Pick Fugu Ultra v2.0 for sakana's own evaluation reports best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 benchmarks tested, including a 74.3 on the deepswe coding-repair benchmark or claims to outperform flagship models like gpt-6 astra and claude fable 5.1 despite its underlying orchestration pool reportedly excluding both of them. Pick Grok 4 for 256k context with native tool use or real-time data via x integration. On a tight budget at scale, Grok 4 is the value pick.
Fugu Ultra v2.0 (Sakana AI) and Grok 4 (xAI) are two of the models people most often weigh against each other in 2026. Fugu Ultra v2.0 is sakana AI's flagship multi-agent orchestration model, claiming best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 self-reported benchmarks against monolithic frontier models — $5/$30 per million tokens. Grok 4 is xAI's 2M-context model with live data access and strong reasoning chops. They diverge most on price and context window — each quantified below from the models' real specs.
Key differences
Price: Grok 4 is about 1.7× cheaper on input ($3/$15 per 1M tokens vs $5/$30 per 1M tokens) — modest, but it adds up at steady volume.
Context window: Fugu Ultra v2.0 holds 3.9× more — 1M tokens (~1,500 pages) vs 256K (~384 pages). But effective recall usually fades long before the advertised ceiling, so the bigger number only helps if the model reasons over it.
Recency: Fugu Ultra v2.0 is the newer model by about 14 months (released September 10, 2026), usually meaning fresher training data and capabilities.
Specifications
Spec
Fugu Ultra v2.0
Grok 4
Provider
Sakana AI (Global)
xAI (US)
Released
September 10, 2026
July 9, 2025
Context window
1M tokens (~1,500 pages)
256K (~384 pages)
Price (in/out)
$5/$30 per 1M tokens
$3/$15 per 1M tokens
Open weight?
No — API only
No — API only
Modalities
text
text, image, code
SWE-Bench Verified
Not published
Not published
MRCR v2 @ 1M
Not published
Not published
Who wins what
Sakana's own evaluation reports best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 benchmarks tested, including a 74.3 on the DeepSWE coding-repair benchmark: Fugu Ultra v2.0 — Grok 4 is comparatively weak here — less independent benchmark coverage
Claims to outperform flagship models like GPT-6 Astra and Claude Fable 5.1 despite its underlying orchestration pool reportedly excluding both of them: Fugu Ultra v2.0 — Sakana AI's flagship multi-agent orchestration model, claiming best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 self-reported benchmarks against monolithic frontier models — $5/$30 per million tokens — and it carries the larger 1M tokens context.
1M-token context window: Fugu Ultra v2.0 — Its 1M tokens window holds about 3.9× more than Grok 4's 256K in a single prompt.
256K context with native tool use: Grok 4 — XAI's 2M-context model with live data access and strong reasoning chops — and it runs cheaper at $3/$15 per 1M tokens.
Real-time data via X integration: Grok 4 — Grok 4 lists real-time data via X integration among its strengths; Fugu Ultra v2.0 does not.
Strong academic reasoning: Grok 4 — Grok 4 lists strong academic reasoning among its strengths; Fugu Ultra v2.0 does not.
Lowest cost at scale: Grok 4 — At $3/$15 per 1M tokens, it is the cheaper of the two — the gap dominates the bill on high-volume workloads.
Largest single-prompt input: Fugu Ultra v2.0 — Its 1M tokens window is about 3.9× larger than Grok 4's 256K, fitting roughly 1,500 pages in one prompt.
Which should you pick?
A cost-sensitive startup shipping high volume: Grok 4 — At $3/$15 per 1M tokens it undercuts Fugu Ultra v2.0, and on millions of tokens that margin decides the monthly bill.
Someone analysing very long documents or codebases: Fugu Ultra v2.0 — Larger 1M tokens window fits more in one prompt.
Anyone whose priority is sakana's own evaluation reports best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 benchmarks tested, including a 74.3 on the deepswe coding-repair benchmark: Fugu Ultra v2.0 — It is specifically built for that.
Anyone whose priority is 256k context with native tool use: Grok 4 — That is its strongest area.
Fugu Ultra v2.0: where it fits
Sakana AI's flagship multi-agent orchestration model, claiming best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 self-reported benchmarks against monolithic frontier models — $5/$30 per million tokens. Released September 10, 2026 by Sakana AI, it is built for sakana's own evaluation reports best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 benchmarks tested, including a 74.3 on the DeepSWE coding-repair benchmark, claims to outperform flagship models like GPT-6 Astra and Claude Fable 5.1 despite its underlying orchestration pool reportedly excluding both of them, and 1M-token context window.
Its trade-offs are real: not a single trained model — Sakana describes Fugu as "a Multi-Agent System, Delivered as One Model" that dynamically routes tasks across a pool of other models, so head-to-head benchmark framing against monolithic frontier models should be read skeptically, pricing rises to roughly $10/$45 per million tokens for prompts above 272K tokens, and benchmark comparisons against GPT-6 Astra and Claude Fable 5.1 are Sakana's own self-reported figures, not independently verified head-to-head scores. At $5 in / $30 out per million tokens, it sits in the premium price band.
Grok 4: where it fits
XAI's 2M-context model with live data access and strong reasoning chops. Released July 9, 2025 by xAI, it is built for 256K context with native tool use, real-time data via X integration, strong academic reasoning, and no long-context surcharge.
Its trade-offs: smaller ecosystem than OpenAI/Google, and less independent benchmark coverage. At $3 in / $15 out per million tokens, it sits in the mid price band.
The bottom line for this matchup
Fugu Ultra v2.0 and Grok 4 overlap enough that the right pick depends on your specific job. Grok 4 costs less per token; Fugu Ultra v2.0 holds the larger context; and each leads in its own area — Fugu Ultra v2.0 for sakana's own evaluation reports best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 benchmarks tested, including a 74.3 on the deepswe coding-repair benchmark, Grok 4 for 256k context with native tool use. Rather than crowning one, run the same hard task through both once and let the results decide.
Frequently asked questions
Is Fugu Ultra v2.0 or Grok 4 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, Fugu Ultra v2.0 leans toward sakana's own evaluation reports best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 benchmarks tested, including a 74.3 on the deepswe coding-repair benchmark while Grok 4 leans toward 256k context with native tool use, and that positioning usually predicts which feels better on your codebase.
Which is cheaper, Fugu Ultra v2.0 or Grok 4?
Grok 4 is cheaper — $5/$30 per 1M tokens vs $3/$15 per 1M tokens, roughly 1.7× apart on input.
Which has the bigger context window?
Fugu Ultra v2.0 — 1M tokens vs 256K, about 3.9× larger. Useful only if the model actually reasons over the full window, which not all do.
Can I use both Fugu Ultra v2.0 and Grok 4 together?
Yes — a multi-model platform like LumiChats gives you Fugu Ultra v2.0, Grok 4 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, Fugu Ultra v2.0 or Grok 4?
Fugu Ultra v2.0 — released September 10, 2026, about 14 months after Grok 4.
Fugu Ultra v2.0 vs Grok 4
Sakana AI · Global | xAI · US · Updated June 2026
Quick verdict
Pick Fugu Ultra v2.0 for sakana's own evaluation reports best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 benchmarks tested, including a 74.3 on the deepswe coding-repair benchmark or claims to outperform flagship models like gpt-6 astra and claude fable 5.1 despite its underlying orchestration pool reportedly excluding both of them. Pick Grok 4 for 256k context with native tool use or real-time data via x integration. On a tight budget at scale, Grok 4 is the value pick.
Fugu Ultra v2.0 (Sakana AI) and Grok 4 (xAI) are two of the models people most often weigh against each other in 2026. Fugu Ultra v2.0 is sakana AI's flagship multi-agent orchestration model, claiming best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 self-reported benchmarks against monolithic frontier models — $5/$30 per million tokens. Grok 4 is xAI's 2M-context model with live data access and strong reasoning chops. They diverge most on price and context window — each quantified below from the models' real specs.
Key differences at a glance
▸Price: Grok 4 is about 1.7× cheaper on input ($3/$15 per 1M tokens vs $5/$30 per 1M tokens) — modest, but it adds up at steady volume.
▸Context window: Fugu Ultra v2.0 holds 3.9× more — 1M tokens (~1,500 pages) vs 256K (~384 pages). But effective recall usually fades long before the advertised ceiling, so the bigger number only helps if the model reasons over it.
▸Recency: Fugu Ultra v2.0 is the newer model by about 14 months (released September 10, 2026), usually meaning fresher training data and capabilities.
Side-by-side specs
Spec
Fugu Ultra v2.0
Grok 4
Provider
Sakana AI (Global)
xAI (US)
Released
September 10, 2026
July 9, 2025
Context window
1M tokens (~1,500 pages)
256K (~384 pages)
Price (in/out)
$5/$30 per 1M tokens
$3/$15 per 1M tokens
Open weight?
No — API only
No — API only
Modalities
text
text, image, code
SWE-Bench Verified
Not published
Not published
MRCR v2 @ 1M
Not published
Not published
Who wins what
Sakana's own evaluation reports best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 benchmarks tested, including a 74.3 on the DeepSWE coding-repair benchmark
Fugu Ultra v2.0
Grok 4 is comparatively weak here — less independent benchmark coverage
Claims to outperform flagship models like GPT-6 Astra and Claude Fable 5.1 despite its underlying orchestration pool reportedly excluding both of them
Fugu Ultra v2.0
Sakana AI's flagship multi-agent orchestration model, claiming best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 self-reported benchmarks against monolithic frontier models — $5/$30 per million tokens — and it carries the larger 1M tokens context.
1M-token context window
Fugu Ultra v2.0
Its 1M tokens window holds about 3.9× more than Grok 4's 256K in a single prompt.
256K context with native tool use
Grok 4
XAI's 2M-context model with live data access and strong reasoning chops — and it runs cheaper at $3/$15 per 1M tokens.
Real-time data via X integration
Grok 4
Grok 4 lists real-time data via X integration among its strengths; Fugu Ultra v2.0 does not.
Strong academic reasoning
Grok 4
Grok 4 lists strong academic reasoning among its strengths; Fugu Ultra v2.0 does not.
Lowest cost at scale
Grok 4
At $3/$15 per 1M tokens, it is the cheaper of the two — the gap dominates the bill on high-volume workloads.
Largest single-prompt input
Fugu Ultra v2.0
Its 1M tokens window is about 3.9× larger than Grok 4's 256K, fitting roughly 1,500 pages in one prompt.
Which should you pick?
A cost-sensitive startup shipping high volume
→ Grok 4
At $3/$15 per 1M tokens it undercuts Fugu Ultra v2.0, and on millions of tokens that margin decides the monthly bill.
Someone analysing very long documents or codebases
→ Fugu Ultra v2.0
Larger 1M tokens window fits more in one prompt.
Anyone whose priority is sakana's own evaluation reports best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 benchmarks tested, including a 74.3 on the deepswe coding-repair benchmark
→ Fugu Ultra v2.0
It is specifically built for that.
Anyone whose priority is 256k context with native tool use
→ Grok 4
That is its strongest area.
Fugu Ultra v2.0: where it fits
Sakana AI's flagship multi-agent orchestration model, claiming best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 self-reported benchmarks against monolithic frontier models — $5/$30 per million tokens. Released September 10, 2026 by Sakana AI, it is built for sakana's own evaluation reports best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 benchmarks tested, including a 74.3 on the DeepSWE coding-repair benchmark, claims to outperform flagship models like GPT-6 Astra and Claude Fable 5.1 despite its underlying orchestration pool reportedly excluding both of them, and 1M-token context window.
Its trade-offs are real: not a single trained model — Sakana describes Fugu as "a Multi-Agent System, Delivered as One Model" that dynamically routes tasks across a pool of other models, so head-to-head benchmark framing against monolithic frontier models should be read skeptically, pricing rises to roughly $10/$45 per million tokens for prompts above 272K tokens, and benchmark comparisons against GPT-6 Astra and Claude Fable 5.1 are Sakana's own self-reported figures, not independently verified head-to-head scores. At $5 in / $30 out per million tokens, it sits in the premium price band.
Grok 4: where it fits
XAI's 2M-context model with live data access and strong reasoning chops. Released July 9, 2025 by xAI, it is built for 256K context with native tool use, real-time data via X integration, strong academic reasoning, and no long-context surcharge.
Its trade-offs: smaller ecosystem than OpenAI/Google, and less independent benchmark coverage. At $3 in / $15 out per million tokens, it sits in the mid price band.
The bottom line for this matchup
Fugu Ultra v2.0 and Grok 4 overlap enough that the right pick depends on your specific job. Grok 4 costs less per token; Fugu Ultra v2.0 holds the larger context; and each leads in its own area — Fugu Ultra v2.0 for sakana's own evaluation reports best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 benchmarks tested, including a 74.3 on the deepswe coding-repair benchmark, Grok 4 for 256k context with native tool use. Rather than crowning one, run the same hard task through both once and let the results decide.
Want both Fugu Ultra v2.0 and Grok 4 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.
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, Fugu Ultra v2.0 leans toward sakana's own evaluation reports best-or-joint-best results on 5 of 8 benchmarks tested, including a 74.3 on the deepswe coding-repair benchmark while Grok 4 leans toward 256k context with native tool use, and that positioning usually predicts which feels better on your codebase.
Which is cheaper, Fugu Ultra v2.0 or Grok 4?
Grok 4 is cheaper — $5/$30 per 1M tokens vs $3/$15 per 1M tokens, roughly 1.7× apart on input.
Which has the bigger context window?
Fugu Ultra v2.0 — 1M tokens vs 256K, about 3.9× larger. Useful only if the model actually reasons over the full window, which not all do.
Can I use both Fugu Ultra v2.0 and Grok 4 together?
Yes — a multi-model platform like LumiChats gives you Fugu Ultra v2.0, Grok 4 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, Fugu Ultra v2.0 or Grok 4?
Fugu Ultra v2.0 — released September 10, 2026, about 14 months after Grok 4.
Specifications and benchmarks reflect publicly reported figures as of June 2026 and may change as providers release updates. Always verify on your own workload.