xAI

Executive Summary

What it is: xAI offers Grok 4.20 as its sole text model for both chat and coding, available via API (api.x.ai) and through the Grok chat interface on X (Twitter). Grok 4.20 features a 2M token context window, reasoning capability, function calling, structured outputs, and server-side tools (web search, X search, code execution). API pricing is $2.00/$6.00 per MTok (input/output). There is no IDE integration or dedicated CLI coding agent.

What to watch out for: Requests exceeding 200K context tokens are charged at 2x the standard rate ($4.00/$12.00 per MTok). Server-side tool calls cost $5 per 1,000 invocations each (web search, X search, code execution), in addition to token costs. Previous coding-specific models (Grok Code Fast 1, Grok 3) appear to have been consolidated into Grok 4.20, so anyone relying on those model names may need to migrate.

Bottom line: Grok 4.20 at $2.00/$6.00 per MTok is cheaper than Claude Opus 4.7 ($5/$25) and similar to GPT-5.4 ($2.50/$10.00), with the largest context window in this report at 2M tokens. However, it lacks a dedicated coding agent product (IDE, CLI, or cloud agent), making it best suited as a raw API model for teams building their own coding workflows, or for developers already in the X ecosystem.

Key Terms

  • Grok 4.20 - xAI's current flagship model, used for both chat and coding. Features reasoning, function calling, structured outputs, and 2M token context window. Source: xAI – Grok 4.20 Reasoning
  • Higher context pricing - requests exceeding 200K tokens are billed at 2x standard rates: $4.00 input / $12.00 output per MTok. Source: xAI – Grok 4.20 Reasoning
  • Server-side tools - xAI-provided tools (web search, X search, code execution, file search) that can be invoked by the model autonomously. Priced per invocation in addition to token costs. Source: xAI – Models
  • Batch API - asynchronous processing at 50% of standard token pricing, with results typically within 24 hours. Source: xAI – Models
  • Cached prompt tokens - automatically enabled for all requests. Cached tokens cost $0.20/MTok (10x cheaper than input). Source: xAI – Grok 4.20 Reasoning

Latest Changes

First report for this supplier. All models, plans, and pricing are listed as current state.

  • New model: Grok 4.20 launched as the sole text model for both chat and coding. Previous models (Grok 3, Grok Code Fast 1) consolidated into Grok 4.20.
  • Feature added: Per-invocation pricing for server-side tools: $5/1k calls for web search, X search, code execution.
  • Feature added: Storage pricing for files and collections ($0.025-$0.10/GiB/day), effective April 20.
  • Price change: Requests exceeding 200K context charged at 2x standard rate ($4/$12 per MTok).

Plans

xAI does not appear to offer subscription-based plans for coding agents. Access is API-only via console.x.ai with pay-as-you-go billing.

PlanPriceUsageKey Inclusions
API accessPay-as-you-goPer-token billingGrok 4.20 via api.x.ai
EnterpriseundisclosedundisclosedContact required

Source: xAI – Models

API Pricing

Grok 4.20 (Standard Context, up to 200K)

MetricRate
Input tokens$2.00/MTok
Cached input tokens$0.20/MTok
Output tokens$6.00/MTok
Batch API (all token types)50% off standard rates
Context window2,000,000 tokens
Rate limits1,800 RPM, 10,000,000 TPM

Grok 4.20 (Higher Context, above 200K)

MetricRate
Input tokens$4.00/MTok
Cached input tokens$0.40/MTok
Output tokens$12.00/MTok

Grok 4.1 Fast (via Google Vertex AI)

MetricRate
Input tokens$0.20/MTok
Cached input tokens$0.05/MTok
Output tokens$0.50/MTok

Source: Google – Pricing

Tool Pricing

ToolCost per 1,000 calls
Web Search$5.00
X Search$5.00
Code Execution$5.00
File Attachments Search$10.00
Collections Search (RAG)$2.50
Image Understanding (from search)Token-based only
Remote MCP ToolsToken-based only

Storage Pricing (effective April 20, 2026)

ResourceRate
File storage$0.025/GiB/day
Collection storage$0.10/GiB/day
File/Collection downloads$0.20/GiB

Source: xAI – Grok 4.20 Reasoning, xAI – Models

Model Performance / Benchmarks

xAI does not publish benchmark scores for Grok 4.20 on its models page. Community assessment:

  • Coding performance is generally considered competitive but not state-of-the-art compared to Claude Opus 4.7 or GPT-5.3-Codex.
  • 2M token context window is the largest among all suppliers in this report.
  • No dedicated coding-optimized model variant (Grok Code Fast 1 was consolidated into Grok 4.20).

Source: xAI – Models

Latest News

Grok 4.20 Launch (April 2026)

Grok 4.20 is xAI's newest flagship model, described as "the most intelligent and fastest model we've built." It combines low hallucination rates with strict prompt adherence. Both the Chat and Coding use cases on xAI's models page now point to Grok 4.20, suggesting previous models (Grok 3, Grok Code Fast 1) have been consolidated.

Source: xAI – Models

Tool Pricing and Storage Introduced (April 2026)

xAI introduced per-invocation pricing for server-side tools ($5/1k calls for search and code execution) and storage pricing for files and collections ($0.025-$0.10/GiB/day), effective April 20, 2026.

Source: xAI – Models

Community Signals

  • Grok 4.20 is frequently compared to GPT-5 and Claude Opus in community benchmarks, with mixed results. Its coding performance is generally considered competitive but not state-of-the-art compared to Claude Opus 4.7 or GPT-5.3-Codex.
  • The consolidation of Grok Code Fast 1 into Grok 4.20 means there is no longer a dedicated coding-optimized model variant.
  • The 2M token context window is the largest among all suppliers in this report, useful for large codebase analysis.

Enterprise Readiness

FeatureAvailable?Details
SSO (SAML)UndisclosedEnterprise plan exists but details are not published. Source: xAI – Models
SSO (OIDC)UndisclosedNot mentioned.
SCIMNoNot mentioned.
Audit logsNoNot mentioned.
IP indemnityNoNot mentioned.
Data residencyNoNot mentioned.
HIPAANoNot mentioned.
Air-gapped / on-premNoNot available.
SLANoNo published SLA.
Admin controls (RBAC)NoNo admin controls documented.

Transparency Gaps

GapDetailsSeverity
Enterprise pricingEnterprise plan details and pricing are not published.Medium
Previous model deprecationGrok 3 and Grok Code Fast 1 appear deprecated but no formal deprecation notice found.Medium
No dedicated coding agentNo IDE integration, CLI agent, or cloud coding agent. Only raw API access.Medium
Tool call cost unpredictabilityAgent autonomously decides how many tools to call, making costs scale with query complexity in ways that are hard to predict.Low
Usage guidelines violation fee$0.05 per request flagged as violating usage guidelines, charged even if generation is blocked.Low