Command A vs Grok Code Fast 1

Cohere · Global  |  xAI · US · Updated June 2026

Quick verdict

Pick Command A for enterprise rag and retrieval or strong long-context retrieval accuracy. Pick Grok Code Fast 1 for fast, cheap agentic coding at $0.20/$1.50 or low-latency code generation and terminal tasks. On a tight budget at scale, Grok Code Fast 1 is the value pick.

Command A (Cohere) and Grok Code Fast 1 (xAI) are two of the models people most often weigh against each other in 2026. Command A is cohere's enterprise-focused model built for retrieval-augmented and grounded workloads. Grok Code Fast 1 is xAI's speed-tier coding model at $0.20/$1.50 with a 256K window — cheap, fast agentic code over frontier quality. Their biggest split is price, and the breakdown below shows exactly how that plays out for your workload.

Key differences at a glance

Side-by-side specs

SpecCommand AGrok Code Fast 1
ProviderCohere (Global) xAI (US)
ReleasedMarch 2025 August 28, 2025
Context window256K (~384 pages) 256K (~384 pages)
Price (in/out)$2.5/$10 per 1M tokens $0.2/$1.5 per 1M tokens
Open weight?No — API only No — API only
Modalitiestext, code text, code
SWE-Bench VerifiedNot published Not published
MRCR v2 @ 1MNot published Not published

Who wins what

Enterprise RAG and retrieval

Command A

Command A lists enterprise RAG and retrieval among its strengths; Grok Code Fast 1 does not.

Strong long-context retrieval accuracy

Command A

Command A lists strong long-context retrieval accuracy among its strengths; Grok Code Fast 1 does not.

Multilingual

Command A

Command A lists multilingual among its strengths; Grok Code Fast 1 does not.

Fast, cheap agentic coding at $0.20/$1.50

Grok Code Fast 1

At $0.2/$1.5 per 1M tokens it undercuts Command A ($2.5/$10 per 1M tokens), and that gap compounds at volume.

Low-latency code generation and terminal tasks

Grok Code Fast 1

XAI's speed-tier coding model at $0.20/$1.50 with a 256K window — cheap, fast agentic code over frontier quality — and it runs cheaper at $0.2/$1.5 per 1M tokens.

High-volume coding pipelines where speed beats peak quality

Grok Code Fast 1

XAI's speed-tier coding model at $0.20/$1.50 with a 256K window — cheap, fast agentic code over frontier quality — and it is the newer of the two.

Lowest cost at scale

Grok Code Fast 1

At $0.2/$1.5 per 1M tokens, it is the cheaper of the two — the gap dominates the bill on high-volume workloads.

Which should you pick?

A cost-sensitive startup shipping high volume

Grok Code Fast 1

At $0.2/$1.5 per 1M tokens it undercuts Command A, and on millions of tokens that margin decides the monthly bill.

Anyone whose priority is enterprise rag and retrieval

Command A

It is specifically built for that.

Anyone whose priority is fast, cheap agentic coding at $0.20/$1.50

Grok Code Fast 1

That is its strongest area.

Command A: where it fits

Cohere's enterprise-focused model built for retrieval-augmented and grounded workloads. Released March 2025 by Cohere, it is built for enterprise RAG and retrieval, strong long-context retrieval accuracy, multilingual, and tool use.

Its trade-offs are real: less consumer presence, and narrower modality support. At $2.5 in / $10 out per million tokens, it sits in the mid price band.

Grok Code Fast 1: where it fits

XAI's speed-tier coding model at $0.20/$1.50 with a 256K window — cheap, fast agentic code over frontier quality. Released August 28, 2025 by xAI, it is built for fast, cheap agentic coding at $0.20/$1.50, low-latency code generation and terminal tasks, high-volume coding pipelines where speed beats peak quality, and a 256K window sized for real codebases.

Its trade-offs: text and code only — no image, audio or video input, xAI did not publish a SWE-Bench Verified score, a speed-tier coding model, not a frontier reasoner, and narrow focus — built for code, not general knowledge work. At $0.2 in / $1.5 out per million tokens, it sits in the budget price band.

The bottom line for this matchup

Command A and Grok Code Fast 1 overlap enough that the right pick depends on your specific job. Grok Code Fast 1 costs less per token; and each leads in its own area — Command A for enterprise rag and retrieval, Grok Code Fast 1 for fast, cheap agentic coding at $0.20/$1.50. Rather than crowning one, run the same hard task through both once and let the results decide.

Want both Command A and Grok Code Fast 1 without two subscriptions? LumiChats gives you these plus 40+ models under one ₹69/day pass (about $1/day) — draft with one, cross-check with the other.

See pricing

Frequently asked questions

Is Command A or Grok Code Fast 1 better for coding?

Public SWE-Bench figures are not available for either model, so the honest test is your own repository — run an identical real bug through both. By design, Command A leans toward enterprise rag and retrieval while Grok Code Fast 1 leans toward fast, cheap agentic coding at $0.20/$1.50, and that positioning usually predicts which feels better on your codebase.

Which is cheaper, Command A or Grok Code Fast 1?

Grok Code Fast 1 is cheaper — $2.5/$10 per 1M tokens vs $0.2/$1.5 per 1M tokens, roughly 13× apart on input.

Which has the bigger context window?

Both advertise 256K (~384 pages). Remember advertised ≠ usable: recall typically degrades before the ceiling.

Can I use both Command A and Grok Code Fast 1 together?

Yes — a multi-model platform like LumiChats gives you Command A, Grok Code Fast 1 and 40+ others under one ₹69/day pass (about $1/day), so you can draft with one and cross-check with the other instead of buying two subscriptions.

Which is newer, Command A or Grok Code Fast 1?

Grok Code Fast 1 — released August 28, 2025, about 6 months after Command A.

Related comparisons

Specifications and benchmarks reflect publicly reported figures as of June 2026 and may change as providers release updates. Always verify on your own workload.