Grok 4.6 vs Qwen3.8 Max
Grok 4.6 and Qwen3.8 Max are closely matched at 47.1 and 52.0 on the LLM Stats Score. Qwen3.8 Max is 1.2x cheaper per token.
xAI · Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Grok 4.6 and Qwen3.8 Max are closely matched on the overall LLM Stats Score at 47.1 and 52.0.
In the 1 individual benchmarks reported for both models, Grok 4.6 wins 1; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, Qwen3.8 Max is roughly 1.2x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Grok 4.6 also accepts a larger context window (500,000 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 Grok 4.6
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 1 of 1 exact shared results
- you process long inputs — it offers a 500,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2026
Choose Qwen3.8 Max
- cost matters — it's about 1.2x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
11 reported for Grok 4.6 · 42 for Qwen3.8 Max
Grok 4.6 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (DeepSWE 1.1), while Qwen3.8 Max is better at 0 benchmarks.
Grok 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, Grok 4.6 ($2.00/1M tokens) is 1.2x more expensive than Qwen3.8 Max ($1.65/1M tokens).
For output processing, Grok 4.6 ($6.00/1M tokens) is 1.2x more expensive than Qwen3.8 Max ($4.95/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Grok 4.6 is more expensive than Qwen3.8 Max.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Grok 4.6 accepts 500,000 input tokens compared to Qwen3.8 Max's 256,000 tokens. Only Qwen3.8 Max specifies output context (256,000 tokens).
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both Grok 4.6 and Qwen3.8 Max support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Grok 4.6
Qwen3.8 Max
License
Usage and distribution terms
Grok 4.6 is licensed under a proprietary license, while Qwen3.8 Max uses Qwen3.8-Max License.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Proprietary
Closed source
Qwen3.8-Max License
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Grok 4.6 was released on 2026-08-12, while Qwen3.8 Max was released on 2026-08-02.
Grok 4.6 is 0 month newer than Qwen3.8 Max.
Aug 12, 2026
4 weeks ago
1w newerAug 2, 2026
1 months ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Grok 4.6 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-02-01, while Qwen3.8 Max's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Grok 4.6's training data extends to 2026-02-01, but cannot make a direct comparison without Qwen3.8 Max's cutoff date.
Feb 2026
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Provider Availability
Grok 4.6 is available from xAI. Qwen3.8 Max is available from DeepInfra, Fireworks, Novita, Together.
Grok 4.6
Qwen3.8 Max
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Grok 4.6 and Qwen3.8 Max side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Grok 4.6 vs Qwen3.8 Max.