Claude Sonnet 5.5 vs Grok 4.6
Grok 4.6 was superseded by Grok 4.7. The grades below are the last ones measured, so read them as history rather than as this week's board. See the current roster.
Both grade C- overall. Claude Sonnet 5.5 is about 55x cheaper per task. By suite, Claude Sonnet 5.5 takes real-world issues (C- to D) and spec planning (C+ to C). Both agents run the same private suite cut headless through their own tools, each on its own subscription.Measured
Each agent graded on the same private suites, running headless through its own tools. Advantages are oriented so a win is a win, whichever way the metric runs.
Verdict: Grok 4.6 vs Claude Sonnet 5.5
Both grade C- overall. By suite: Claude Sonnet 5.5 takes real-world issues, C- to D (60% vs 47% capability); Claude Sonnet 5.5 takes spec planning, C+ to C (74% vs 66% capability); Grok 4.6 takes vibe coding, C- to D+ (61% vs 48% capability). Claude Sonnet 5.5 used <1% of Claude Max 5x's weekly limit per pass, $0.003 per task at the listed price. Grok 4.6 used 13% of SuperGrok Plus's weekly limit per pass, $0.157 per task at the listed price. Per task, Claude Sonnet 5.5 is about 55x cheaper ($0.003 vs $0.157). Claude Sonnet 5.5 is faster on real-world issues: a median task takes 37s against 7m 10s. Both finished every task on it.
Changed since W38: Grok 4.6: real-world issues C- to D, real-world issues usage 4% to 3% of the weekly limit, vibe coding C+ to C-.
| Dimension | Claude Sonnet 5.5 | Grok 4.6 | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 60% | 47% | +13% (Claude Sonnet 5.5 leads) |
| Median task time | 37s | 7m 10s | 6m 33s faster (Claude Sonnet 5.5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.002 / task | $0.046 / task | $0.044 / task lower (Claude Sonnet 5.5 leads) |
Claude Sonnet 5.5: 4.0% of Claude Max 5x (4.0% / 5h) per run. Its weekly limit holds about 13.8 of the week's 33.6 5h windows. Grok 4.6: 3.0% of SuperGrok Plus (3.0% / 1w) per run. Each figure is a share of that agent's own plan, so there is no delta to draw.
| Dimension | Claude Sonnet 5.5 | Grok 4.6 | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 74% | 66% | +9% (Claude Sonnet 5.5 leads) |
| Median task time | 3m 25s | 45m 26s | 42m 1s faster (Claude Sonnet 5.5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.007 / task | $0.575 / task | $0.568 / task lower (Claude Sonnet 5.5 leads) |
Claude Sonnet 5.5: 4.0% of Claude Max 5x (4.0% / 5h) per run. Its weekly limit holds about 13.8 of the week's 33.6 5h windows. Grok 4.6: 10.0% of SuperGrok Plus (10.0% / 1w) per run. Each figure is a share of that agent's own plan, so there is no delta to draw.
| Dimension | Claude Sonnet 5.5 | Grok 4.6 | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 48% | 61% | +13% (Grok 4.6 leads) |
| Median task time | 56s | 11m 14s | 10m 17s faster (Claude Sonnet 5.5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.001 / task | <$0.230 / task | $0.229 / task lower (Claude Sonnet 5.5 leads) |
Claude Sonnet 5.5: 0.2% of Claude Max 5x (0.2% / 5h) per good solve. Its weekly limit holds about 13.8 of the week's 33.6 5h windows. Grok 4.6: under 1% of SuperGrok Plus per good solve. Each figure is a share of that agent's own plan, so there is no delta to draw.
Grades and deltas are comparable only within a suite version. See methodology.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for coding, Claude Sonnet 5.5 or Grok 4.6?
Both clear tier 4 of 5, but Claude Sonnet 5.5 scores higher on capability: 60% versus 47% on real-world@v3, our private suite of real-world coding problems. Latest measurement 2026-09-28.
Which is cheaper per task, Claude Sonnet 5.5 or Grok 4.6?
Claude Sonnet 5.5 used <1% of Claude Max 5x's weekly limit per pass, $0.003 per task at the listed price. Grok 4.6 used 13% of SuperGrok Plus's weekly limit per pass, $0.157 per task at the listed price. Per task, Claude Sonnet 5.5 is about 55x cheaper ($0.003 vs $0.157).
What do Claude Sonnet 5.5 and Grok 4.6 cost a month?
Claude Sonnet 5.5 runs on Claude Max 5x at $100/month (public price as of 2026-07-20). Grok 4.6 runs on SuperGrok Plus at $100/month (public price as of 2026-09-14).