Compare Claude Sonnet 5 and Grok 4.3: Agentic Precision vs High-Speed Scale
Claude Sonnet 5 vs Grok 4.3: which should I use?
Claude Sonnet 5 is Anthropic’s flagship for autonomous coding and complex tool execution ($2.00/$10.00 per million tokens), while Grok 4.3 offers rapid streaming, 1M context, and live search integration ($1.25/$2.50 per million tokens). Verified 2026-09-07.
Verified 2026-09-07
Where can you find price, speed, and task evidence for Claude Sonnet 5 and Grok 4.3?
Which tasks fit Claude Sonnet 5 and Grok 4.3?
Best-fit task signals from the published model strengths; this is not a substitute for a controlled benchmark.
| Fact | Claude Sonnet 5 | Grok 4.3 |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Production workloads that need near-Opus quality with better speed and cost. | General-purpose work where speed and a huge context window both matter. |
| Reasoning mode | Available | Available |
What does a Coding Agent workload cost with Claude Sonnet 5 and Grok 4.3?
Modeled for Coding Agent: 20,000 input + 2,000 output tokens per task, 1 turn. This is a workload model, not a provider quote.
| Fact | Claude Sonnet 5 | Grok 4.3 |
|---|---|---|
| Coding Agent / task | $0.06 (modeled) | $0.03 (modeled) (winner) |
| Input / output rate | $2.00 / $10.00 per M | $1.25 / $2.50 per M |
How fast are Claude Sonnet 5 and Grok 4.3?
Only non-estimated benchmark results are shown as measured.
| Fact | Claude Sonnet 5 | Grok 4.3 |
|---|---|---|
| Measured throughput | Unavailable | 98 tokens/s |
| Time to first token | Unavailable | 320 ms |
How compatible are Claude Sonnet 5 and Grok 4.3 with APIs?
Provider-level wire-format and SDK facts; model-specific parameter differences may still apply.
| Fact | Claude Sonnet 5 | Grok 4.3 |
|---|---|---|
| OpenAI SDK | Not drop-in | Usable |
| Request shape | Messages API — system prompt is a top-level field, not a message role, and max_tokens is required on every call. | Full OpenAI chat/completions compatibility — point the openai SDK at api.x.ai and it works unmodified. |
| Streaming | SSE (Anthropic content-block events) | SSE (OpenAI delta) |
What are the privacy and retention policies for Claude Sonnet 5 and Grok 4.3?
Provider policy and residency facts from the verified provider registry. A missing retention policy is not treated as a guarantee.
| Fact | Claude Sonnet 5 | Grok 4.3 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider says API data trains models | No | Unavailable |
| Published retention period | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Data residency | Unavailable | Unavailable |
How much effort does it take to migrate between Claude Sonnet 5 and Grok 4.3?
Direction is from each displayed model to the other. Effort is derived from provider compatibility and published parameter maps.
| Fact | Claude Sonnet 5 | Grok 4.3 |
|---|---|---|
| Move Claude Sonnet 5 → Grok 4.3 | config; 3 breaking parameter differences | Target: Grok 4.3 |
| Move Grok 4.3 → Claude Sonnet 5 | Source: Grok 4.3 | code-change; 8 breaking parameter differences |
| Why | Keep the `openai` SDK; change `baseURL` and the API key. | Messages API — system prompt is a top-level field, not a message role, and max_tokens is required on every call. |
Batch 55 · exact-pair operating architecture contributions. Surface verification: 2026-09-02. Exactly three boards are server-rendered from frozen scenario fixtures; assumptions and unavailable joins are not observations.
Exact pair boundary: Anthropic / xAI; retrieval source lineage, instruction layers, exact tool route, freshness SLA, and answer hashes must join. Requested models are claude-sonnet-5 and grok-4.3. Provider, rate, pricing, and task pages remain fact owners.
Grounded tool-and-instruction trace receipt
Frozen Batch 55 scenario board. Formula / deterministic rule: grounded = source IDs + retrieval/tool trace + instruction layers + freshness + answer hash; missing support => block release Boundary: Owns exact Sonnet/Grok enterprise knowledge-agent traces, not general research or provider retrieval policy.
| Frozen scenario / field ID | Pair, identity, host, surface, and evidence fields | Result | State |
|---|---|---|---|
batch55-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m1-r1fresh internal policy | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=fresh internal policy; corpus/query/source IDs; retrieval and tool hashes; system/developer/user layers; freshness SLA; citation/support coverage; exact model settings; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-02; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — fresh internal policy is a deterministic fixture pending exact-ID, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch55-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m1-r2stale external source | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=stale external source; corpus/query/source IDs; retrieval and tool hashes; system/developer/user layers; freshness SLA; citation/support coverage; exact model settings; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-02; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — stale external source is a deterministic fixture pending exact-ID, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch55-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m1-r3conflicting sources | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=conflicting sources; corpus/query/source IDs; retrieval and tool hashes; system/developer/user layers; freshness SLA; citation/support coverage; exact model settings; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-02; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — conflicting sources is a deterministic fixture pending exact-ID, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch55-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m1-r4tool provenance gap | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=tool provenance gap; corpus/query/source IDs; retrieval and tool hashes; system/developer/user layers; freshness SLA; citation/support coverage; exact model settings; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-02; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — tool provenance gap is a deterministic fixture pending exact-ID, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch55-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m1-r5instruction conflict | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=instruction conflict; corpus/query/source IDs; retrieval and tool hashes; system/developer/user layers; freshness SLA; citation/support coverage; exact model settings; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-02; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — instruction conflict is a deterministic fixture pending exact-ID, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch55-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m1-r6unsupported answer | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=unsupported answer; corpus/query/source IDs; retrieval and tool hashes; system/developer/user layers; freshness SLA; citation/support coverage; exact model settings; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-02; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — unsupported answer has no matched, dated bilateral observation. | FAIL CLOSED — manual or probe evidence required |
First-party provenance: Anthropic Messages API; verification date 2026-09-02. Missing or conflicting joins fail closed.
Instruction-boundary and tool-fidelity receipt
Frozen Batch 55 scenario board. Formula / deterministic rule: fidelity = paired tool/schema/result IDs + boundary test + side-effect class; unknown call semantics => Unavailable Boundary: Owns exact-pair tool and instruction boundaries; broad agent architecture stays with task owners.
| Frozen scenario / field ID | Pair, identity, host, surface, and evidence fields | Result | State |
|---|---|---|---|
batch55-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m2-r1read-only lookup | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=read-only lookup; prompt/config/tool/schema/result hashes; exact routes; parser/version; side-effect class; reviewer denominator; matched result; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-02; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — read-only lookup is a deterministic fixture pending exact-ID, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch55-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m2-r2structured extraction | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=structured extraction; prompt/config/tool/schema/result hashes; exact routes; parser/version; side-effect class; reviewer denominator; matched result; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-02; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — structured extraction is a deterministic fixture pending exact-ID, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch55-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m2-r3policy exception | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=policy exception; prompt/config/tool/schema/result hashes; exact routes; parser/version; side-effect class; reviewer denominator; matched result; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-02; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — policy exception is a deterministic fixture pending exact-ID, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch55-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m2-r4parallel read tools | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=parallel read tools; prompt/config/tool/schema/result hashes; exact routes; parser/version; side-effect class; reviewer denominator; matched result; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-02; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — parallel read tools is a deterministic fixture pending exact-ID, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch55-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m2-r5sensitive field request | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=sensitive field request; prompt/config/tool/schema/result hashes; exact routes; parser/version; side-effect class; reviewer denominator; matched result; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-02; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — sensitive field request is a deterministic fixture pending exact-ID, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch55-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m2-r6unknown tool result | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=unknown tool result; prompt/config/tool/schema/result hashes; exact routes; parser/version; side-effect class; reviewer denominator; matched result; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-02; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — unknown tool result has no matched, dated bilateral observation. | FAIL CLOSED — manual or probe evidence required |
First-party provenance: xAI model documentation; verification date 2026-09-02. Missing or conflicting joins fail closed.
Grounded-answer disagreement release board
Frozen Batch 55 scenario board. Formula / deterministic rule: release = support coverage ≥ declared floor ∧ freshness SLA ∧ adjudication rule; unsupported disagreement => human review Boundary: Owns release decisions for this exact pair; it makes no flagship safety or intelligence claim.
| Frozen scenario / field ID | Pair, identity, host, surface, and evidence fields | Result | State |
|---|---|---|---|
batch55-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m3-r1agreement with support | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=agreement with support; pair outputs and source IDs; support coverage; freshness SLA; adjudication rule; reviewer requirement; release/block outcome; attempt cap; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-02; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — agreement with support is a deterministic fixture pending exact-ID, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch55-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m3-r2agreement without support | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=agreement without support; pair outputs and source IDs; support coverage; freshness SLA; adjudication rule; reviewer requirement; release/block outcome; attempt cap; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-02; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — agreement without support is a deterministic fixture pending exact-ID, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch55-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m3-r3supported disagreement | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=supported disagreement; pair outputs and source IDs; support coverage; freshness SLA; adjudication rule; reviewer requirement; release/block outcome; attempt cap; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-02; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — supported disagreement is a deterministic fixture pending exact-ID, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch55-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m3-r4stale source | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=stale source; pair outputs and source IDs; support coverage; freshness SLA; adjudication rule; reviewer requirement; release/block outcome; attempt cap; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-02; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — stale source is a deterministic fixture pending exact-ID, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch55-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m3-r5sensitive internal answer | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=sensitive internal answer; pair outputs and source IDs; support coverage; freshness SLA; adjudication rule; reviewer requirement; release/block outcome; attempt cap; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-02; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — sensitive internal answer is a deterministic fixture pending exact-ID, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch55-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m3-r6repeated unsupported answer | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=repeated unsupported answer; pair outputs and source IDs; support coverage; freshness SLA; adjudication rule; reviewer requirement; release/block outcome; attempt cap; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-02; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — repeated unsupported answer has no matched, dated bilateral observation. | FAIL CLOSED — manual or probe evidence required |
First-party provenance: Anthropic Claude model documentation; verification date 2026-09-02. Missing or conflicting joins fail closed.
Method and limitations: formulas are deterministic; assumptions are labeled; no missing provider, host, account, region, realm, alias, snapshot, version, weight, artifact, effort, tool, modality, workload, rate-period, timestamp, or result is transferred. Run the claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3 Batch 55 scenario →
Batch 66 · exact-pair decision contributions · verified 2026-09-07
Exact pair boundary: Anthropic / xAI; model endpoint, frontier coding flagship vs high-throughput real-time streaming, and token tariffs must join. Requested models are claude-sonnet-5 and grok-4.3. Provider, rate, pricing, and task pages remain fact owners.
Token pricing and enterprise workload monthly spend board
Frozen Batch 66 scenario board. Formula / deterministic rule: monthly_spend = calls * ((in_tokens * rate_in + out_tokens * rate_out) / 1M) Boundary: Owns base token tariff comparisons and budget expenditure modeling.
| Frozen scenario / field ID | Pair, identity, host, surface, and evidence fields | Result | State |
|---|---|---|---|
batch66-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m1-r110K autonomous coding agent runs | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Anthropic Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=10K autonomous coding agent runs; workload; prompt tokens; completion tokens; Sonnet 5 spend; Grok 4.3 spend; budget delta; cost winner; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-07; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — 10K autonomous coding agent runs is a frozen fixture pending exact identity, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch66-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m1-r250K automated code reviews | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Anthropic Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=50K automated code reviews; workload; prompt tokens; completion tokens; Sonnet 5 spend; Grok 4.3 spend; budget delta; cost winner; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-07; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — 50K automated code reviews is a frozen fixture pending exact identity, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch66-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m1-r3100K high-speed document classifications | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Anthropic Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=100K high-speed document classifications; workload; prompt tokens; completion tokens; Sonnet 5 spend; Grok 4.3 spend; budget delta; cost winner; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-07; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — 100K high-speed document classifications is a frozen fixture pending exact identity, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch66-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m1-r4prompt caching active (Sonnet 90% read discount) | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Anthropic Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=prompt caching active (Sonnet 90% read discount); workload; prompt tokens; completion tokens; Sonnet 5 spend; Grok 4.3 spend; budget delta; cost winner; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-07; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — prompt caching active (Sonnet 90% read discount) is a frozen fixture pending exact identity, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch66-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m1-r5batch processing active (50% both) | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Anthropic Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=batch processing active (50% both); workload; prompt tokens; completion tokens; Sonnet 5 spend; Grok 4.3 spend; budget delta; cost winner; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-07; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — batch processing active (50% both) is a frozen fixture pending exact identity, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch66-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m1-r6unresolved pricing currency | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Anthropic Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=unresolved pricing currency; workload; prompt tokens; completion tokens; Sonnet 5 spend; Grok 4.3 spend; budget delta; cost winner; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-07; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — unresolved pricing currency has no matched, dated bilateral observation. | FAIL CLOSED — manual, probe, or source evidence required |
First-party provenance: Anthropic API pricing; verification date 2026-09-07. Missing or conflicting joins fail closed.
Context window saturation (200K vs 1M) capability gate
Frozen Batch 66 scenario board. Formula / deterministic rule: eligible = (context <= 200K ? Both : (context <= 1M ? Grok : Excluded)) Boundary: Owns context scaling and capability gating for large repositories.
| Frozen scenario / field ID | Pair, identity, host, surface, and evidence fields | Result | State |
|---|---|---|---|
batch66-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m2-r1short developer query (5K tokens) | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Anthropic Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=short developer query (5K tokens); context size; Sonnet 5 eligible; Grok 4.3 eligible; Sonnet cost; Grok cost; context gate verdict; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-07; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — short developer query (5K tokens) is a frozen fixture pending exact identity, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch66-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m2-r2medium application service (50K tokens) | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Anthropic Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=medium application service (50K tokens); context size; Sonnet 5 eligible; Grok 4.3 eligible; Sonnet cost; Grok cost; context gate verdict; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-07; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — medium application service (50K tokens) is a frozen fixture pending exact identity, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch66-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m2-r3large monolithic codebase (200K boundary) | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Anthropic Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=large monolithic codebase (200K boundary); context size; Sonnet 5 eligible; Grok 4.3 eligible; Sonnet cost; Grok cost; context gate verdict; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-07; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — large monolithic codebase (200K boundary) is a frozen fixture pending exact identity, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch66-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m2-r4massive enterprise monorepo (500K tokens) | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Anthropic Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=massive enterprise monorepo (500K tokens); context size; Sonnet 5 eligible; Grok 4.3 eligible; Sonnet cost; Grok cost; context gate verdict; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-07; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — massive enterprise monorepo (500K tokens) is a frozen fixture pending exact identity, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch66-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m2-r51M full context saturation test | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Anthropic Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=1M full context saturation test; context size; Sonnet 5 eligible; Grok 4.3 eligible; Sonnet cost; Grok cost; context gate verdict; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-07; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — 1M full context saturation test is a frozen fixture pending exact identity, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch66-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m2-r6unsupported archive payload format | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Anthropic Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=unsupported archive payload format; context size; Sonnet 5 eligible; Grok 4.3 eligible; Sonnet cost; Grok cost; context gate verdict; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-07; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — unsupported archive payload format has no matched, dated bilateral observation. | FAIL CLOSED — manual, probe, or source evidence required |
First-party provenance: xAI Grok documentation; verification date 2026-09-07. Missing or conflicting joins fail closed.
Execution turnaround latency and interactive UX SLA audit
Frozen Batch 66 scenario board. Formula / deterministic rule: turnaround = ttft + (tokens_out / tps); Grok high throughput vs Sonnet complex tool execution Boundary: Owns turnaround time benchmarks and user experience responsiveness.
| Frozen scenario / field ID | Pair, identity, host, surface, and evidence fields | Result | State |
|---|---|---|---|
batch66-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m3-r1real-time chat autocomplete (<200ms) | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Anthropic Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=real-time chat autocomplete (<200ms); task; response SLA; Sonnet 5 latency; Grok 4.3 latency; SLA compliance; responsiveness winner; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-07; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — real-time chat autocomplete (<200ms) is a frozen fixture pending exact identity, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch66-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m3-r2customer support agent reply (<500ms) | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Anthropic Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=customer support agent reply (<500ms); task; response SLA; Sonnet 5 latency; Grok 4.3 latency; SLA compliance; responsiveness winner; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-07; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — customer support agent reply (<500ms) is a frozen fixture pending exact identity, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch66-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m3-r3multi-file code refactoring (multi-second OK) | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Anthropic Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=multi-file code refactoring (multi-second OK); task; response SLA; Sonnet 5 latency; Grok 4.3 latency; SLA compliance; responsiveness winner; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-07; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — multi-file code refactoring (multi-second OK) is a frozen fixture pending exact identity, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch66-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m3-r4large dataset extraction | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Anthropic Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=large dataset extraction; task; response SLA; Sonnet 5 latency; Grok 4.3 latency; SLA compliance; responsiveness winner; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-07; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — large dataset extraction is a frozen fixture pending exact identity, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch66-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m3-r5network contention latency buffer | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Anthropic Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=network contention latency buffer; task; response SLA; Sonnet 5 latency; Grok 4.3 latency; SLA compliance; responsiveness winner; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-07; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — network contention latency buffer is a frozen fixture pending exact identity, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
batch66-claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3-m3-r6unmeasured speed fixture | pair=claude-sonnet-5 vs grok-4.3; provider=Anthropic / xAI; hostA=api.anthropic.com; hostB=api.x.ai; surfaceA=Anthropic Messages API; surfaceB=xAI API; requested/effective IDs=claude-sonnet-5,grok-4.3; scenario=unmeasured speed fixture; task; response SLA; Sonnet 5 latency; Grok 4.3 latency; SLA compliance; responsiveness winner; prompt/config/input/output/result/cache/checkpoint/artifact hashes=required; evidence=2026-09-07; measurement versus assumption=explicit | Unavailable — unmeasured speed fixture is a frozen fixture pending exact identity, configuration, and denominator joins. | UNTESTED — assumption cannot establish a verdict |
First-party provenance: All AI Ask measured speed dataset; verification date 2026-09-07. Missing or conflicting joins fail closed.
Method and limitations: formulas are deterministic; observed and assumed inputs are labeled; no missing provider, host, account, region, realm, alias, snapshot, revision, weight, artifact, control, tool, modality, workload, rate-period, timestamp, or result is transferred. Run the claude-sonnet-5-vs-grok-4-3 Batch 66 scenario →
How do Claude Sonnet 5 and Grok 4.3 compare on specs?
| Claude Sonnet 5 | Grok 4.3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (input) | $2.00/M | $1.25/M ✓ |
| Price (output) | $10.00/M | $2.50/M ✓ |
| Blended price | $4.00/M | $1.56/M ✓ |
| Context window | 500,000 tokens | 1,000,000 tokens ✓ |
| Max output | 64,000 tokens | 64,000 tokens |
| Modalities | text, vision | text, vision |
| Reasoning mode | Yes | Yes |
| Released | 2026-06 | 2026-06 |
| Speed | Not measured | 98 t/s |
How much do Claude Sonnet 5 and Grok 4.3 cost at scale?
| Tokens / month | Claude Sonnet 5 | Grok 4.3 | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000,000 | $4.00 | $1.56 | $2.44 (2.6×) |
| 10,000,000 | $40.00 | $15.63 | $24.38 (2.6×) |
| 100,000,000 | $400.00 | $156.25 | $243.75 (2.6×) |
Choose Claude Sonnet 5 if…
- ✓Frontier intelligence at Sonnet economics
- ✓Fast interactive coding performance
- ✓Reliable structured output and extended thinking
- ✓Production workloads that need near-Opus quality with better speed and cost.
Choose Grok 4.3 if…
- ✓xAI’s general-purpose flagship
- ✓Extremely fast for its size
- ✓1M-token context
- ✓General-purpose work where speed and a huge context window both matter.
Run this exact matchup right now
Send the same prompt to Claude Sonnet 5 and Grok 4.3 side by side and see the outputs yourself.
Try Claude Sonnet 5 vs Grok 4.3 FreeWhat are common questions about Claude Sonnet 5 and Grok 4.3?
Is Claude Sonnet 5 cheaper than Grok 4.3?
Grok 4.3 is cheaper, at $1.56 per million blended tokens vs $4.00 for Claude Sonnet 5.
Which has the bigger context window, Claude Sonnet 5 or Grok 4.3?
Grok 4.3 has the larger context window: 1,000,000 tokens vs 500,000.
Can Claude Sonnet 5 replace Grok 4.3 for coding?
Both are viable for coding. Frontier intelligence at Sonnet economics (Claude Sonnet 5) vs xAI’s general-purpose flagship (Grok 4.3) — pick based on which strength matters more for your workload.
Neither of these? See Claude Sonnet 5 alternatives or Grok 4.3 alternatives.
What related comparisons help choose between Claude Sonnet 5 and Grok 4.3?
Claude Sonnet 5 pricingGrok 4.3 pricingvs DeepSeek V4 Provs Gemini 3.1 Provs Claude Opus 4.8vs Claude Fable 5Premium model tests
Pricing verified 2026-05-19. Specs verified 2026-08-14.