Base text-token estimate, not an invoice. Excludes reasoning beyond the word estimate, output overshoot, cache writes/storage, tools, regional surcharges and editing. Unsupported tiers use Standard and say so. Check the calculation assumptions and budget for human editing.
Rate shown is for prompts under 200K tokens; $4.00 / $12.00 at or above that.
One 1,500-word article costs $0.00429 on Grok Build 0.1, xAI's cheapest tracked model, and $0.0125 on Grok 4.5, its most expensive. Grok Build 0.1 has no Batch tier. Availability and discounts differ by model; check the selector above.
Cheapest first. These are list rates applied to a token model — see
the methodology for exactly where that diverges from an invoice.
The 1,000w column is the per-1,000-words figure people quote: $0.00299 on Grok Build 0.1 at these settings.
How xAI prices
What is specific to this provider
Providers do not price the same way, and the differences change which model wins.
Rate structure
The shape of the lineup
xAI's structure is genuinely different, and it matters for article writing.
Output costs five times input on every Claude model and averages over six times across
OpenAI and Gemini. Across the Grok range it averages about two and a half times
and never exceeds three. Article generation is the most
output-heavy workload there is — a 1,500-word draft is about 1,950 output tokens
against a few hundred of input — so a narrow output premium works directly in its favour.
Processing tiers
What discounts exist
Grok 4.3 supports Batch at 20% off input, output and cache-read
rates, and so do the three Grok 4.20 models (Reasoning, Non-Reasoning and Multi-Agent). Grok 4.5, Grok 4.6, Grok 4.7 and Grok Build 0.1 do not support Batch, according to their
model pages. A missing discount is not the same as missing API support: check both
for each model. xAI's separate 2× Priority service is not modeled here.
Context pricing
Where the rate changes
All eight Grok models change rate at 200K input tokens,
doubling both input and output. The published window goes to 500K or 1M, so the
advertised context and the single-rate context are not the same number.
Watch out
What to check before you budget
Compare the 20% Grok 4.3 and 4.20 Batch discount with the supported 50% discounts elsewhere,
not with competitors' standard prices. Tool invocations and reasoning output can add
costs beyond this word-based estimate; a low output/input ratio is not a quality test.
What a draft looks like
No Grok draft is in the sample galleries yet
Five other models wrote the same commissions under the same rules — unedited, blind,
with recorded usage repriced at current rates. Read them to calibrate what a raw
API draft looks like at any price before you budget on one.
Reference
xAI list prices
USD per million tokens, cheapest output first.
Model
Input
Cached in
Output
Context
Grok Build 0.1
Rate shown is for prompts under 200K tokens; $2.00 / $4.00 at or above that.
$1.00
$0.200
$2.00
256K
Grok 4.3
Rate shown is for prompts under 200K tokens; $2.50 / $5.00 at or above that.
$1.25
$0.200
$2.50
1,000K
Grok 4.20 Reasoning
Rate shown is for prompts under 200K tokens; $2.50 / $5.00 at or above that.
$1.25
$0.200
$2.50
1,000K
Grok 4.20 Non-Reasoning
Rate shown is for prompts under 200K tokens; $2.50 / $5.00 at or above that.
$1.25
$0.200
$2.50
1,000K
Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent
Rate shown is for prompts under 200K tokens; $2.50 / $5.00 at or above that.
$1.25
$0.200
$2.50
1,000K
Grok 4.7
Rate shown is for prompts under 200K tokens; $4.00 / $12.00 at or above that.
$2.00
$0.500
$6.00
500K
Grok 4.6
Rate shown is for prompts under 200K tokens; $4.00 / $12.00 at or above that.
$2.00
$0.500
$6.00
500K
Grok 4.5
Rate shown is for prompts under 200K tokens; $4.00 / $12.00 at or above that.
Answers specific to this provider's rate structure.
Which Grok model is cheapest for article writing?
Grok Build 0.1 is the cheapest tracked xAI model for a full draft. All eight Grok models sit in a narrow band compared with the ranges the other providers publish.
Does xAI have a batch API discount?
Yes: Grok 4.3 and the three Grok 4.20 models reduce input, output and cache-read rates by 20% on Batch. The other tracked Grok models do not support Batch. The calculator checks model support and uses the actual discount rather than assuming 50% everywhere.
Why is Grok relatively cheap for long articles?
Because of the output premium. Output costs five times input on every Claude model and averages over six times across OpenAI and Gemini. Across the Grok range it averages about two and a half times and never exceeds three. Article generation is the most output-heavy workload there is, so a narrow premium works directly in its favour.
What happens above 200K tokens on Grok?
All four models double both input and output rates at or above 200K input tokens. The published windows go to 500K or 1M, so the advertised context and the single-rate context differ. An article workflow never approaches it.
Should I use Grok instead of a batch tier elsewhere?
Compare against batch rates, not standard ones. Grok’s narrow output premium is a real advantage at standard rates, but a competitor’s 50% batch discount can close it entirely if your work can run asynchronously.
The bottom line
Grok is one column in a five-column decision
Price your workflow here, then check it against the other providers before committing.
At article volumes the difference between two reasonable models is usually smaller than a
single hour of editing. When the work can run asynchronously, compare Grok's batch rate — not its standard rate — against DeepSeek, where no Batch tier is published. DeepSeek instead offers a separate off-peak discount.