Claude Sonnet 5 vs Grok 4.6
Claude Sonnet 5 is no longer on the leaderboard. Grok 4.6 was superseded by Grok 4.7.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.
Grok 4.6 leads overall, C- to D. Claude Sonnet 5 is about 6.5x cheaper per task. By suite, Claude Sonnet 5 takes real-world issues (D+ to D) and Grok 4.6 takes spec planning (C to D). Take Claude Sonnet 5 anyway when you want the side that is cheaper per task, faster on real-world issues and ahead on real-world issues.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
Grok 4.6 leads overall, C- to D. By suite: Claude Sonnet 5 takes real-world issues, D+ to D (53% vs 47% capability); Grok 4.6 takes spec planning, C to D (66% vs 44% capability); Grok 4.6 takes vibe coding, C- to F (61% vs 31% capability). Claude Sonnet 5 used 2% of Claude Max 5x's weekly limit per pass, $0.024 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 is about 6.5x cheaper ($0.024 vs $0.157). Claude Sonnet 5 is faster on real-world issues: a median task takes 3m 35s against 7m 10s. Both finished every task on it. Reasons to pick Claude Sonnet 5 anyway: it is cheaper per task ($0.024 vs $0.157), it is faster on real-world issues (3m 35s vs 7m 10s median) and it leads on real-world issues (D+ to D).
Changed since the previous graded week: Claude Sonnet 5: vibe coding D+ to F; 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 | Grok 4.6 | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 53% | 47% | +7% (Claude Sonnet 5 leads) |
| Median task time | 3m 35s | 7m 10s | 3m 35s faster (Claude Sonnet 5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.015 / task | $0.046 / task | $0.031 / task lower (Claude Sonnet 5 leads) |
Claude Sonnet 5: 12.0% of Claude Max 5x (12.0% / 5h, 1.0% / 1w) 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 | Grok 4.6 | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 44% | 66% | +22% (Grok 4.6 leads) |
| Median task time | 5m 12s | 45m 26s | 40m 14s faster (Claude Sonnet 5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.057 / task | $0.575 / task | $0.517 / task lower (Claude Sonnet 5 leads) |
Claude Sonnet 5: 5.0% of Claude Max 5x (5.0% / 5h, 1.0% / 1w) 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 | Grok 4.6 | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 31% | 61% | +30% (Grok 4.6 leads) |
| Median task time | 4m 31s | 11m 14s | 6m 43s faster (Claude Sonnet 5 leads) |
| Approx. task cost | $0.007 / task | <$0.230 / task | $0.223 / task lower (Claude Sonnet 5 leads) |
Claude Sonnet 5: 1.0% of Claude Max 5x (1.0% / 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 or Grok 4.6?
Grok 4.6 clears higher: tier 4 of 5 versus tier 3 for Claude Sonnet 5 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 or Grok 4.6?
Claude Sonnet 5 used 2% of Claude Max 5x's weekly limit per pass, $0.024 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 is about 6.5x cheaper ($0.024 vs $0.157).
What do Claude Sonnet 5 and Grok 4.6 cost a month?
Claude Sonnet 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).