SpaceXAI released Grok 4.5 on Wednesday, the company’s first major model release since going public several weeks ago. In a blog post, SpaceXAI described the model as a versatile workhorse capable of handling coding, app development, office tasks, research, and writing — all at what it claims is significantly lower cost than competing models.
SpaceXAI says Grok 4.5 offers “twice greater token efficiency” than other leading models, a claim that, if validated in real-world use, could address growing cost concerns among AI consumers. The company released benchmark metrics Wednesday showing Grok’s competitiveness with top models from rivals, though it fell just short of best-in-class scores.
Also read: Meta launches Muse, a free AI image generator for Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook Marketplace
Musk compares Grok 4.5 to Anthropic’s Opus
In a post on X, the social media platform owned by SpaceXAI, founder Elon Musk wrote: “Based on strong positive feedback from customers in our beta test program, @SpaceXAI will make Grok 4.5 available to the public tomorrow. It is an Opus-class model, but faster, more token-efficient and lower cost.” He later added: “Our internal assessment is that Grok 4.5 is roughly comparable to Opus 4.7, but much faster. The combination of capability, faster speed and lower cost is what makes it competitive.”
Opus 4.7, Anthropic’s high-end model designed for complex tasks, costs $5 per million input tokens and $25 per million output tokens. OpenAI’s pricing varies by model version: Sol, its most expensive, costs $5 for 1 million input tokens and $30 for 1 million output tokens, while its budget model Luna costs $1 and $6, respectively.
Also read: Why the rise of open source AI isn't hurting Anthropic — yet
A busy week for AI model launches
The release comes during a packed week for AI news. OpenAI is expected to release GPT 5.6 on Thursday, which it calls its “strongest model yet.” That release had previously been delayed by the Trump administration over security concerns. Grok 4.5’s pricing and token efficiency claims position it as a direct competitor in a market increasingly sensitive to cost and performance trade-offs.
SpaceXAI’s claims about Grok 4.5’s capabilities and efficiency will be tested by independent benchmarks and user adoption in the coming weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Grok 4.5?
Grok 4.5 is SpaceXAI’s latest large language model, released Wednesday. It is designed for coding, research, writing, and other knowledge work, with a focus on cost efficiency.
How does Grok 4.5 compare to Anthropic’s Opus?
Elon Musk stated that Grok 4.5 is ‘roughly comparable to Opus 4.7’ but faster and cheaper. SpaceXAI’s internal assessment supports this, though independent benchmarks are pending.
What is the pricing for Grok 4.5?
Grok 4.5 costs $2 per million input tokens and $6 per million output tokens, significantly less than Anthropic’s Opus 4.7 ($5/$25) and OpenAI’s Sol ($5/$30).
When will Grok 4.5 be available to the public?
According to Elon Musk’s post on X, Grok 4.5 will be made available to the public on Thursday, following positive feedback from a beta test program.
Be the first to comment