Model Comparison
Grok 4.5 vs Qwen2.5 72B InstructWhich is better in 2026?
Grok 4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Qwen2.5 72B Instruct is 8.3x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Grok 4.5 vs Qwen2.5 72B Instruct — which is better?
Grok 4.5 (by xAI) and Qwen2.5 72B Instruct (by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team) 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.
Grok 4.5 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Qwen2.5 72B Instruct is better at 0 benchmarks. Grok 4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Qwen2.5 72B Instruct is roughly 8.3x 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 4.5 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 500,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026
Choose Qwen2.5 72B Instruct if…
- cost matters — it's about 8.3x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Grok 4.5 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Qwen2.5 72B Instruct is better at 0 benchmarks.
Grok 4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Grok 4.5 ($2.00/1M tokens) is 5.7x more expensive than Qwen2.5 72B Instruct ($0.35/1M tokens).
For output processing, Grok 4.5 ($6.00/1M tokens) is 15.0x more expensive than Qwen2.5 72B Instruct ($0.40/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Grok 4.5 is more expensive than Qwen2.5 72B Instruct.*
* 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 Qwen2.5 72B Instruct's 131,072 tokens. Only Qwen2.5 72B Instruct specifies output context (8,192 tokens).
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Grok 4.5 supports multimodal inputs, whereas Qwen2.5 72B Instruct does not.
Grok 4.5 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
Grok 4.5
Qwen2.5 72B Instruct
License
Usage and distribution terms
Grok 4.5 is licensed under a proprietary license, while Qwen2.5 72B Instruct uses Qwen.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Proprietary
Closed source
Qwen
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Grok 4.5 was released on 2026-07-16, while Qwen2.5 72B Instruct was released on 2024-09-19.
Grok 4.5 is 22 months newer than Qwen2.5 72B Instruct.
Jul 16, 2026
2 days ago
1.8yr newerSep 19, 2024
1.8 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Grok 4.5 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-02-01, while Qwen2.5 72B Instruct'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 Qwen2.5 72B Instruct's cutoff date.
Feb 2026
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Provider Availability
Grok 4.5 is available from xAI. Qwen2.5 72B Instruct is available from DeepInfra, Hyperbolic, Fireworks, Together.
Grok 4.5
Qwen2.5 72B Instruct
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Qwen2.5 72B Instruct
View detailsAlibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Grok 4.5 and Qwen2.5 72B Instruct side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about Grok 4.5 vs Qwen2.5 72B Instruct.