Pick GPT-5.2 for strong all-round reasoning or reliable structured output. 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.
GPT-5.2 (OpenAI) and Grok Code Fast 1 (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 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. They diverge most on price and context window — each quantified below from the models' real specs.
Key differences
Price: Grok Code Fast 1 is about 8.8× cheaper on input ($0.2/$1.5 per 1M tokens vs $1.75/$14 per 1M tokens) — a large enough gap that at scale it can be the single biggest line item in the decision.
Context window: GPT-5.2 holds 1.6× more — 400K (~600 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: GPT-5.2 is the newer model by about 4 months (released December 11, 2025), usually meaning fresher training data and capabilities.
Specifications
Spec
GPT-5.2
Grok Code Fast 1
Provider
OpenAI (US)
xAI (US)
Released
December 11, 2025
August 28, 2025
Context window
400K (~600 pages)
256K (~384 pages)
Price (in/out)
$1.75/$14 per 1M tokens
$0.2/$1.5 per 1M tokens
Open weight?
No — API only
No — API only
Modalities
text, image, code
text, 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 carries the larger 400K context.
Reliable structured output: GPT-5.2 — A capable GPT-5-generation all-rounder, now succeeded by GPT-5.5 — and it is the newer of the two.
Broad ecosystem and tooling: GPT-5.2 — GPT-5.2 lists broad ecosystem and tooling 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 GPT-5.2 ($1.75/$14 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 — Grok Code Fast 1 lists high-volume coding pipelines where speed beats peak quality among its strengths; GPT-5.2 does not.
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.
Largest single-prompt input: GPT-5.2 — Its 400K window is about 1.6× larger than Grok Code Fast 1's 256K, fitting roughly 600 pages in one prompt.
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 GPT-5.2, and on millions of tokens that margin decides the monthly bill.
Someone analysing very long documents or codebases: GPT-5.2 — Larger 400K 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 fast, cheap agentic coding at $0.20/$1.50: Grok Code Fast 1 — 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 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
GPT-5.2 and Grok Code Fast 1 overlap enough that the right pick depends on your specific job. Grok Code Fast 1 costs less per token; GPT-5.2 holds the larger context; and each leads in its own area — GPT-5.2 for strong all-round reasoning, 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.
Frequently asked questions
Is GPT-5.2 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, GPT-5.2 leans toward strong all-round reasoning 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, GPT-5.2 or Grok Code Fast 1?
Grok Code Fast 1 is cheaper — $1.75/$14 per 1M tokens vs $0.2/$1.5 per 1M tokens, roughly 8.8× apart on input.
Which has the bigger context window?
GPT-5.2 — 400K vs 256K, about 1.6× 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 Code Fast 1 together?
Yes — a multi-model platform like LumiChats gives you GPT-5.2, 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, GPT-5.2 or Grok Code Fast 1?
GPT-5.2 — released December 11, 2025, about 4 months after Grok Code Fast 1.
GPT-5.2 vs Grok Code Fast 1
OpenAI · US | xAI · US · Updated June 2026
Quick verdict
Pick GPT-5.2 for strong all-round reasoning or reliable structured output. 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.
GPT-5.2 (OpenAI) and Grok Code Fast 1 (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 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. They diverge most on price and context window — each quantified below from the models' real specs.
Key differences at a glance
▸Price: Grok Code Fast 1 is about 8.8× cheaper on input ($0.2/$1.5 per 1M tokens vs $1.75/$14 per 1M tokens) — a large enough gap that at scale it can be the single biggest line item in the decision.
▸Context window: GPT-5.2 holds 1.6× more — 400K (~600 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: GPT-5.2 is the newer model by about 4 months (released December 11, 2025), usually meaning fresher training data and capabilities.
Side-by-side specs
Spec
GPT-5.2
Grok Code Fast 1
Provider
OpenAI (US)
xAI (US)
Released
December 11, 2025
August 28, 2025
Context window
400K (~600 pages)
256K (~384 pages)
Price (in/out)
$1.75/$14 per 1M tokens
$0.2/$1.5 per 1M tokens
Open weight?
No — API only
No — API only
Modalities
text, image, code
text, 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 carries the larger 400K context.
Reliable structured output
GPT-5.2
A capable GPT-5-generation all-rounder, now succeeded by GPT-5.5 — and it is the newer of the two.
Broad ecosystem and tooling
GPT-5.2
GPT-5.2 lists broad ecosystem and tooling 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 GPT-5.2 ($1.75/$14 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
Grok Code Fast 1 lists high-volume coding pipelines where speed beats peak quality among its strengths; GPT-5.2 does not.
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.
Largest single-prompt input
GPT-5.2
Its 400K window is about 1.6× larger than Grok Code Fast 1's 256K, fitting roughly 600 pages in one prompt.
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 GPT-5.2, and on millions of tokens that margin decides the monthly bill.
Someone analysing very long documents or codebases
→ GPT-5.2
Larger 400K 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 fast, cheap agentic coding at $0.20/$1.50
→ Grok Code Fast 1
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 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
GPT-5.2 and Grok Code Fast 1 overlap enough that the right pick depends on your specific job. Grok Code Fast 1 costs less per token; GPT-5.2 holds the larger context; and each leads in its own area — GPT-5.2 for strong all-round reasoning, 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 GPT-5.2 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.
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 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, GPT-5.2 or Grok Code Fast 1?
Grok Code Fast 1 is cheaper — $1.75/$14 per 1M tokens vs $0.2/$1.5 per 1M tokens, roughly 8.8× apart on input.
Which has the bigger context window?
GPT-5.2 — 400K vs 256K, about 1.6× 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 Code Fast 1 together?
Yes — a multi-model platform like LumiChats gives you GPT-5.2, 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, GPT-5.2 or Grok Code Fast 1?
GPT-5.2 — released December 11, 2025, about 4 months after Grok Code Fast 1.
Specifications and benchmarks reflect publicly reported figures as of June 2026 and may change as providers release updates. Always verify on your own workload.