Gemini 3.1 Pro vs Grok 4.5

Google · US  |  xAI · US · Updated June 2026

Quick verdict

Pick Gemini 3.1 Pro for largest mainstream production context (2m) or long video and document analysis. Pick Grok 4.5 for cheap, token-efficient agentic coding — about gpt-5.5-codex quality at roughly half the cost or extreme token efficiency — around 4x fewer output tokens per task than opus 4.8.

Gemini 3.1 Pro (Google) and Grok 4.5 (xAI) are two of the models people most often weigh against each other in 2026. Gemini 3.1 Pro is a 2M-token multimodal workhorse — huge breadth, but recall fades deep in the window. Grok 4.5 is xAI's first coding-focused model — pitched as Opus-class but faster, more token-efficient, and cheaper, undercutting GPT-5.5-Codex. Their biggest split is context window, and the breakdown below shows exactly how that plays out for your workload.

Key differences at a glance

Side-by-side specs

SpecGemini 3.1 ProGrok 4.5
ProviderGoogle (US) xAI (US)
ReleasedFebruary 19, 2026 July 8, 2026
Context window2M (~3,000 pages) 500K (~750 pages)
Price (in/out)$2/$12 per 1M tokens $2/$6 per 1M tokens
Open weight?No — API only No — API only
Modalitiestext, image, audio, video, code text, image, code
SWE-Bench VerifiedNot published Not published
MRCR v2 @ 1M26.3% Not published

Who wins what

Largest mainstream production context (2M)

Gemini 3.1 Pro

A core design strength of Gemini 3.1 Pro.

Long video and document analysis

Gemini 3.1 Pro

A core design strength of Gemini 3.1 Pro.

Agentic reasoning (high ARC-AGI-2)

Gemini 3.1 Pro

A core design strength of Gemini 3.1 Pro.

Cheap, token-efficient agentic coding — about GPT-5.5-Codex quality at roughly half the cost

Grok 4.5

A core design strength of Grok 4.5.

Extreme token efficiency — around 4x fewer output tokens per task than Opus 4.8

Grok 4.5

A core design strength of Grok 4.5.

In-IDE coding, trained on real Cursor developer sessions and shipped natively in Cursor

Grok 4.5

A core design strength of Grok 4.5.

Largest single-prompt input

Gemini 3.1 Pro

Its 2M window is about 4× larger, fitting roughly 3,000 pages in one prompt.

Which should you pick?

Someone analysing very long documents or codebases

Gemini 3.1 Pro

Larger 2M window fits more in one prompt.

Anyone whose priority is largest mainstream production context (2m)

Gemini 3.1 Pro

It is specifically built for that.

Anyone whose priority is cheap, token-efficient agentic coding — about gpt-5.5-codex quality at roughly half the cost

Grok 4.5

That is its strongest area.

Gemini 3.1 Pro: where it fits

A 2M-token multimodal workhorse — huge breadth, but recall fades deep in the window. Released February 19, 2026 by Google, it is built for largest mainstream production context (2M), long video and document analysis, agentic reasoning (high ARC-AGI-2), and multimodal understanding.

Its trade-offs are real: long-context recall drops sharply past 256K, and premium price per token. At $2 in / $12 out per million tokens, it sits in the mid price band.

Grok 4.5: where it fits

XAI's first coding-focused model — pitched as Opus-class but faster, more token-efficient, and cheaper, undercutting GPT-5.5-Codex. Released July 8, 2026 by xAI, it is built for cheap, token-efficient agentic coding — about GPT-5.5-Codex quality at roughly half the cost, extreme token efficiency — around 4x fewer output tokens per task than Opus 4.8, in-IDE coding, trained on real Cursor developer sessions and shipped natively in Cursor, and top-tier placement on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index.

Its trade-offs: smaller 500K context (halved from the 1M generation), with pricing that doubles above 200K tokens, and eU launch delayed; no open weights. At $2 in / $6 out per million tokens, it sits in the mid price band.

The bottom line for this matchup

Gemini 3.1 Pro and Grok 4.5 overlap enough that the right pick depends on your specific job. Gemini 3.1 Pro holds the larger context; and each leads in its own area — Gemini 3.1 Pro for largest mainstream production context (2m), Grok 4.5 for cheap, token-efficient agentic coding — about gpt-5.5-codex quality at roughly half the cost. Rather than crowning one, run the same hard task through both once and let the results decide.

Want both Gemini 3.1 Pro and Grok 4.5 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 Gemini 3.1 Pro or Grok 4.5 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, Gemini 3.1 Pro leans toward largest mainstream production context (2m) while Grok 4.5 leans toward cheap, token-efficient agentic coding — about gpt-5.5-codex quality at roughly half the cost, and that positioning usually predicts which feels better on your codebase.

Which is cheaper, Gemini 3.1 Pro or Grok 4.5?

They are priced almost identically, so cost will not decide between them.

Which has the bigger context window?

Gemini 3.1 Pro — 2M vs 500K, about 4× larger. Useful only if the model actually reasons over the full window, which not all do.

Can I use both Gemini 3.1 Pro and Grok 4.5 together?

Yes — a multi-model platform like LumiChats gives you Gemini 3.1 Pro, Grok 4.5 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, Gemini 3.1 Pro or Grok 4.5?

Grok 4.5 — released July 8, 2026, about 5 months after Gemini 3.1 Pro.

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.