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Head-to-head comparison

Grok 4.6 vs GLM 5.2

Grok 4.6 (xAI) and GLM 5.2 (Z.ai) compared on the ModelCap Index, API price, context window, provider availability, weight access and every public benchmark board they share. Figures are the same ones shown on the live rankings; nothing here is a hidden score.

Snapshot as of 17 August 2026

As of 17 August 2026, Grok 4.6 holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#10 vs #11); GLM 5.2 is 4.1× cheaper per output token ($1.45/1M vs $6.00/1M); GLM 5.2 offers the longer context window (1M vs 500K tokens); and GLM 5.2 ships open weights.

Which should you choose?

Choose Grok 4.6 if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #10 against #11 (74.4 vs 73.8 points).
  • Arena coding is your yardstick — 1512 against 1506.
  • ARC-AGI-2 is your yardstick — 67.1% against 22.8%.
  • Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index is your yardstick — 60.9 against 52.6.
  • you want the more recently listed model — Grok 4.6 was listed 12 August 2026, GLM 5.2 16 June 2026.

Choose GLM 5.2 if…

  • API cost matters — $1.45/1M output tokens against $6.00/1M, about 4.1× cheaper.
  • your workload is prompt-heavy — input tokens cost $0.462/1M against $2.00/1M.
  • you need the longer context window — 1M tokens against 500K.
  • you want to self-host: GLM 5.2 ships open weights while Grok 4.6 is api only.
  • you want provider choice — 27 listed API providers against 1.

Grok 4.6 vs GLM 5.2: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of Grok 4.6 and GLM 5.2
FieldGrok 4.6xAIGLM 5.2Z.ai
ModelCap Index position#10#11
Index score74.473.8
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokens$2.00$0.462
Output price / 1M tokens$6.00$1.45
Context window500K tokens1M tokens
Max output tokens—131K
API providers listed127
Weight accessAPI onlyOpen weights
Input modalitiesText, Image, FileText
First listed12 August 202616 June 2026
PublisherxAIZ.ai

Evidence: 5 public benchmark observations across 5 boards · 5 public benchmark observations across 5 boards. Prices are the lowest listed API offer per million tokens observed on the OpenRouter catalogue.

Benchmark scores: Grok 4.6 vs GLM 5.2

Public benchmark boards where Grok 4.6 or GLM 5.2 has a published result
BoardGrok 4.6GLM 5.2Leads
Arena codingArena (LMArena)15121485–1538High15061498–1514MaxGrok 4.6
LMArena AgentLMArena—6.7%5.8%–7.6%MaxOnly one result
ARC-AGI-2ARC Prize Foundation67.1%X-High22.8%Grok 4.6
ARC-AGI-3ARC Prize Foundation2.1%X-High—Only one result
Artificial Analysis Intelligence IndexArtificial Analysis60.9intelligence-index52.6intelligence-indexGrok 4.6

Scores are the sources' own published figures for each model's best evaluated configuration; ModelCap never re-runs a benchmark.

Want a different pairing? Open the interactive comparison tool to swap either model for any current ranked language model.

Grok 4.6 vs GLM 5.2: common questions

Is Grok 4.6 better than GLM 5.2?

Grok 4.6 ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 17 August 2026: #10 against #11. That is a capability ranking built from public benchmark evidence with published uncertainty; whether it is "better" for you also depends on price, context and where you can run it.

Is Grok 4.6 cheaper than GLM 5.2?

GLM 5.2 is cheaper on output tokens: $1.45/1M against $6.00/1M. Input tokens are $2.00/1M for Grok 4.6 and $0.462/1M for GLM 5.2. Prices are the lowest listed API offer ModelCap observed, in USD per million tokens.

Which has the bigger context window, Grok 4.6 or GLM 5.2?

GLM 5.2 has the larger context window: 1M tokens against 500K.

Which is better for coding, Grok 4.6 or GLM 5.2?

Arena coding: Grok 4.6 1512, GLM 5.2 1506 — Grok 4.6 leads.

Are Grok 4.6 and GLM 5.2 open-weight models?

Grok 4.6: API only. GLM 5.2: Open weights. Open weights mean the checkpoint can be downloaded and self-hosted under its licence; API-only models are available solely through hosted endpoints.

Where can I run Grok 4.6 and GLM 5.2?

ModelCap currently lists 1 API provider for Grok 4.6 and 27 for GLM 5.2, from the OpenRouter catalogue snapshot the site serves; each model page lists the providers and their prices.

How current is this Grok 4.6 vs GLM 5.2 comparison?

Every figure comes from the sealed ModelCap dataset published 17 August 2026; the page re-renders within a minute of each data refresh, and the ModelCap Index positions are the same ones shown on the live rankings.

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