Claude Opus 4.8 vs Grok 4.5

Select two models to compare their coding performance, pricing, and features.

Key Takeaways

Coding tier: Claude Opus 4.8 has a higher reference index on the selected shared benchmark configuration than Grok 4.5 (107.83 vs 106.47, a 1.36-point difference). This does not by itself establish general coding superiority. Editorial tiers: Claude Opus 4.8 = A+; Grok 4.5 = A+. Tiers are separate editorial assessments and do not establish a reliable order within a tier.
API cost estimate: Estimated 1M in / 200K out tokens: $10.0000 (Claude Opus 4.8) vs $3.2000 (Grok 4.5).
Metric Claude Opus 4.8 Grok 4.5
Coding Index
107.83
106.47
Coding tier A+ A+
Input Price $5/1M $2/1M
Output Price $25/1M $6/1M
Context Window 1M 500K

Coding Index

Coding Index · Reference baseline: 100

Claude Opus 4.8 107.83
Grok 4.5 106.47

Integer index difference: 1.36

DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 = 100. The index reflects two shared tests, not capability multiples or statistically established gaps.

Verdict

Both models share an editorial tier. The evidence does not establish a reliable order within it; compare them on your own projects.

Capabilities & Use Cases Comparison

Claude Opus 4.8 Tier A+

Best For
  • •Complex architecture
  • •Multi-file refactoring
  • •Code review
  • •Claude Code
Strengths
  • •Best-in-class code reasoning and architecture design
  • •Excels at complex multi-file refactoring
  • •Superior at understanding large codebases
  • •Strong at following nuanced instructions

Grok 4.5 Tier A+

Best For
  • •Full-stack development
  • •Agentic coding workflows
  • •Reasoning-intensive tasks
  • •Creative coding and game dev
Strengths
  • •xAI's smartest coding model with frontier reasoning
  • •Strong at full-stack and game development tasks
  • •Excellent agentic coding across diverse environments
  • •Competitive pricing for flagship reasoning

Claude Opus 4.8

OpenRouter quote 2026-10-11
Benchmark evidence and ranking method · Claude Opus 4.8

Cross-checked

Terminal-Bench 4.0 · Claude Code · max: 23.64% · 95% CI ± 3.56%

Artificial Analysis · Claude Opus 4.8 (Adaptive Reasoning, Max Effort)

Test configuration: max

Terminal-Bench 2.1: 84.64% · SciCode: 54.40%

LiveBench · 2026-06-25 · claude-opus-4-8-max-effort

Coding: 81.83% · Agentic Coding: 50.50%

ModelRank assigns editorial tiers using public coding evidence, not automatic index thresholds or statistically proven classes. Price, speed, context size and sponsorship do not affect tiers.

DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 = 100. The index reflects two shared tests, not capability multiples or statistically established gaps.

Results reflect particular model configurations. Agent harnesses, reasoning effort, tools, budgets and tasks may differ. Close indices do not establish superiority. B describes a relative position in this selected group, not an inability to code.

Data checked: 2026-09-10. Snapshot date is the retrieval date, not necessarily the evaluation date.

Grok 4.5

OpenRouter quote 2026-10-11
Benchmark evidence and ranking method · Grok 4.5

Cross-checked

Terminal-Bench 4.0 · Grok Build · high: 12.42% · 95% CI ± 2.62%

Artificial Analysis · Grok 4.5 (high)

Test configuration: high

Terminal-Bench 2.1: 81.65% · SciCode: 54.98%

LiveBench · 2026-06-25 · grok-4.5

Coding: 68.59% · Agentic Coding: 56.46%

ModelRank assigns editorial tiers using public coding evidence, not automatic index thresholds or statistically proven classes. Price, speed, context size and sponsorship do not affect tiers.

DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 = 100. The index reflects two shared tests, not capability multiples or statistically established gaps.

Results reflect particular model configurations. Agent harnesses, reasoning effort, tools, budgets and tasks may differ. Close indices do not establish superiority. B describes a relative position in this selected group, not an inability to code.

Data checked: 2026-09-10. Snapshot date is the retrieval date, not necessarily the evaluation date.

Results reflect particular model configurations. Agent harnesses, reasoning effort, tools, budgets and tasks may differ. Close indices do not establish superiority. B describes a relative position in this selected group, not an inability to code.

API cost estimate

1M input + 200K output (USD):

Claude Opus 4.8: $10.0000

Grok 4.5: $3.2000

Estimates use the displayed channel and time band; DeepSeek uses peak rates. Cache discounts, tool fees, long-context price tiers and uncounted additional tokens are excluded.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which model is better for coding: Claude Opus 4.8 or Grok 4.5?

Claude Opus 4.8 has a higher reference index on the selected shared benchmark configuration than Grok 4.5 (107.83 vs 106.47, a 1.36-point difference). This does not by itself establish general coding superiority. Editorial tiers: Claude Opus 4.8 = A+; Grok 4.5 = A+. Tiers are separate editorial assessments and do not establish a reliable order within a tier.

How do Claude Opus 4.8 and Grok 4.5 compare in API pricing and costs?

Claude Opus 4.8: $5/1M input, $25/1M output (OpenRouter quote); Grok 4.5: $2/1M input, $6/1M output (OpenRouter quote). 1M input + 200K output (USD): $10.0000 vs $3.2000.

What are the context window sizes of Claude Opus 4.8 and Grok 4.5?

Claude Opus 4.8 provides a 1,000,000 token context window, while Grok 4.5 provides 500,000 tokens.

Try Claude Opus 4.8 → Try Grok 4.5 →