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Grok 4.6 launched on August 12, 2026. The clean launch-day verdict is that this is a meaningful agent and coding upgrade over Grok 4.5, not a context-window expansion or a price cut. xAI gives Grok 4.6 a 500,000-token context window, stronger results across all ten benchmarks in its launch table, and immediate access through the xAI API, Grok Build, Cursor, OpenRouter, Vercel, and Cloudflare.
The headline API rate is $2 per million input tokens and $6 per million output tokens, but that shorthand is incomplete. It applies to short-context requests. Once a prompt enters xAI’s long-context band at 200,000 tokens, the rate doubles to $4 per million input tokens and $12 per million output tokens—and xAI says the higher rate applies to all tokens in that request. That caveat is the difference between a useful price comparison and a misleading one.
| Grok 4.6 fact | Official launch detail |
|---|---|
| Release date | August 12, 2026 |
| API model | grok-4.6 |
| Context window | 500,000 tokens |
| Price below 200K prompt tokens | $2 input / $0.50 cached input / $6 output per 1M tokens |
| Long-context price at the 200K band | $4 input / $1 cached input / $12 output per 1M tokens |
| Inputs and outputs | Text and image input; text output |
| Reasoning levels | Low, medium, high (default), and xhigh |
| Access | xAI API, Grok Build, Cursor, OpenRouter, Vercel, Cloudflare |
What Grok 4.6 Is
xAI describes Grok 4.6 as its frontier model for coding, agentic tasks, and knowledge work. The company says the update focuses on long-running agents and more ambitious interactive and visual projects: researching unfamiliar domains, working across codebases, using tools, building first versions, and continuing through multiple rounds of feedback.
The official training description is specific about the direction, though not about model size. Grok 4.6 received a longer supplemental training run than Grok 4.5, using curated model-generated reasoning and technical data, engineering data, a revised optimizer, regenerated supervised-fine-tuning trajectories, and reinforcement learning across knowledge work, coding, kernel optimization, web development, computer-aided design, and other agent environments. xAI does not publish a parameter count in the launch post or API documentation.
That framing matters. This is not a new consumer chatbot tier with a bigger memory number. It is an API-and-agent release built to stay useful over longer trajectories. The official model sheet lists function calling, structured outputs, web search, X search, and code execution, alongside text and image input.
Grok 4.6 Benchmarks: The Full Official Table
xAI’s benchmark table shows Grok 4.6 improving over Grok 4.5 on every reported evaluation. It matches GPT-5.6 Sol Max at 61 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, leads the comparison on GDPVal-AA v2, AA-Briefcase, and Harvey LAB, and remains behind the best comparison score on CursorBench, DeepSWE, FrontierCode, APEX-Agents, Terminal-Bench, and APEX-SWE.
| Evaluation | Grok 4.6 High | Grok 4.5 High | GPT-5.6 Sol Max | Fable 5 Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AA Intelligence Index | 61 | 56 | 61 | 62 |
| GDPVal-AA v2 | 1753 | 1526 | 1728 | 1741 |
| CursorBench v3.2 | 69.9% | 66.7% | 67.2% | 70.5% |
| DeepSWE v1.1 | 65.9% | 54.0% | 73.0% | 70.0% |
| FrontierCode v1.1 Extended | 61.3% | 56.6% | 60.6% | 63.6% |
| APEX-Agents | 57.5% | 47.1% | 56.7% | 59.2% |
| Terminal-Bench v3.0 | 26.0% | 15.7% | 34.6% | 34.1% |
| APEX-SWE | 56.4% | 53.6% | Not listed | 58.8% |
| AA-Briefcase | 1577 | 1313 | 1502 | 1574 |
| Harvey LAB (Vals) | 15.8% | 12.9% | 2.5% | 11.3% |
The improvement over Grok 4.5 is substantial in several places: DeepSWE rises by 11.9 percentage points, Terminal-Bench by 10.3 points, APEX-Agents by 10.4 points, and the AA Intelligence Index by five points. The more important competitive read is mixed. Grok 4.6 is at or above GPT-5.6 Sol Max on six of the nine rows where xAI lists a GPT score, but it trails GPT clearly on DeepSWE and Terminal-Bench. Fable 5 Max remains ahead on the headline Intelligence Index and six task-specific rows.
These are vendor-reported launch results, not a neutral Kingy test. xAI says third-party scores are the best of self-reported or publicly available figures, which means harnesses, reasoning settings, tool access, and test conditions may differ. The right conclusion is that Grok 4.6 has moved forward and belongs in serious agent evaluations—not that one launch chart establishes a universal winner.
Grok 4.6 Pricing: The 200K Caveat
The standard API price is competitive: $2 per million input tokens, $0.50 per million cached input tokens, and $6 per million output tokens. But the official xAI pricing table places Grok 4.6 in a separate long-context band at 200,000 prompt tokens.
| Request band | Input | Cached input | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short context, below 200K prompt tokens | $2 / 1M | $0.50 / 1M | $6 / 1M |
| Long context, xAI’s ≥200K band | $4 / 1M | $1 / 1M | $12 / 1M |
The billing rule is more important than the doubled numbers: once the prompt reaches the long-context threshold, xAI bills all tokens in that request at the long-context rates. It is not a surcharge applied only to the portion above 200K.
A simple example shows the effect. A request with 100,000 input tokens and 10,000 output tokens costs about $0.26 at standard rates. A request with 250,000 input tokens and 10,000 output tokens costs about $1.12 at long-context rates. That second prompt is 2.5 times larger, but the bill is more than four times higher because the entire request moves into the doubled tier.
xAI also announces a fast variant at twice the price. The launch material does not publish a distinct model slug for that variant on the Grok 4.6 overview page, so check the live console before hard-coding a name. Do not confuse the fast premium with the 200K long-context tier; they are separate pricing caveats, and the public launch page does not explain whether or how they combine.
For multi-turn agents, prompt caching can materially reduce costs. xAI recommends a prompt_cache_key with the Responses API or the x-grok-conv-id header with Chat Completions so related requests reach the same server and have a better chance of hitting cache. Long-running tool loops can also use xAI’s context-compaction feature instead of carrying every old token forever.
What the 500K Context Window Really Means
Grok 4.6 supports 500,000 tokens of context. That is enough for large repositories, long research packets, multi-document analysis, or extensive agent histories—but it is not an instruction to fill every request. The long-context price switch makes context management part of the product decision.
The context window also did not grow from Grok 4.5, which was already listed at 500K. The upgrade is the model’s reported ability to use context and sustain work, not a larger headline limit. Grok 4.6 has a February 1, 2026 knowledge cutoff, supports text and image input with text output, and offers low, medium, high, or xhigh reasoning. High is the default.
How to Access Grok 4.6
1. Use Grok 4.6 in the xAI API
Create an API key in the xAI console, then set the model to grok-4.6. The model works with both the Responses API and Chat Completions.
import os
from xai_sdk import Client
from xai_sdk.chat import user
client = Client(api_key=os.getenv("XAI_API_KEY"))
chat = client.chat.create(model="grok-4.6")
chat.append(user("Review this architecture and identify the three highest-risk assumptions."))
response = chat.sample()
print(response.content)For production integrations, pin the explicit grok-4.6 string rather than assuming an older latest alias has moved. Monitor the usage object and your xAI console because team access, rate limits, regional availability, and live pricing can vary.
2. Select Grok 4.6 in Cursor
xAI says Grok 4.6 is available in Cursor on all plans. Choose it from the model picker for an agent or chat. If it is not visible immediately, refresh or update Cursor and check the Models section in Cursor settings. xAI is offering twice the included usage in Cursor for the first launch week; that is a temporary allowance, not a permanent price.
3. Use Grok Build
Grok 4.6 is available in Grok Build, xAI’s coding agent and CLI surface. The same first-week double-included-usage offer applies there. This is the most direct way to judge xAI’s long-horizon coding claims without first building an API harness.
4. Use a Model Gateway
The official documentation also lists OpenRouter, Vercel, and Cloudflare. Gateway availability and naming can lag a same-day launch, so confirm that the provider is serving Grok 4.6—not Grok 4.5 or a generic Grok alias—before routing production traffic.
One important correction: xAI’s launch materials do not list the standard Grok.com consumer chat as a Grok 4.6 access route. “Available today” refers to Grok Build, Cursor, the API, and listed partners. If xAI adds a selectable Grok 4.6 chat mode later, treat that as a separate rollout.
Grok 4.6 vs Grok 4.5
| Area | Grok 4.5 | Grok 4.6 |
|---|---|---|
| Launch date | July 8, 2026 | August 12, 2026 |
| Context window | 500K | 500K |
| Standard API price | $2 input / $6 output | $2 input / $6 output |
| AA Intelligence Index | 56 | 61 |
| DeepSWE v1.1 | 54.0% | 65.9% |
| Terminal-Bench v3.0 | 15.7% | 26.0% |
| Reasoning | Low, medium, high | Low, medium, high, xhigh |
| Primary launch emphasis | Coding, agentic tasks, knowledge work | Long-running agents, interactive and visual projects |
The short version: Grok 4.6 keeps the same context ceiling and headline price while improving xAI’s published agent and knowledge-work results. Existing Grok 4.5 users do not get cheaper tokens or more context; they get a stronger candidate model and an added xhigh reasoning setting.
Kingy Verdict
Grok 4.6 is a credible frontier agent release. Matching GPT-5.6 Sol Max on xAI’s version of the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index is attention-grabbing, but the more useful signal is breadth: Grok improves over 4.5 on every row xAI reports, with particularly large jumps on DeepSWE, Terminal-Bench, and APEX-Agents.
The launch does not prove Grok 4.6 is the best model for every coding or knowledge-work task. GPT-5.6 Sol Max and Fable 5 Max still post stronger results on several difficult agent evaluations, and xAI’s table mixes public and self-reported competitor numbers. Production teams should test completion rate, latency, token use, retries, and review time on their own work.
The price is attractive only if you quote it honestly. Below 200K prompt tokens, $2/$6 is compelling. At the long-context threshold, it becomes $4/$12 for the entire request. Grok 4.6’s real opportunity is therefore not “stuff 500K tokens into every prompt.” It is using a stronger long-horizon model with disciplined context, caching, and compaction.
FAQ
When was Grok 4.6 released?
Grok 4.6 was released on August 12, 2026.
How much does the Grok 4.6 API cost?
Below 200K prompt tokens, Grok 4.6 costs $2 per million input tokens, $0.50 per million cached input tokens, and $6 per million output tokens. In xAI’s long-context band at 200K tokens, those rates double to $4, $1, and $12 respectively, and the higher rates apply to all tokens in the request.
What is the Grok 4.6 context window?
Grok 4.6 has a 500,000-token context window. The context size is unchanged from Grok 4.5.
What is the Grok 4.6 API model name?
The official API model string is grok-4.6. It supports the Responses API and Chat Completions.
Is Grok 4.6 available in Cursor?
Yes. xAI says Grok 4.6 is available in Cursor on all plans, with twice the included usage during the first launch week.
Does Grok 4.6 beat GPT-5.6 Sol?
There is no universal winner. In xAI’s launch table, Grok 4.6 matches GPT-5.6 Sol Max at 61 on the AA Intelligence Index and leads some knowledge-work evaluations, while GPT-5.6 Sol Max leads DeepSWE and Terminal-Bench by clear margins.
Related Kingy Reading
- Grok 4.5 Benchmarks: Pricing, Context, and the Opus Claim
- Best AI Coding Agent in 2026
- Cursor AI Tool Profile
- xAI Drops Grok Build