API cost decision in 10 seconds

NewGrok Build 0.1 vs 🔥Claude Sonnet 4.6

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

Pricing data updated:  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 Sonnet 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 $10.5 for Claude Sonnet 4.6, saving $8.5 (81% lower).

Cost-first pickGrok Build 0.1
Context-first pickClaude Sonnet 4.6
Sample savings$8.581%
10x traffic gap$85

Claude Sonnet 4.6 has more context, but Grok Build 0.1 saves $8.5 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $85. 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 shapeToken mixBetter pickGrok Build 0.1Claude Sonnet 4.6
Input-heavy / RAG 5M input + 500K output Grok Build 0.1 $6 $22.5
Balanced workload 1M input + 1M output Grok Build 0.1 $3 $18
Output-heavy chatbot 1M input + 5M output Grok Build 0.1 $11 $78
Cheaper inputGrok Build 0.1$1 vs $3 / 1M
Cheaper outputGrok Build 0.1$2 vs $15 / 1M
Larger contextClaude Sonnet 4.6256K vs 1M
Sample workloadGrok Build 0.1$2 vs $10.5

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.
Grok Build 0.1Calculating…Estimated API cost
Claude Sonnet 4.6Calculating…Estimated API cost
Cheaper for this workloadCalculating…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, and Claude Sonnet 4.6 offers the larger context window.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $2 for Grok Build 0.1 and $10.5 for Claude Sonnet 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 Sonnet 4.6 when you care most about larger context window.

Head-to-Head Specs
FeatureNewGrok Build 0.1
(xAI)		🔥Claude Sonnet 4.6
(Anthropic)
Input Price
prompt tokens per 1M		$1$3
Completion Price
per 1M tokens		$2$15
Sample Workload Cost
1M input + 500K output		$2$10.5
Context Window256K1M
Release Date2026-05-202026-02-17
Popularity#4
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 Sonnet 4.6

Sonnet 4.6 is Anthropic's most capable Sonnet-class model yet, with frontier performance across coding, agents, and professional work. It excels at iterative development, complex codebase navigation, end-to-end project management with...

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use caseBetter pickWhy
Budget-constrained productionGrok Build 0.1On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Grok Build 0.1 is estimated at $2 vs $10.5 for Claude Sonnet 4.6, saving $8.5 (81% lower).
High-volume input processingGrok Build 0.1Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts or retrieved passages dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbotsGrok Build 0.1Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document workClaude Sonnet 4.6A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages and source files.