Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 16, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, Grok 4.6 delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,592 vs 1,556), while Claude Sonnet 5 leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (73.8%), while Grok 4.6 is more budget-friendly at $6/1M per 1M output tokens, while Claude Sonnet 5 provides faster response streaming (118 tok/s). Review the complete breakdown below to determine which model best fits your performance and budget requirements.
8 direct benchmark disciplines evaluated across capability, speed, and cost
Anthropic workhorse. Official $2/$10 per 1M tokens made permanent on Aug 10 2026.
xAI Aug 12 2026 post-training refresh of Grok 4.5. Same $2/$6 API price, 500k context, stronger agentic traces.
Currently comparing Claude Sonnet 5 vs Grok 4.6. Alternative family tiers available.
Δ 36 Arena Elo pts
118 tok/s
$6 / 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 5 | Grok 4.6 | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +36 | ||
| Coding Elo | +6 | ||
| LiveBench | +1% | ||
| SWE-bench | +4.7% | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +1.8% | ||
| Time to first token | +20 ms | ||
| Output speed | 118 tok/s | 118 tok/s | — |
| Input price | — | ||
| Output price | +$4/1M | ||
| Context window | +500k |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
Grok 4.6 is estimated to save $60.00/month ($720/year).
Higher SWE-bench (73.8%).
Lower output list price ($6/1M).
Lower TTFT (175 ms).
Larger window (1M).
Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Grok 4.6).
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | Claude Sonnet 5 | Higher SWE-bench (73.8%). |
| High-volume chat | Grok 4.6 | Lower output list price ($6/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | Claude Sonnet 5 | Lower TTFT (175 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | Claude Sonnet 5 | Larger window (1M). |
| Screenshots / vision | Grok 4.6 | Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Grok 4.6). |
Brand hub remaps to top xAI vs top OpenAI. After Aug 12 that is Grok 4.6 vs Sol.
xAI’s Aug 12 2026 refresh of Grok 4.5. 500k context. The Grok vs ChatGPT hub remaps here.
Usually Sonnet 5 vs Opus 5. Coding delta versus output $/1M. The workhorse question.
Aug 10 2026 made the $2/$10 list permanent. Sonnet is the default Claude unless the repo is actually on fire.
No comments posted on this matchup yet. Be the first to share an evaluation note!
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Verified Head-to-Head Telemetry
compare · Aug 12, 2026
Grok vs ChatGPT: price and Elo, not a personality contest
launch · Aug 12, 2026
Grok 4.6 (Aug 12): post-training refresh, same $2/$6 list
compare · Aug 10, 2026
Sonnet vs Opus in 2026: same family, different invoice
price · Aug 10, 2026
Claude Sonnet 5 at $2/$10: the 2026 Anthropic workhorse