GPT-5.2 vs Grok 4.6
OpenAI · US | xAI · US · Updated June 2026
Quick verdict
Pick GPT-5.2 for strong all-round reasoning or reliable structured output. Pick Grok 4.6 for frontier-tier intelligence at a value price - artificial analysis intelligence index 61, tying gpt-5.6 sol or ranked #2 on artificial analysis's independent gdpval agentic test, behind only claude opus 5. On a tight budget at scale, GPT-5.2 is the value pick.
GPT-5.2 (OpenAI) and Grok 4.6 (xAI) are two of the models people most often weigh against each other in 2026. GPT-5.2 is a capable GPT-5-generation all-rounder, now succeeded by GPT-5.5. Grok 4.6 is xAI's Grok 4.6 - frontier-level intelligence (AA Index 61, tying GPT-5.6 Sol) at a fraction of flagship pricing, and already in Cursor and Copilot. They diverge most on price and context window — each quantified below from the models' real specs.
Key differences at a glance
- ▸Price: nearly identical — $1.75/$14 per 1M tokens vs $2/$6 per 1M tokens. Cost will not be the deciding factor here.
- ▸Context window: Grok 4.6 holds 1.3× more — 500K (~750 pages) vs 400K (~600 pages). But effective recall usually fades long before the advertised ceiling, so the bigger number only helps if the model reasons over it.
- ▸Recency: Grok 4.6 is the newer model by about 8 months (released August 12, 2026), usually meaning fresher training data and capabilities.
Side-by-side specs
| Spec | GPT-5.2 | Grok 4.6 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI (US) | xAI (US) |
| Released | December 11, 2025 | August 12, 2026 |
| Context window | 400K (~600 pages) | 500K (~750 pages) |
| Price (in/out) | $1.75/$14 per 1M tokens | $2/$6 per 1M tokens |
| Open weight? | No — API only | No — API only |
| Modalities | text, image, code | text, image, code |
| SWE-Bench Verified | Not published | Not published |
| MRCR v2 @ 1M | Not published | Not published |
Who wins what
Strong all-round reasoning
GPT-5.2
A capable GPT-5-generation all-rounder, now succeeded by GPT-5.5 — and it runs cheaper at $1.75/$14 per 1M tokens.
Reliable structured output
GPT-5.2
GPT-5.2 lists reliable structured output among its strengths; Grok 4.6 does not.
Broad ecosystem and tooling
GPT-5.2
GPT-5.2 lists broad ecosystem and tooling among its strengths; Grok 4.6 does not.
Frontier-tier intelligence at a value price - Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index 61, tying GPT-5.6 Sol
Grok 4.6
XAI's Grok 4.6 - frontier-level intelligence (AA Index 61, tying GPT-5.6 Sol) at a fraction of flagship pricing, and already in Cursor and Copilot — and it carries the larger 500K context.
Ranked #2 on Artificial Analysis's independent GDPval agentic test, behind only Claude Opus 5
Grok 4.6
XAI's Grok 4.6 - frontier-level intelligence (AA Index 61, tying GPT-5.6 Sol) at a fraction of flagship pricing, and already in Cursor and Copilot — and it is the newer of the two.
$2/$6 per million tokens - a fraction of Claude Opus 5 or GPT-5.6 Sol
Grok 4.6
Its 500K window holds about 1.3× more than GPT-5.2's 400K in a single prompt.
Lowest cost at scale
GPT-5.2
At $1.75/$14 per 1M tokens, it is the cheaper of the two — the gap dominates the bill on high-volume workloads.
Largest single-prompt input
Grok 4.6
Its 500K window is about 1.3× larger than GPT-5.2's 400K, fitting roughly 750 pages in one prompt.
Which should you pick?
A cost-sensitive startup shipping high volume
→ GPT-5.2
At $1.75/$14 per 1M tokens it undercuts Grok 4.6, and on millions of tokens that margin decides the monthly bill.
Someone analysing very long documents or codebases
→ Grok 4.6
Larger 500K window fits more in one prompt.
Anyone whose priority is strong all-round reasoning
→ GPT-5.2
It is specifically built for that.
Anyone whose priority is frontier-tier intelligence at a value price - artificial analysis intelligence index 61, tying gpt-5.6 sol
→ Grok 4.6
That is its strongest area.
GPT-5.2: where it fits
A capable GPT-5-generation all-rounder, now succeeded by GPT-5.5. Released December 11, 2025 by OpenAI, it is built for strong all-round reasoning, reliable structured output, broad ecosystem and tooling, and professional workflows.
Its trade-offs are real: superseded by GPT-5.5, and smaller context than flagships. At $1.75 in / $14 out per million tokens, it sits in the mid price band.
Grok 4.6: where it fits
XAI's Grok 4.6 - frontier-level intelligence (AA Index 61, tying GPT-5.6 Sol) at a fraction of flagship pricing, and already in Cursor and Copilot. Released August 12, 2026 by xAI, it is built for frontier-tier intelligence at a value price - Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index 61, tying GPT-5.6 Sol, ranked #2 on Artificial Analysis's independent GDPval agentic test, behind only Claude Opus 5, $2/$6 per million tokens - a fraction of Claude Opus 5 or GPT-5.6 Sol, and 500K-token context; available same-day in Cursor and (two days later) GitHub Copilot.
Its trade-offs: coding gains (DeepSWE 65.9, APEX-Agents 57.5) are xAI's own numbers, not independently reproduced, parameter count is undisclosed, text and image input only - not a full multimodal model, and fast-moving target: xAI says Grok 4.7 is only weeks away. At $2 in / $6 out per million tokens, it sits in the mid price band.
The bottom line for this matchup
GPT-5.2 and Grok 4.6 overlap enough that the right pick depends on your specific job. GPT-5.2 costs less per token; Grok 4.6 holds the larger context; and each leads in its own area — GPT-5.2 for strong all-round reasoning, Grok 4.6 for frontier-tier intelligence at a value price - artificial analysis intelligence index 61, tying gpt-5.6 sol. Rather than crowning one, run the same hard task through both once and let the results decide.
Want both GPT-5.2 and Grok 4.6 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 pricingFrequently asked questions
Is GPT-5.2 or Grok 4.6 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, GPT-5.2 leans toward strong all-round reasoning while Grok 4.6 leans toward frontier-tier intelligence at a value price - artificial analysis intelligence index 61, tying gpt-5.6 sol, and that positioning usually predicts which feels better on your codebase.
Which is cheaper, GPT-5.2 or Grok 4.6?
GPT-5.2 is cheaper — $1.75/$14 per 1M tokens vs $2/$6 per 1M tokens, roughly 1.1× apart on input.
Which has the bigger context window?
Grok 4.6 — 500K vs 400K, about 1.3× larger. Useful only if the model actually reasons over the full window, which not all do.
Can I use both GPT-5.2 and Grok 4.6 together?
Yes — a multi-model platform like LumiChats gives you GPT-5.2, Grok 4.6 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, GPT-5.2 or Grok 4.6?
Grok 4.6 — released August 12, 2026, about 8 months after GPT-5.2.
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.