Comparisons › Grok vs DeepSeek: speed and value compared

Grok vs DeepSeek: speed and value compared

Two very different ways to buy AI: Grok 4.6 for frontier speed and polish, DeepSeek V4 Pro for unbeatable cost per token.

Value verdict: on intelligence per $1, DeepSeek currently comes out ahead — 218,182 vs 88,000. Prices move often, so recheck the calculator regularly.

At a glance

Model compared

Grok	DeepSeek	DeepSeek
Flagship model	Grok 4.6	DeepSeek V4 Pro
Input / 1M	$2	$0.66
Output / 1M	$6	$1.98
Intelligence index	44	36
Tokens / $1	200.0k	606.1k
Intelligence / $1	88,000	218,182
Cheapest plan	SuperGrok Lite ($10/mo)	—

API pricing

Grok 4.6 costs $2 / $6 per 1M tokens; DeepSeek V4 Pro costs $0.66 / $1.98 (off-peak). DeepSeek is cheaper, but Grok delivers a much higher intelligence index (44 vs 36 on the current v4.3 scale).

Capabilities

Grok 4.6 is A-tier for speed and back-end with a weak spot at design; DeepSeek V4 Pro is the cost king but checks its work so much that real-world tasks run slow.

The verdict

If you want the best balance of speed, intelligence and price, Grok is one of the best-value frontier models. If your workload is high-volume and cost-sensitive, DeepSeek V4 Pro still wins on pure tokens per dollar.

Bottom line: Grok 4.6 is the best balance of speed, intelligence and price; DeepSeek V4 Pro wins for high-volume, cost-sensitive workloads. For frontier quality without the frontier bill, Grok.