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 1,518), while Grok 4.6 leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (69.1%), while Qwen 3 Max is more budget-friendly at $4.8/1M per 1M output tokens, while Grok 4.6 provides faster response streaming (118 tok/s). Review the complete breakdown below to determine which model best fits your performance and budget requirements.
10 direct benchmark disciplines evaluated across capability, speed, and cost
xAI Aug 12 2026 post-training refresh of Grok 4.5. Same $2/$6 API price, 500k context, stronger agentic traces.
Alibaba flagship. Strong math and multilingual code.
Δ 74 Arena Elo pts
118 tok/s
$4.8 / 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 | Grok 4.6 | Qwen 3 Max | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +74 | ||
| Coding Elo | +42 | ||
| LiveBench | +2% | ||
| SWE-bench | +1.3% | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +1.5% | ||
| Time to first token | +85 ms | ||
| Output speed | 118 tok/s | 80 tok/s | +38 tok/s |
| Input price | $1.2/1M | +$0.8/1M | |
| Output price | $4.8/1M | +$1.2/1M | |
| Context window | +238k |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
Qwen 3 Max is estimated to save $46.00/month ($552/year).
Higher SWE-bench (69.1%).
Lower output list price ($4.8/1M).
Lower TTFT (195 ms).
Larger window (500k).
Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Grok 4.6).
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | Grok 4.6 | Higher SWE-bench (69.1%). |
| High-volume chat | Qwen 3 Max | Lower output list price ($4.8/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | Grok 4.6 | Lower TTFT (195 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | Grok 4.6 | Larger window (500k). |
| 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.
Closed flagship. Strong math. Compare to Sol and Opus on GPQA and SWE-bench, not on brand heat.
Sep 2025 open-weight mixture-of-experts. Self-host path. Don’t confuse it with Qwen 3 Max.
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Verified Head-to-Head Telemetry
compare · Aug 12, 2026
Grok vs ChatGPT: price and Elo, not a personality contest
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Grok 4.6 (Aug 12): post-training refresh, same $2/$6 list
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Qwen 3 Max: Alibaba’s flagship for math and multilingual code
launch · Sep 20, 2025
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