Model Comparison

Grok 4.5 vs Nova 2 SonicWhich is better in 2026?

Comparing Grok 4.5 and Nova 2 Sonic across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Verdict: Grok 4.5 vs Nova 2 Sonic — which is better?

Grok 4.5 (by xAI) and Nova 2 Sonic (by Amazon) 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, Nova 2 Sonic is roughly 3.2x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Nova 2 Sonic also accepts a larger context window (1,000,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose Grok 4.5 if…

  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026

Choose Nova 2 Sonic if…

  • cost matters — it's about 3.2x cheaper per token
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 1,000,000 token context window

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

Grok 4.5 and Nova 2 Sonicdon'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

Nova 2 Sonic costs less

For input processing, Grok 4.5 ($2.00/1M tokens) is 6.1x more expensive than Nova 2 Sonic ($0.33/1M tokens).

For output processing, Grok 4.5 ($6.00/1M tokens) is 2.2x more expensive than Nova 2 Sonic ($2.75/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Grok 4.5 is more expensive than Nova 2 Sonic.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Tue Jul 21 2026 • llm-stats.com
xAI
Grok 4.5
Input tokens$2.00
Output tokens$6.00
Best providerxAI
Amazon
Nova 2 Sonic
Input tokens$0.33
Output tokens$2.75
Best providerAWS Bedrock
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Nova 2 Sonic accepts 1,000,000 input tokens compared to Grok 4.5's 500,000 tokens. Only Nova 2 Sonic specifies output context (65,536 tokens).

xAI
Grok 4.5
Input500,000 tokens
Output- tokens
Amazon
Nova 2 Sonic
Input1,000,000 tokens
Output65,536 tokens
Tue Jul 21 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both Grok 4.5 and Nova 2 Sonic support multimodal inputs.

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

Grok 4.5

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Nova 2 Sonic

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.

Grok 4.5

Proprietary

Closed source

Nova 2 Sonic

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Grok 4.5 was released on 2026-07-16, while Nova 2 Sonic was released on 2025-12-02.

Grok 4.5 is 8 months newer than Nova 2 Sonic.

Grok 4.5

Jul 16, 2026

5 days ago

7mo newer
Nova 2 Sonic

Dec 2, 2025

7 months ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Grok 4.5 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-02-01, while Nova 2 Sonic'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 Nova 2 Sonic's cutoff date.

Grok 4.5

Feb 2026

Nova 2 Sonic

—

Provider Availability

Grok 4.5 is available from xAI. Nova 2 Sonic is available from Bedrock.

Grok 4.5

xai logo
xAI
Input Price:Input: $2.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $6.00/1M

Nova 2 Sonic

bedrock logo
AWS Bedrock
Input Price:Input: $0.33/1MOutput Price:Output: $2.75/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

xAI

No standout differentiators in the data we have for this pair.

Amazon
Larger context window (1,000,000 tokens)
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Grok 4.5 and Nova 2 Sonic side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Grok 4.5
✓ Preferred
Nova 2 Sonic
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
xAI
Grok 4.5
Amazon
Nova 2 Sonic

FAQ

Common questions about Grok 4.5 vs Nova 2 Sonic.

Which is better, Grok 4.5 or Nova 2 Sonic?

Grok 4.5 (xAI) and Nova 2 Sonic (Amazon) each have strengths in different areas. Compare their benchmark scores, pricing, context windows, and capabilities above to determine which fits your needs.

How does Grok 4.5 compare to Nova 2 Sonic in benchmarks?

Grok 4.5 scores GPQA: 93.0%, Terminal-Bench 2.1: 83.3%, Artificial Analysis Coding Agent Index v1.1: 76.0%, SWE-Bench Pro: 64.7%, AA-Omniscience Index: 63.0%. Nova 2 Sonic scores Big Bench Audio: 87.0%, BFCL: 74.5%, ComplexFuncBench: 65.2%, IFBench: 37.5%.

Is Grok 4.5 cheaper than Nova 2 Sonic?

Nova 2 Sonic is 6.1x cheaper for input tokens. Grok 4.5 costs $2.00/M input and $6.00/M output via xai. Nova 2 Sonic costs $0.33/M input and $2.75/M output via bedrock.

What are the context window sizes for Grok 4.5 and Nova 2 Sonic?

Grok 4.5 supports 500K tokens and Nova 2 Sonic supports 1.0M tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between Grok 4.5 and Nova 2 Sonic?

Key differences include context window (500K vs 1.0M), input pricing ($2.00 vs $0.33/M). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Grok 4.5 and Nova 2 Sonic?

Grok 4.5 is developed by xAI and Nova 2 Sonic is developed by Amazon.

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