Grok 4.6 vs GPT-5.5: API pricing comparison
xAI Grok 4.6 vs OpenAI GPT-5.5: token prices, batch and cache rates, Arena ELO, and cost per request for 8 business use cases. Prices in USD per 1 million tokens. Data snapshot: 2026-11-14.
Grok 4.6 vs GPT-5.5: the short version
At the prices we quote, Grok 4.6 costs less than GPT-5.5 on input and on output: $2.00 against $5.00 per 1M input tokens (60% less), and $6.00 against $30.00 per 1M output tokens (80% less). With the Support Ticket profile (1,500 input and 500 output tokens per request), 1,000 requests cost $6.00 on Grok 4.6 and $22.50 on GPT-5.5 at list price, 73% less on Grok 4.6. On Arena ELO, GPT-5.5 scores 1466 and Grok 4.6 scores 1430, 36 points apart (scores as of 2026-11-09). The context window is 500K tokens on Grok 4.6 and 1M tokens on GPT-5.5. Both are recorded here as proprietary, with access through an API. Prices as quoted on 2026-11-14. Each price is the list price of one host, the one we quote for that model. A model sold by several hosts has other prices, listed on its model page.
Grok 4.6 pricing (xAI)
- Input: $2.00 per 1M tokens
- Output: $6.00 per 1M tokens
- Batch API (input/output): $1.60 / $4.80
- Prompt-cache read: $0.50
- Context window: 500K
- Arena ELO: 1430 (as of 2026-11-09)
- Full Grok 4.6 pricing page
GPT-5.5 pricing (OpenAI)
- Input: $5.00 per 1M tokens
- Output: $30.00 per 1M tokens
- Batch API (input/output): $2.50 / $15.00
- Prompt-cache read: $0.50
- Context window: 1M
- Arena ELO: 1466 (as of 2026-11-09)
- Full GPT-5.5 pricing page
Cost per 1,000 requests by business use case
List price vs after discounts (prompt caching on the cached input share, batch API for async workloads, only where the provider publishes those rates).
| Use case | Tokens (in/out) | Grok 4.6 list price | Grok 4.6 after discounts | GPT-5.5 list price | GPT-5.5 after discounts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support Ticket | 1,500 / 500 | $6.00 | $4.65 | $22.50 | $18.45 |
| Knowledge Q&A | 2,000 / 800 | $8.80 | $6.70 | $34.00 | $27.70 |
| Meeting Summary | 10,000 / 1,200 | $27.20 | $20.66 | $86.00 | $41.00 |
| Marketing Content | 2,500 / 1,800 | $15.80 | $15.05 | $66.50 | $64.25 |
| Coding Task | 3,000 / 2,000 | $18.00 | $15.75 | $75.00 | $68.25 |
| Invoice Processing | 1,500 / 600 | $6.60 | $4.78 | $25.50 | $11.85 |
| Call Summary | 2,000 / 700 | $8.20 | $6.34 | $31.00 | $15.10 |
| Agent Workflow | 6,000 / 3,000 | $30.00 | $23.70 | $120.00 | $101.10 |
Common questions about Grok 4.6 vs GPT-5.5
- Which is cheaper, Grok 4.6 or GPT-5.5?
- At the prices we quote, Grok 4.6 costs less than GPT-5.5 on input and on output: $2.00 against $5.00 per 1M input tokens (60% less), and $6.00 against $30.00 per 1M output tokens (80% less). Prices as quoted on 2026-11-14. Each price is the list price of one host, the one we quote for that model. A model sold by several hosts has other prices, listed on its model page.
- What do 1,000 Support Ticket requests cost on Grok 4.6 and on GPT-5.5?
- With the Support Ticket profile (1,500 input and 500 output tokens per request), 1,000 requests cost $6.00 on Grok 4.6 and $22.50 on GPT-5.5 at list price, 73% less on Grok 4.6. Prices as quoted on 2026-11-14.
- How do Grok 4.6 and GPT-5.5 compare on Arena score, context window and licence?
- On Arena ELO, GPT-5.5 scores 1466 and Grok 4.6 scores 1430, 36 points apart (scores as of 2026-11-09). The context window is 500K tokens on Grok 4.6 and 1M tokens on GPT-5.5. Both are recorded here as proprietary, with access through an API.
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These are list prices: real cost also depends on caching, batching, negotiated discounts, marketplace agreements, and existing contracts. Get a FinOps review from OptimNow or compare all models.