Model Comparison

GPT-5.6 Sol vs Grok-4.1 ThinkingWhich is better in 2026?

Comparing GPT-5.6 Sol and Grok-4.1 Thinking across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Verdict: GPT-5.6 Sol vs Grok-4.1 Thinking — which is better?

GPT-5.6 Sol (by OpenAI) and Grok-4.1 Thinking (by xAI) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.

On price, Grok-4.1 Thinking is roughly 1.9x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

GPT-5.6 Sol also accepts a larger context window (1,050,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose GPT-5.6 Sol if…

  • you process long inputs — it offers a 1,050,000 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026

Choose Grok-4.1 Thinking if…

  • cost matters — it's about 1.9x cheaper per token

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

GPT-5.6 Sol and Grok-4.1 Thinkingdon't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Grok-4.1 Thinking costs less

For input processing, GPT-5.6 Sol ($5.00/1M tokens) is 1.7x more expensive than Grok-4.1 Thinking ($3.00/1M tokens).

For output processing, GPT-5.6 Sol ($30.00/1M tokens) is 2.0x more expensive than Grok-4.1 Thinking ($15.00/1M tokens).

In conclusion, GPT-5.6 Sol is more expensive than Grok-4.1 Thinking.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Sun Jul 26 2026 • llm-stats.com
OpenAI
GPT-5.6 Sol
Input tokens$5.00
Output tokens$30.00
Best providerOpenAI
xAI
Grok-4.1 Thinking
Input tokens$3.00
Output tokens$15.00
Best providerxAI
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

GPT-5.6 Sol accepts 1,050,000 input tokens compared to Grok-4.1 Thinking's 256,000 tokens. GPT-5.6 Sol can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while Grok-4.1 Thinking is limited to 8,000 tokens.

OpenAI
GPT-5.6 Sol
Input1,050,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
xAI
Grok-4.1 Thinking
Input256,000 tokens
Output8,000 tokens
Sun Jul 26 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both GPT-5.6 Sol and Grok-4.1 Thinking support multimodal inputs.

They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.

GPT-5.6 Sol

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Grok-4.1 Thinking

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Both models are licensed under proprietary licenses.

Both models have usage restrictions defined by their respective organizations.

GPT-5.6 Sol

Proprietary

Closed source

Grok-4.1 Thinking

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GPT-5.6 Sol was released on 2026-07-09, while Grok-4.1 Thinking was released on 2025-11-17.

GPT-5.6 Sol is 8 months newer than Grok-4.1 Thinking.

GPT-5.6 Sol

Jul 9, 2026

2 weeks ago

7mo newer
Grok-4.1 Thinking

Nov 17, 2025

8 months ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

GPT-5.6 Sol has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-02-16, while Grok-4.1 Thinking's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm GPT-5.6 Sol's training data extends to 2026-02-16, but cannot make a direct comparison without Grok-4.1 Thinking's cutoff date.

GPT-5.6 Sol

Feb 2026

Grok-4.1 Thinking

—

Provider Availability

GPT-5.6 Sol is available from OpenAI. Grok-4.1 Thinking is available from xAI.

GPT-5.6 Sol

openai logo
OpenAI
Input Price:Input: $5.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $30.00/1M

Grok-4.1 Thinking

xai logo
xAI
Input Price:Input: $3.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $15.00/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

OpenAI
Larger context window (1,050,000 tokens)
xAI
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against GPT-5.6 Sol and Grok-4.1 Thinking side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

GPT-5.6 Sol
✓ Preferred
Grok-4.1 Thinking
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
OpenAI
GPT-5.6 Sol
xAI
Grok-4.1 Thinking

FAQ

Common questions about GPT-5.6 Sol vs Grok-4.1 Thinking.

Which is better, GPT-5.6 Sol or Grok-4.1 Thinking?

GPT-5.6 Sol (OpenAI) and Grok-4.1 Thinking (xAI) each have strengths in different areas. Compare their benchmark scores, pricing, context windows, and capabilities above to determine which fits your needs.

How does GPT-5.6 Sol compare to Grok-4.1 Thinking in benchmarks?

GPT-5.6 Sol scores Connectors: 100.0%, Capture-the-Flag Challenges (Internal): 96.7%, HealthBench Consensus: 95.5%, GPQA: 94.6%, MRCR v2 (8-needle): 91.5%. Grok-4.1 Thinking scores Creative Writing v3: 86.1%, WMDP: 84.0%, EQ-Bench: 79.3%, ProtocolQA: 79.0%, LMArena Text Leaderboard: 74.2%.

Is GPT-5.6 Sol cheaper than Grok-4.1 Thinking?

Grok-4.1 Thinking is 1.7x cheaper for input tokens. GPT-5.6 Sol costs $5.00/M input and $30.00/M output via openai. Grok-4.1 Thinking costs $3.00/M input and $15.00/M output via xai.

What are the context window sizes for GPT-5.6 Sol and Grok-4.1 Thinking?

GPT-5.6 Sol supports 1.1M tokens and Grok-4.1 Thinking supports 256K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between GPT-5.6 Sol and Grok-4.1 Thinking?

Key differences include context window (1.1M vs 256K), input pricing ($5.00 vs $3.00/M). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes GPT-5.6 Sol and Grok-4.1 Thinking?

GPT-5.6 Sol is developed by OpenAI and Grok-4.1 Thinking is developed by xAI.

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