Grok 4.7 vs Claude Opus 5.5
Which one to choose
Pick Grok 4.7 for coding and knowledge-work agents where you want to set reasoning effort per request, from low up to xhigh. Pick Claude Opus 5.5 for agents that must stay on task through very long unattended runs, for desktop and browser automation, and for code already written around Anthropic's tool-use and thinking conventions. Both read images and call tools, so the choice comes down to how long the agent must run unsupervised.
Pricing comparison
| Grok 4.7 | Claude Opus 5.5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Model maker | xAI | Anthropic |
| Delivery availability | Available | Available |
| Context window | 500K | 1M |
| Max output | 128K | 128K |
| Official price | Input$2.00per 1M tokensOutput$6.00per 1M tokens | Input$4.00per 1M tokensOutput$20.00per 1M tokens |
| TokenLab price | Input$1.00per 1M tokensOutput$3.00per 1M tokens | Input$1.20per 1M tokensOutput$6.00per 1M tokens |
| Model performance | Collecting data |
|
| Capabilities | JSON modePrompt CacheReasoningTool useVision | JSON modePrompt CacheReasoningTool useVision |
Choose Grok 4.7 when
- You want a coding agent where reasoning effort is a per-request setting rather than a fixed behavior.
- You want to set reasoning effort per request, from low up to xhigh, and spend deep thinking only on the hard turns.
- You build assistants that diagnose a problem, act on it and confirm the outcome, with screenshots as part of the input.
Choose Claude Opus 5.5 when
- You run agents for many hours without a person watching and need them to keep to the original plan.
- You automate desktop or browser work from screenshots.
- Your code already handles Anthropic-style tool use and thinking blocks.
How they differ
| Aspect | Grok 4.7 | Claude Opus 5.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Reasoning control | xAI documents four effort levels, low, medium, high and xhigh, with high as the default, so you choose the depth for each call. | Adaptive thinking is always on and cannot be switched off. Medium is the default effort, and Anthropic says it often matches earlier models at their top setting. |
| Long autonomous runs | Built for coding, agentic tasks and knowledge work, with a loop of diagnosing, acting and evaluating the outcome. | Anthropic aims it at long-running agentic work and cites a customer agent that kept working on a service architecture for more than 18 hours. |
| Tool-use rules | Tool calling works alongside image input and reasoning. | Forced tool use returns an error, which matters when porting code written for Opus 5. |
| Progress text | Output is text only, and you receive the answer as the model produces it. | Text between tool calls arrives in thinking blocks that are empty by default, so an app that streams progress text stays quiet until you change the display setting. |
| Computer use | Image understanding lets it work from screenshots in an agent loop, but xAI's notes put the weight on coding and knowledge work. | Anthropic reports strong results on desktop and browser automation, so it is the more direct fit for computer-use agents. |
Summary
- Grok 4.7: Input $1.00 / Output $3.00 per 1M tokens; Claude Opus 5.5: Input $1.20 / Output $6.00 per 1M tokens. Rates depend on the billing unit, specification, and usage. Compare matching conditions in the model's detailed pricing; a single rate does not determine the total cost.
- Claude Opus 5.5 has a 2.0x larger context window
FAQ
Is Grok 4.7 or Claude Opus 5.5 better for coding?
Both target agentic coding, so test on your own repository. Choose Opus 5.5 when sessions run for hours and the agent must stay on plan. Choose Grok 4.7 when you want per-request effort control and shorter, adjustable reasoning on routine turns.
Can I swap Opus 5.5 for Grok 4.7 without changing my prompts?
Not without checks. The two use different reasoning controls and different tool-use behaviour, and Opus 5.5 rejects forced tool use. Keep prompts that describe the task, but retest tool calls, effort settings and any code that reads reasoning output.
Do both models accept images?
Yes. Both take text and images and answer in text, so either one can read a screenshot or a diagram inside an agent loop. No extra preprocessing is needed.
Can I use both in one pipeline?
Yes. A common split is Grok 4.7 for quick coding turns that need adjustable effort and Opus 5.5 for the long, unattended stages that need steady judgement.
Which is cheaper, Grok 4.7 or Claude Opus 5.5?
Grok 4.7: Input $1.00 / Output $3.00 per 1M tokens; Claude Opus 5.5: Input $1.20 / Output $6.00 per 1M tokens. Rates depend on the billing unit, specification, and usage. Compare matching conditions in the model's detailed pricing; a single rate does not determine the total cost.
What are the key differences between Grok 4.7 and Claude Opus 5.5?
Both models share similar capabilities.
Sources
Reviewed Oct 2, 2026