ChatGPT and Grok are the two most personality-driven AI assistants, but they serve different strengths. GPT-5.4 leads on coding benchmarks and desktop computer use via the API, and it is cheaper per input token ($2.50 vs Grok 4's $3) with a slightly larger window (272K vs 256K). Grok 4's edge was real-time X data access. xAI retired Grok 4 from its API on May 15, 2026; for a current comparison, look at GPT-6.1 Sol and Grok 4.7.
OpenAIPremium
GPT-5.4
Best for agentic automation and desktop control workflows.
Winner
VS
xAIBalanced
Grok 4
Retired May 15, 2026 — replaced by Grok 4.6 and Grok 4.7.
At a glance
GPT-5.4
Grok 4
Input cost / 1M tokens
$$2.50/1M
$$3.00/1M
Output cost / 1M tokens
$$15.00/1M
$$15.00/1M
Context window
272k tokens
256k tokens
Speed
Balanced
Fast
Price tier
Premium
Balanced
Benchmarks
SWE-bench (coding)
74.9%
54%
Arena Elo
1,355
1,305
MMLU
91%
87.5%
How they compare
Which model wins for each use case — and why.
CodingGPT-5.4 wins
GPT-5.4 leads on SWE-bench at 74.9% and has broader IDE and API ecosystem support. Grok 4 handles code competently but lacks the tooling integration.
ResearchGrok 4 wins
Grok 4's real-time access to X data made it uniquely useful for current-events research, though its 256K window was slightly smaller than GPT-5.4's 272K.
Context WindowGrok 4 wins
GPT-5.4 has the slightly larger window: 272K tokens against Grok 4's 256K. Earlier versions of this page said Grok 4 had 2M; that was wrong.
Agentic TasksGPT-5.4 wins
GPT-5.4 offers desktop computer-use via API — clicking, typing, and navigating software autonomously. Grok has no equivalent capability for agentic automation.
PriceGrok 4 wins
GPT-5.4 is slightly cheaper: $2.50/1M input against Grok 4's $3/1M, with the same $15/1M output price.
Which should you pick?
Pick GPT-5.4 if…
You're building agentic workflows that need desktop or browser control via API
You rely on OpenAI's ecosystem: Assistants API, function calling, GPT Store integrations
Coding quality and SWE-bench performance matter for your use case
You need image generation alongside text in the same platform
Our overall pick in this comparison. Against Grok 4 it takes 1x the context.
OpenAI's March 2026 flagship with desktop-control capabilities — it can see your screen, click, and navigate apps via the API. Since followed by GPT-5.5, the GPT-5.6 family and GPT-6.
Input
$2.50/1M
Output
$15.00/1M
Context
272k tokens
Speed
Balanced
What people actually use it for
Building agents that browse the web and operate desktop software autonomously via the API
Complex multi-step reasoning for financial modeling and decision analysis
Autonomous test-run-debug loops for coding with computer-use control
Where it wins
Only frontier model that can control a desktop via API (click, type, navigate)
Strong at multi-step agentic tasks and autonomous workflows
Competitive coding performance with 74.9% SWE-bench score
Where it falls down
Newer models — Claude Opus 5.5, GPT-6.1 Sol — outperform it on coding benchmarks
Smaller context window (272K) than current 1M-token models
Skip it if
You need the highest current coding benchmark scores — Claude Opus 4.7 and GPT-5.5 are newer premium picks.
Our verdict
Still capable for desktop automation at its $2.50/$15 price, but superseded: GPT-6.1 Sol is stronger at $2/$10, and Claude Opus 5.5 leads coding.
Full pricing, benchmark table and release notes on the GPT-5.4 page.
The runner-up here, but not by a wide margin. Against GPT-5.4 it answers faster.
xAI's July 2025 flagship, priced at $3/$15 per million tokens with a 256K context window. Retired from xAI's API on May 15, 2026; current Grok models are Grok 4.6 and Grok 4.7.
Input
$3.00/1M
Output
$15.00/1M
Context
256k tokens
Speed
Fast
What people actually use it for
Early-stage research mapping — exploring a new topic before narrowing down
Analyzing codebases and datasets within a 256K-token context window
Competitive intelligence and market research with broad, fast synthesis
Where it wins
Strong coding and reasoning at its July 2025 launch
256K-token context window
Fast and responsive for exploration and open-ended research loops
Where it falls down
Retired from xAI's API on May 15, 2026
Less established ecosystem and tooling than OpenAI or Anthropic
Skip it if
You need the highest writing quality or the most reliable production-grade output — Claude wins both.
Our verdict
Retired: xAI shut down the grok-4-0709 API on May 15, 2026. It was a strong coding model at launch, at $3/$15 with a 256K window; earlier versions of this page listed $2/$6 and 2M tokens in error. Use Grok 4.7 instead.
Full pricing, benchmark table and release notes on the Grok 4 page.
Frequently asked questions
Is ChatGPT or Grok better in 2026?
ChatGPT (GPT-5.4) leads on coding and agentic capabilities. Grok 4's distinctive edge was real-time X data. For most developers, ChatGPT's ecosystem gives it the edge.
Is Grok cheaper than ChatGPT?
No. Grok 4 cost $3/1M input against GPT-5.4's $2.50/1M, with both at $15/1M output, and GPT-5.4 also had the slightly larger window. Earlier versions of this page said otherwise; that was wrong.
Does Grok have access to real-time data?
Yes. Grok has access to real-time X/Twitter data, making it useful for current events, trending topics, and social media analysis. ChatGPT uses Bing search but doesn't have native X access.
Which has a bigger context window — ChatGPT or Grok?
GPT-5.4, narrowly: 272K tokens against Grok 4's 256K. For very large documents, current 1M-token models such as GPT-6.1 Sol are the better choice.
Is Grok free?
Grok is available with limited free usage, and SuperGrok raises the limits. Grok 4 itself was retired from xAI's API on May 15, 2026; the current Grok 4.7 costs $2/1M input. ChatGPT is also free with limits, and the GPT-5.4 API costs $2.50/1M input.