Claude 3.5 Haiku vs Grok-2
Claude 3.5 Haiku (2024) and Grok-2 (2024) are frontier-tier reasoning models from Anthropic and xAI. Claude 3.5 Haiku ships a 200k-token context window, while Grok-2 ships a 128k-token context window. On pricing, Grok-2 costs $0.50/1M input tokens versus $0.80/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
Grok-2 is ~60% cheaper at $0.50/1M; pay for Claude 3.5 Haiku only for coding workflow support.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Claude 3.5 Haiku | Grok-2 |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | reasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and provider-routed production | reasoning-heavy apps |
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | Coding, RAG, and Long context |
| Context window | 200k | 128k |
| Cheapest output | $4/1M tokens | $0.50/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 6 tracked | 1 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 shared | 0 shared |
Decision tradeoffs
- Claude 3.5 Haiku has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Claude 3.5 Haiku has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Claude 3.5 Haiku uniquely exposes Vision and Code execution in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Claude 3.5 Haiku for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- Grok-2 has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.50/1M tokens.
- Local decision data tags Grok-2 for Coding, RAG, and Long context.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
Claude 3.5 Haiku
$1,640
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Anthropic
Grok-2
$525
Cheapest tracked route/tier: SiliconFlow
Estimated monthly gap: $1,115. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Claude 3.5 Haiku and Grok-2; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Grok-2 is $3.50/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision and Code execution before moving production traffic.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Grok-2 and Claude 3.5 Haiku; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Claude 3.5 Haiku is $3.50/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Claude 3.5 Haiku adds Vision and Code execution in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024-10-22 | 2024-08-01 |
| Context window | 200k | 128k |
| Parameters | — | — |
| Architecture | Decoder Only | Decoder Only |
| License | Proprietary | Grok License |
| Openness | Proprietary | Open weights |
| Commercial use | Commercial use: conditional | Commercial use: conditional |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Claude 3.5 Haiku | Grok-2 |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.80/1M tokens | $0.50/1M tokens |
| Output price | $4/1M tokens | $0.50/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Claude 3.5 Haiku | Grok-2 |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | Yes | Yes |
| Function calling | No | No |
| Tool use | No | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | Yes | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark scores are currently available for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on vision: Claude 3.5 Haiku and code execution: Claude 3.5 Haiku. Both models share reasoning mode and structured outputs, so the practical split is not just feature count. Use those differences to decide whether the page is about raw model quality, agentic coding support, multimodal ingestion, or predictable structured API behavior.
For cost, Claude 3.5 Haiku lists $0.80/1M input and $4/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while Grok-2 lists $0.50/1M input and $0.50/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Grok-2 lower by about $1.26 per million blended tokens. Availability is 6 providers versus 1, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Claude 3.5 Haiku when coding workflow support, larger context windows, and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Grok-2 when provider fit and lower input-token cost are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship. This keeps the decision grounded in measurable tradeoffs instead of brand-level assumptions. It also helps separate model capability from provider packaging, which can change cost and latency.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Claude 3.5 Haiku or Grok-2?
Claude 3.5 Haiku supports 200k tokens, while Grok-2 supports 128k tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Which is cheaper, Claude 3.5 Haiku or Grok-2?
Grok-2 is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Claude 3.5 Haiku costs $0.80/1M input and $4/1M output tokens. Grok-2 costs $0.50/1M input and $0.50/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Claude 3.5 Haiku or Grok-2 open source?
Claude 3.5 Haiku is listed under Proprietary. Grok-2 is listed under Grok License. License labels affect whether you can self-host, redistribute weights, or rely only on hosted APIs, so confirm the upstream license before deployment.
Which is better for vision, Claude 3.5 Haiku or Grok-2?
Claude 3.5 Haiku has the clearer documented vision signal in this comparison. If vision is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Which is better for reasoning mode, Claude 3.5 Haiku or Grok-2?
Both Claude 3.5 Haiku and Grok-2 expose reasoning mode. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Where can I run Claude 3.5 Haiku and Grok-2?
Claude 3.5 Haiku is available on Anthropic, OpenRouter, AWS Bedrock, GCP Vertex AI, and Replicate API. Grok-2 is available on SiliconFlow. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-06-15. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.