Alternatives · 15 models compared · checked 17 Aug 2026
Grok 4.6 alternatives: 15 models in or near grid E4
The closest model to Grok 4.6 on the atlas is GPT-5, in the same square, at $1.25 per 1M input tokens against Grok 4.6’s . 12 of the 15 nearest models are cheaper on input; the cheapest is Qwen3 Coder 480B A35B at $0.30. We rank by position on the atlas, not by capability, because we hold no capability data.
$2.00
observed We measured
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- Our catalogue
- Retrieved
- 17 Aug 2026
Ask an AI about this pageGChatGPTCClaudePPerplexityGeGeminiXGrok
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Cite this page
ModelsAtlas. “Grok 4.6 alternatives: 15 models in or near grid E4”. Retrieved 17 Aug 2026. https://modelsatlas.com/models/xai/grok-4-6/alternatives
Where the alternatives sit
Each square is a price band (A–H) × a context band (1–6). How the grid works
Same squareGRIDE410 modelsGPT-5, GPT-5.1, GPT-5.1-Codex and 7 more
Grok 4.6Its 15 nearest modelsOther modelsOpen weights
View the map as a table (3 squares)
| Square | Price band | Context band | Models |
|---|---|---|---|
| GRIDD4 | $0.30–1 | 256K–1M | Qwen3 Coder 480B A35B, Qwen3.6 27B, Devstral 2 2512, Qwen3.5 397B A17B |
| GRIDE3 | $1–3 | 128–256K | Claude Haiku 4.5 |
| GRIDE4 | $1–3 | 256K–1M | Grok 4.6, GPT-5, GPT-5.1, GPT-5.1-Codex, Mistral Medium 3.5, GPT-5.2, GPT-5.2-Codex, GPT-5.3-Codex, Grok 4.5, Grok 4.7, Mistral Large 3 2512 |
Top 15 alternatives
Ranked by steps away on the atlas, then cheaper before pricier, then input price
| # | Model | Grid | Why it fits | Input / 1M | vs Grok 4.6 | Output / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Grok 4.6xAI · the model you’re replacing | GRIDE4 | Baseline | $2.00 | — | $6.00 | 500K | |
| 1 | GPT-5OpenAI | GRIDE4 | Same square, 38% cheaper input | $1.25 | −37% | $10.00 | 400K | |
| 2 | GPT-5.1OpenAI | GRIDE4 | Same square, 38% cheaper input | $1.25 | −37% | $10.00 | 400K | |
| 3 | GPT-5.1-CodexOpenAI | GRIDE4 | Same square, 38% cheaper input | $1.25 | −37% | $10.00 | 400K | |
| 4 | Mistral Medium 3.5Mistral AI | GRIDE4 | Same square, 25% cheaper input | $1.50 | −25% | $7.50 | 262K | |
| 5 | GPT-5.2OpenAI | GRIDE4 | Same square, 13% cheaper input | $1.75 | −12% | $14.00 | 400K | Compare → |
| 6 | GPT-5.2-CodexOpenAI | GRIDE4 | Same square, 13% cheaper input | $1.75 | −12% | $14.00 | 400K | Compare → |
| 7 | GPT-5.3-CodexOpenAI | GRIDE4 | Same square, 13% cheaper input | $1.75 | −12% | $14.00 | 400K | Compare → |
| 8 | Grok 4.5xAI | GRIDE4 | Same maker, same square, same input price | $2.00 | same | $6.00 | 500K | Compare → |
| 9 | Grok 4.7xAI | GRIDE4 | Same maker, same square, same input price | $2.00 | same | $6.00 | 500K | Compare → |
| 10 | Mistral Large 3 2512Mistral AI | GRIDE4 | Same square, same input price | $2.00 | same | $6.00 | 262K | Compare → |
| 11 | Qwen3 Coder 480B A35BQwen (Alibaba) | GRIDD4 | Neighbouring square D4, 85% cheaper input | $0.30 | −85% | $1.00 | 262K | |
| 12 | Qwen3.6 27BQwen (Alibaba) · open weights | GRIDD4 | Neighbouring square D4, 84% cheaper input, open weights | $0.32 | −84% | $3.20 | 262K | |
| 13 | Devstral 2 2512Mistral AI | GRIDD4 | Neighbouring square D4, 80% cheaper input | $0.40 | −80% | $2.00 | 262K | |
| 14 | Qwen3.5 397B A17BQwen (Alibaba) | GRIDD4 | Neighbouring square D4, 73% cheaper input | $0.55 | −72% | $3.50 | 262K | |
| 15 | Claude Haiku 4.5Anthropic | GRIDE3 | Neighbouring square E3, 50% cheaper input | $1.00 | −50% | $5.00 | 200K |
What switching saves
3,000 input + 800 output tokens × 1,000 requests a day
Σ Derived from standard-tier prices; excludes caching and batch discounts. Use your own numbers →
Larger-context alternatives
| Model | Input / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 06-05Google | $1.25 | 1.05M | |
| Grok 4.3xAI | $1.25 | 1M | |
| Muse Spark 1.1Meta | $1.25 | 1.05M | |
| Muse Spark 1.2Meta | $1.25 | 1.05M | |
| Muse Spark 1.3Meta | $1.25 | 1.05M |
Free alternatives
| Model | Input / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyria 3 Clip PreviewGoogle | Free | 1.05M | |
| Lyria 3 Pro PreviewGoogle | Free | 1.05M |
Compare Grok 4.6 head to head
Questions
What is the best alternative to Grok 4.6?
GPT-5 ranks first: same square, 38% cheaper input. Input is $1.25 per 1M tokens against $2.00 for Grok 4.6. Ranking is by position on the atlas, not by quality.
What is the cheapest alternative to Grok 4.6?
Qwen3 Coder 480B A35B at $0.30 per 1M input tokens, 85% less than Grok 4.6, among the 15 closest.
Is there an open-weight alternative to Grok 4.6?
Yes, 1 of the 15: Qwen3.6 27B.
Which alternative has a larger context window?
None of the 15 closest holds more than Grok 4.6's 500K.
How are alternatives ranked?
By distance on the atlas grid from Grok 4.6's square E4: the same square first, then neighbouring squares. Within the same distance, cheaper models come before pricier ones, then the lowest input price wins. We hold no capability data, so we do not claim a model can do what Grok 4.6 does, only that it costs and holds about the same. No vendor pays for position.
More alternatives
Keep going in your AI
Opens with this page as the source. We add nothing else to the prompt.
- What is the best alternative to Grok 4.6?
- What is the cheapest alternative to Grok 4.6?
- Is there an open-weight alternative to Grok 4.6?