API cost decision in 10 seconds

NewGrok Build 0.1 vs Claude Opus 4.6

Pick Grok Build 0.1 for lower cost; pick Claude Opus 4.6 only if the larger context window matters more.

Pricing data updated: 2026-05-26T11:08:00Z Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output

Budget verdict

Pick Grok Build 0.1 for lower cost; pick Claude Opus 4.6 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 $17.5 for Claude Opus 4.6, saving $15.5 (88.6% lower).

Cost-first pickGrok Build 0.1

Context-first pickClaude Opus 4.6

Sample savings$15.588.6%

10x traffic gap$155

Claude Opus 4.6 has more context, but Grok Build 0.1 saves $15.5 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $155. 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	Grok Build 0.1	Claude Opus 4.6
Input-heavy / RAG	5M input + 500K output	Grok Build 0.1	$6	$37.5
Balanced workload	1M input + 1M output	Grok Build 0.1	$3	$30
Output-heavy chatbot	1M input + 5M output	Grok Build 0.1	$11	$130

Cheaper input Grok Build 0.1 $1 vs $5 / 1M

Grok Build 0.1 is $4 cheaper per 1M input tokens (80% lower; 5x difference).

Cheaper output Grok Build 0.1 $2 vs $25 / 1M

Grok Build 0.1 is $23 cheaper per 1M output tokens (92% lower; 12.5x difference).

Larger context Claude Opus 4.6 256K vs 1M

Claude Opus 4.6 has 744K more context (3.91x larger).

Sample workload Grok Build 0.1 $2 vs $17.5

Grok Build 0.1 is $15.5 cheaper on the standard workload (88.6% lower).

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.

Monthly input tokens Monthly output tokens

Grok Build 0.1 Calculating… Estimated API cost

Claude Opus 4.6 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; Claude Opus 4.6 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 $2 for Grok Build 0.1 and $17.5 for Claude Opus 4.6.

Best Fit

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

Choose Claude Opus 4.6 when you care most about larger context window.

Decision Notes

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Grok Build 0.1 is estimated at $2 vs $17.5 for Claude Opus 4.6, saving $15.5 (88.6% lower).
Grok Build 0.1 is $15.5 cheaper on the standard workload (88.6% lower).
Grok Build 0.1 is $4 cheaper per 1M input tokens (80% lower; 5x difference).
Grok Build 0.1 is $23 cheaper per 1M output tokens (92% lower; 12.5x difference).
Claude Opus 4.6 has 744K more context (3.91x larger).

Head-to-Head Specs

Feature	NewGrok Build 0.1 (xAI)	Claude Opus 4.6 (Anthropic)
Input Price prompt tokens per 1M	$1	$5
Completion Price per 1M tokens	$2	$25
Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output	$2	$17.5
Context Window	256K	1M
Release Date	2026-05-20	2026-02-04

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 $17.5 for Claude Opus 4.6, saving $15.5 (88.6% 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	Claude Opus 4.6	A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files.

Related Alternatives

Same-provider lower-cost swaps

Claude 3 Haiku can replace Claude Opus 4.6 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.88.
Claude 3.5 Haiku can replace Claude Opus 4.6 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $2.8.
Anthropic Claude Haiku Latest can replace Claude Opus 4.6 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $3.5.
Claude Haiku 4.5 can replace Claude Opus 4.6 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $3.5.

Larger context near this budget

Llama 4 Scout offers 10M context with $0.23 sample workload cost.
Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent offers 2M context with $5 sample workload cost.
Grok 4.20 offers 2M context with $2.5 sample workload cost.
OpenAI GPT Latest offers 1.05M context with $20 sample workload cost.

Popular competitors

No popular competitor is currently available.

Cheaper alternatives

Review low-cost models sorted by a standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.

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Larger context alternatives

Find models with larger context windows for RAG, long documents, and codebase review.

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Provider catalogs

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xAI catalog

Review all tracked xAI models before deciding whether this matchup is the right shortlist.

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Anthropic catalog

Check other Anthropic models with comparable pricing, context, or release timing.

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Grok Build 0.1

Grok Build 0.1 is xAI’s fast coding model trained specifically for agentic software engineering workflows. It supports text and image inputs with text output, and is optimized for interactive coding...

Claude Opus 4.6

Opus 4.6 is Anthropic’s strongest model for coding and long-running professional tasks. It is built for agents that operate across entire workflows rather than single prompts, making it especially effective...