput and time to first token responsiveness
Cost per million tokens and max context window length
| Benchmark | Claude Sonnet 4 | Grok 4 | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +33 | ||
| Coding Elo | — | — | |
| LiveBench | +0.9% | ||
| SWE-bench | +4.2% | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +2.6% | ||
| Time to first token | +10 ms | ||
| Output speed | 92 tok/s | 98 tok/s | +6 tok/s |
| Input price | — | ||
| Output price | — | ||
| Context window | +56k |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
Higher SWE-bench (62.8%).
Lower output list price ($15/1M).
Lower TTFT (220 ms).
Larger window (256k).
Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Grok 4).
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | Claude Sonnet 4 | Higher SWE-bench (62.8%). |
| High-volume chat | Claude Sonnet 4 | Lower output list price ($15/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | Claude Sonnet 4 | Lower TTFT (220 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | Grok 4 | Larger window (256k). |
| Screenshots / vision | Grok 4 | Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Grok 4). |
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