Updated March 26, 2026· Based on independent benchmark data
Claude Opus 4.5 (Reasoning) and Grok 4.20 Beta 0309 (Reasoning) are virtually tied on intelligence (49.7 vs 48.5). Grok 4.20 Beta 0309 (Reasoning) is 2.5x cheaper at $2.00/1M tokens vs $5.00/1M. For speed, Grok 4.20 Beta 0309 (Reasoning) wins at 246 tok/s vs 57 tok/s.
| Metric | Claude Opus 4.5 (Reasoning) | Grok 4.20 Beta 0309 (Reasoning) |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligence Score | 49.7 | 48.5 |
| Coding Score | 47.8 | 42.2 |
| Math Score | 91.3 | N/A |
| Speed (tok/s) | 57 tok/s | 246 tok/s |
| Latency (TTFT) | 10.41s | 11.75s |
| Input Price / 1M tokens | $5.00 | $2.00 |
| Output Price / 1M tokens | $25 | $6.00 |
| Context Window |
Claude Opus 4.5 (Reasoning) and Grok 4.20 Beta 0309 (Reasoning) perform similarly on overall intelligence, scoring 49.7 and 48.5 respectively. For coding tasks, Claude Opus 4.5 (Reasoning) has the edge with a coding score of 47.8 vs 42.2.
Grok 4.20 Beta 0309 (Reasoning) generates output significantly faster at 246 tok/s compared to Claude Opus 4.5 (Reasoning)'s 57 tok/s, making it 4.3x faster for streaming responses. Time to first token is 10.41s for Claude Opus 4.5 (Reasoning) vs 11.75s for Grok 4.20 Beta 0309 (Reasoning), which affects perceived responsiveness in interactive applications.
Grok 4.20 Beta 0309 (Reasoning) is more affordable at $2.00/1M input tokens ($6.00/1M output), while Claude Opus 4.5 (Reasoning) costs $5.00/1M input ($25/1M output). That makes Claude Opus 4.5 (Reasoning) 2.5x more expensive per token, which can add up significantly at scale. For a typical workload of 100 requests per day at 2,000 tokens each, Claude Opus 4.5 (Reasoning) would cost approximately $30.00/month vs $12.00/month for Grok 4.20 Beta 0309 (Reasoning) in input costs alone.
Choose Claude Opus 4.5 (Reasoning) when you need stronger coding performance (47.8). Choose Grok 4.20 Beta 0309 (Reasoning) when you need faster output (246 tok/s), lower cost.
Claude Opus 4.5 (Reasoning) scores higher on coding benchmarks (47.8 vs 42.2), making it the better choice for programming tasks.
Grok 4.20 Beta 0309 (Reasoning) is cheaper at $2.00/1M input tokens vs $5.00/1M for Claude Opus 4.5 (Reasoning).
Grok 4.20 Beta 0309 (Reasoning) is faster, producing output at 246 tok/s compared to Claude Opus 4.5 (Reasoning)'s 57 tok/s.
No, Claude Opus 4.5 (Reasoning) does not support image input. Neither model supports image input.
Data last synced: March 26, 2026
| N/A |
| N/A |
| Max Output Tokens | N/A | N/A |
| Input Modalities | Text | Text |
| Output Modalities | Text | Text |
| Free Tier | No | No |
Both models perform similarly on intelligence benchmarks. Choose based on specific needs: pricing, speed, context window, or provider ecosystem.