Model Comparison
Grok-4.1 vs Grok 4.5Which is better in 2026?
Comparing Grok-4.1 and Grok 4.5 across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.
Verdict: Grok-4.1 vs Grok 4.5 — which is better?
Grok-4.1 (by xAI) and Grok 4.5 (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 4.5 is roughly 2.0x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Grok 4.5 also accepts a larger context window (500,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose Grok-4.1 if…
- you want predictable pricing at $3.00/M input and $15.00/M output
Choose Grok 4.5 if…
- cost matters — it's about 2.0x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 500,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Grok-4.1 and Grok 4.5don'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
For input processing, Grok-4.1 ($3.00/1M tokens) is 1.5x more expensive than Grok 4.5 ($2.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, Grok-4.1 ($15.00/1M tokens) is 2.5x more expensive than Grok 4.5 ($6.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Grok-4.1 is more expensive than Grok 4.5.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Grok 4.5 accepts 500,000 input tokens compared to Grok-4.1's 256,000 tokens. Only Grok-4.1 specifies output context (8,000 tokens).
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Grok-4.1 and Grok 4.5 support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Grok-4.1
Grok 4.5
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
Grok-4.1 was released on 2025-11-17, while Grok 4.5 was released on 2026-07-16.
Grok 4.5 is 8 months newer than Grok-4.1.
Nov 17, 2025
8 months ago
Jul 16, 2026
1 weeks ago
8mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Grok 4.5 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-02-01, while Grok-4.1's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Grok 4.5's training data extends to 2026-02-01, but cannot make a direct comparison without Grok-4.1's cutoff date.
—
Feb 2026
Provider Availability
Grok-4.1 is available from xAI. Grok 4.5 is available from xAI.
Grok-4.1
Grok 4.5
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
No standout differentiators in the data we have for this pair.
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Grok-4.1 and Grok 4.5 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Grok-4.1 vs Grok 4.5.