Claude Sonnet 4.5 vs Grok Build 0.1
Claude Sonnet 4.5 (2025) and Grok Build 0.1 (2026) compare a standalone API model against a coding-specialized model. Claude Sonnet 4.5 ships a 200k-token context window, while Grok Build 0.1 ships a 256k-token context window. On SWE-bench Verified, Claude Sonnet 4.5 leads by 6.4 pts. This page treats the result as workflow and deployment fit, not a universal model winner.
Treat this as a product-type comparison: Claude Sonnet 4.5 is standalone API model, while Grok Build 0.1 is coding-specialized model. Choose based on workflow fit before reading any benchmark or price row as decisive.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Claude Sonnet 4.5 | Grok Build 0.1 |
|---|---|---|
| Product type | Standalone API model | Coding-specialized model |
| Best for | reasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agents | custom coding agents, code generation, and tool loops |
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 200k | 256k |
| Cheapest output | $15/1M tokens | $2/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 8 tracked | 3 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | SWE-bench Verified leader | 1 shared |
Decision tradeoffs
- Claude Sonnet 4.5 holds a shared-benchmark lead on SWE-bench Verified, ahead by 6.4 points.
- Claude Sonnet 4.5 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Local decision data tags Claude Sonnet 4.5 for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- Grok Build 0.1 has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Grok Build 0.1 has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $2/1M tokens.
- Local decision data tags Grok Build 0.1 for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
Claude Sonnet 4.5
$6,150
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Microsoft Foundry
Grok Build 0.1
$1,300
Cheapest tracked route/tier: xAI Console
Estimated monthly gap: $4,850. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on Vercel AI Gateway and OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Grok Build 0.1 is $13/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter and Vercel AI Gateway; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Claude Sonnet 4.5 is $13/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-09-29 | 2026-05-14 |
| Context window | 200k | 256k |
| Parameters | — | — |
| Architecture | Decoder Only | - |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Openness | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Commercial use | Commercial use: conditional | Commercial use: conditional |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2025-12 | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Claude Sonnet 4.5 | Grok Build 0.1 |
|---|---|---|
| Input price |
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| Output price |
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Capabilities
| Capability | Claude Sonnet 4.5 | Grok Build 0.1 |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | Yes |
| Multimodal | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning | Yes | Yes |
| Function calling | Yes | Yes |
| Tool use | Yes | Yes |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | No | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | Claude Sonnet 4.5 | Grok Build 0.1 |
|---|---|---|
| SWE-bench Verified | 77.2 | 70.8 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, SWE-bench Verified has Claude Sonnet 4.5 at 77.2 and Grok Build 0.1 at 70.8, with Claude Sonnet 4.5 ahead by 6.4 points. The largest visible gap is 6.4 points on SWE-bench Verified, which matters most when that benchmark mirrors your workload. Treat isolated benchmark wins as directional, because provider routing, prompt style, and tool access can move real application results.
The capability footprint is close: both models cover vision, multimodal input, reasoning mode, function calling, and tool use. That makes context budget, benchmark fit, and provider maturity more important than a simple checklist. If your application depends on one integration detail, verify it against the provider route you plan to use, not just the base model listing.
For cost, Claude Sonnet 4.5 lists tiered pricing: 0-200,001t is $3/1M input and $15/1M output; 200,001t+ is $6/1M input and $22.50/1M output, while Grok Build 0.1 lists tiered pricing: 0-200,001t is $1/1M input and $2/1M output; 200,001t+ is $2/1M input and $4/1M output. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Grok Build 0.1 lower by about $5.30 per million blended tokens. For tiered rows, this cheapest-track view can understate interactive or fast-lane spend, so compare the tier you will actually use. Availability is 8 providers versus 3, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Claude Sonnet 4.5 when vision-heavy evaluation and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Grok Build 0.1 when coding workflow support, larger context windows, and lower cheapest-tier input-token cost are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Claude Sonnet 4.5 or Grok Build 0.1?
Grok Build 0.1 supports 256k tokens, while Claude Sonnet 4.5 supports 200k 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 Sonnet 4.5 or Grok Build 0.1?
Claude Sonnet 4.5 lists tiered pricing: 0-200,001t is $3/1M input and $15/1M output; 200,001t+ is $6/1M input and $22.50/1M output. Grok Build 0.1 lists tiered pricing: 0-200,001t is $1/1M input and $2/1M output; 200,001t+ is $2/1M input and $4/1M output. Compare the tier you will actually use; cheap async pricing can overstate savings for interactive workflows. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Claude Sonnet 4.5 or Grok Build 0.1 open source?
Claude Sonnet 4.5 is listed under Proprietary. Grok Build 0.1 is listed under Proprietary. 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 Sonnet 4.5 or Grok Build 0.1?
Both Claude Sonnet 4.5 and Grok Build 0.1 expose vision. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface.
Which is better for multimodal input, Claude Sonnet 4.5 or Grok Build 0.1?
Both Claude Sonnet 4.5 and Grok Build 0.1 expose multimodal input. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface.
Where can I run Claude Sonnet 4.5 and Grok Build 0.1?
Claude Sonnet 4.5 is available on Microsoft Foundry, Anthropic, Snowflake Cortex, GCP Vertex AI, and AWS Bedrock. Grok Build 0.1 is available on xAI Console, Vercel AI Gateway, and OpenRouter. 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.