Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 16, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, Grok 4 delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,488 vs 1,472), while Seed 2.1 Turbo leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (63.2%), while Seed 2.1 Turbo is more budget-friendly at $1.1/1M per 1M output tokens. 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
ByteDance Seed 2.1 Turbo, listed on public model timelines as an Aug 10 2026 API drop.
Currently comparing Grok 4 vs Seed 2.1 Turbo. Alternative family tiers available.
Δ 16 Arena Elo pts
160 tok/s
$1.1 / 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 | Seed 2.1 Turbo | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +16 | ||
| Coding Elo | — | — | |
| LiveBench | +0.7% | ||
| SWE-bench | +4.6% | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +2.2% | ||
| Time to first token | +110 ms | ||
| Output speed | 98 tok/s | 160 tok/s | +62 tok/s |
| Input price | $0.27/1M | +$2.73/1M | |
| Output price | +$13.9/1M | ||
| Context window | — |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
Seed 2.1 Turbo is estimated to save $304.05/month ($3,649/year).
Higher SWE-bench (63.2%).
Lower output list price ($1.1/1M).
Lower TTFT (120 ms).
Larger window (256k).
Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Grok 4).
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | Seed 2.1 Turbo | Higher SWE-bench (63.2%). |
| High-volume chat | Seed 2.1 Turbo | Lower output list price ($1.1/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | Seed 2.1 Turbo | Lower TTFT (120 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | Grok 4 | Larger window (256k). |
| Screenshots / vision | Grok 4 | Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Grok 4). |
Listed on public model timelines as an Aug 10 2026 API drop. Preview-quality story, indexable because we have a full snapshot.
2025-07 row. 4.6 is the buy. We keep 4 so upgrade pairs and old inbound links resolve.
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Verified Head-to-Head Telemetry
