API cost decision in 10 seconds

GPT-4.1 vs NewGrok Build 0.1

Pick Grok Build 0.1 for lower cost; pick GPT-4.1 only if the larger context window matters more.

Page updated: 2026-05-26T15:08:08Z Data confirmed: 2026-05-26T18:08:02Z Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output

Budget verdict

Pick Grok Build 0.1 for lower cost; pick GPT-4.1 only if the larger context window matters more.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Grok Build 0.1 is estimated at $2 vs $6 for GPT-4.1, saving $4 (66.7% lower).

Cost-first pickGrok Build 0.1

Context-first pickGPT-4.1

Sample savings$466.7%

10x traffic gap$40

GPT-4.1 has more context, but Grok Build 0.1 saves $4 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $40. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

Grok Build 0.1 stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.

Workload shape	Token mix	Better pick	GPT-4.1	Grok Build 0.1
Input-heavy / RAG	5M input + 500K output	Grok Build 0.1	$14	$6
Balanced workload	1M input + 1M output	Grok Build 0.1	$10	$3
Output-heavy chatbot	1M input + 5M output	Grok Build 0.1	$42	$11

Cheaper input Grok Build 0.1 $2 vs $1 / 1M

Grok Build 0.1 is $1 cheaper per 1M input tokens (50% lower; 2x difference).

Cheaper output Grok Build 0.1 $8 vs $2 / 1M

Grok Build 0.1 is $6 cheaper per 1M output tokens (75% lower; 4x difference).

Larger context GPT-4.1 1.05M vs 256K

GPT-4.1 has 791.58K more context (4.09x larger).

Sample workload Grok Build 0.1 $6 vs $2

Grok Build 0.1 is $4 cheaper on the standard workload (66.7% lower).

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.

Monthly input tokens Monthly output tokens

GPT-4.1 Calculating… Estimated API cost

Grok Build 0.1 Calculating… Estimated API cost

Cheaper for this workload Calculating… Difference: calculating…

This estimate uses normalized public API pricing per 1M tokens. It is a planning aid, not a billing quote. Verify provider pricing, limits, and terms before production use.

Quick Decision

Verdict

Grok Build 0.1 has the lower input price; Grok Build 0.1 has the lower output price; GPT-4.1 offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Grok Build 0.1 is cheaper for the standard workload.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $6 for GPT-4.1 and $2 for Grok Build 0.1.

Best Fit

Choose GPT-4.1 when you care most about larger context window.

Choose Grok Build 0.1 when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.

Decision Notes

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Grok Build 0.1 is estimated at $2 vs $6 for GPT-4.1, saving $4 (66.7% lower).
Grok Build 0.1 is $4 cheaper on the standard workload (66.7% lower).
Grok Build 0.1 is $1 cheaper per 1M input tokens (50% lower; 2x difference).
Grok Build 0.1 is $6 cheaper per 1M output tokens (75% lower; 4x difference).
GPT-4.1 has 791.58K more context (4.09x larger).

Head-to-Head Specs

Feature	GPT-4.1 (OpenAI)	NewGrok Build 0.1 (xAI)
Input Price prompt tokens per 1M	$2	$1
Completion Price per 1M tokens	$8	$2
Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output	$6	$2
Context Window	1.05M	256K
Release Date	2025-04-14	2026-05-20
Popularity	#69	#119

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use case	Better pick	Why
Budget-constrained production	Grok Build 0.1	On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Grok Build 0.1 is estimated at $2 vs $6 for GPT-4.1, saving $4 (66.7% lower).
High-volume input processing	Grok Build 0.1	Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbots	Grok Build 0.1	Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document work	GPT-4.1	A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files.

Related Alternatives

Same-provider lower-cost swaps

gpt-oss-120b (free) can replace GPT-4.1 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
gpt-oss-20b (free) can replace GPT-4.1 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
gpt-oss-20b can replace GPT-4.1 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.1.
gpt-oss-120b can replace GPT-4.1 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.13.

Larger context near this budget

Llama 4 Scout offers 10M context with $0.23 sample workload cost.
Grok 4.20 offers 2M context with $2.5 sample workload cost.
Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent offers 2M context with $5 sample workload cost.
Owl Alpha offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.

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OpenAI catalog

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xAI catalog

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GPT-4.1 is a flagship large language model optimized for advanced instruction following, real-world software engineering, and long-context reasoning. It supports a 1 million token context window and outperforms GPT-4o and...

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