Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 vs Grok 4
Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 (2025) and Grok 4 (2025) are frontier reasoning models from Google DeepMind and xAI. Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 ships a 1M-token context window, while Grok 4 ships a 256K-token context window. On pricing, Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 costs $1.25/1M input tokens versus $3/1M 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.
Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 is ~140% cheaper at $1.25/1M; pay for Grok 4 only for coding workflow support.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 | Grok 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | multimodal apps and long-context analysis | reasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agents |
| Decision fit | RAG, Long context, and Vision | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 1M | 256K |
| Cheapest output | $10/1M tokens | $15/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 1 tracked | 4 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 shared | 0 shared |
Decision tradeoffs
- Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $10/1M tokens.
- Local decision data tags Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 for RAG, Long context, and Vision.
- Grok 4 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and route flexibility.
- Grok 4 uniquely exposes Reasoning, JSON / Tool use, and Code execution in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Grok 4 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.
Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06
$3,500
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Grok 4
$6,150
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Microsoft Foundry
Estimated monthly gap: $2,650. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Grok 4 is $5/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Grok 4 adds Reasoning, JSON / Tool use, and Code execution in local capability data.
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 is $5/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Reasoning, JSON / Tool use, and Code execution before moving production traffic.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-05-06 | 2025-07-09 |
| Context window | 1M | 256K |
| Parameters | — | — |
| Architecture | Decoder Only | Decoder Only |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Openness | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Weights | Not released | Not released |
| Code | Unknown | Unknown |
| Commercial use | Restricted | Restricted |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2025-01 | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 | Grok 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $1.25/1M tokens | $3/1M tokens |
| Output price | $10/1M tokens | $15/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 | Grok 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | Yes |
| Multimodal | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning | No | Yes |
| JSON / Tool use | No | Yes |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | No | Yes |
| 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 reasoning mode: Grok 4, JSON / Tool use: Grok 4, JSON / Tool use: Grok 4, and code execution: Grok 4. Both models share vision, multimodal input, 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, Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 lists $1.25/1M input and $10/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while Grok 4 lists $3/1M input and $15/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 lower by about $2.72 per million blended tokens. Availability is 1 providers versus 4, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 when long-context analysis, larger context windows, and lower input-token cost are central to the workload. Choose Grok 4 when coding workflow support and broader provider choice 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, Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 or Grok 4?
Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 supports 1M tokens, while Grok 4 supports 256K tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Which is cheaper, Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 or Grok 4?
Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 costs $1.25/1M input and $10/1M output tokens. Grok 4 costs $3/1M input and $15/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 or Grok 4 open source?
Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 is listed under Proprietary. Grok 4 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, Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 or Grok 4?
Both Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 and Grok 4 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, Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 or Grok 4?
Both Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 and Grok 4 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 Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 and Grok 4?
Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 is available on OpenRouter. Grok 4 is available on Microsoft Foundry, OpenRouter, Replicate API, and xAI Console. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-10-17. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.