Claude Opus 4.6 vs Grok-4.1 Thinking
Claude Opus 4.6 leads the LLM Stats Score 44.5 to 16.0. Grok-4.1 Thinking is 1.7x cheaper per token.
Anthropic · xAI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Claude Opus 4.6 leads the overall LLM Stats Score 44.5 to 16.0, ranking #44 overall.
In the 1 individual benchmarks reported for both models, Claude Opus 4.6 wins 1; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, Grok-4.1 Thinking is roughly 1.7x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Claude Opus 4.6 also accepts a larger context window (1,000,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Claude Opus 4.6
- overall performance matters — it scores 44.5 and ranks #44 on LLM Stats
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 1 of 1 exact shared results
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,000,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Feb 2026
Choose Grok-4.1 Thinking
- cost matters — it's about 1.7x cheaper per token
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
27 reported for Claude Opus 4.6 · 11 for Grok-4.1 Thinking
Claude Opus 4.6 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (FigQA), while Grok-4.1 Thinking is better at 0 benchmarks.
Claude Opus 4.6 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Claude Opus 4.6 ($5.00/1M tokens) is 1.7x more expensive than Grok-4.1 Thinking ($3.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, Claude Opus 4.6 ($25.00/1M tokens) is 1.7x more expensive than Grok-4.1 Thinking ($15.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Claude Opus 4.6 is more expensive than Grok-4.1 Thinking.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Claude Opus 4.6 accepts 1,000,000 input tokens compared to Grok-4.1 Thinking's 256,000 tokens. Claude Opus 4.6 can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while Grok-4.1 Thinking is limited to 8,000 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both Claude Opus 4.6 and Grok-4.1 Thinking support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Claude Opus 4.6
Grok-4.1 Thinking
License
Usage and distribution terms
Both models are licensed under proprietary licenses.
Both models have usage restrictions defined by their respective organizations.
Proprietary
Closed source
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Claude Opus 4.6 was released on 2026-02-05, while Grok-4.1 Thinking was released on 2025-11-17.
Claude Opus 4.6 is 3 months newer than Grok-4.1 Thinking.
Feb 5, 2026
8 months ago
2mo newerNov 17, 2025
10 months ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
Claude Opus 4.6 is available from Anthropic. Grok-4.1 Thinking is available from xAI.
Claude Opus 4.6
Grok-4.1 Thinking
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Claude Opus 4.6 and Grok-4.1 Thinking side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Claude Opus 4.6 vs Grok-4.1 Thinking.