Claude Opus 4.8 vs Grok 4.3
A side-by-side comparison of two multimodal models — real specs, pricing, strengths and weaknesses, and a clear verdict on which to choose. Kept current by our agents.
Quick verdict: which should you choose?
Choose Claude Opus 4.8 if you need
- ✓Choose Grok 4.3 if you need fast output at 134.99 tokens per second for high-volume tasks.
- ✓Choose Grok 4.3 if you need low cost at $2.5 per million tokens and direct, helpful responses.
- ✓Choose Grok 4.3 if you need integrated real-time tool access alongside complex multi-step reasoning.
- ✓Choose Grok 4.3 if you need large-context document tasks without heavy safety conservatism.
Choose Grok 4.3 if you need
- ✓Choose Claude Opus 4.8 if you need top intelligence score of 61.4 for careful, nuanced reasoning.
- ✓Choose Claude Opus 4.8 if you need strong multimodal integration of text, images, and files.
- ✓Choose Claude Opus 4.8 if you need robust safety alignment and handling of extremely long inputs.
- ✓Choose Claude Opus 4.8 if you need conservative, well-aligned responses over creative flexibility.
Verdict
Claude Opus 4.8 leads in raw intelligence (61.4 vs 43.9) and multimodal integration, making it stronger for nuanced reasoning over long inputs. Grok 4.3 wins decisively on speed (134.99 t/s vs 62.18 t/s) and price ($2.5 vs $25 per million tokens) while offering direct responses and real-time tools. Both share identical 1M context windows, but trade-offs in safety tuning and vision maturity create clear use-case splits.
Claude Opus 4.8 vs Grok 4.3: side by side
| Spec | Claude Opus 4.8 | Grok 4.3 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence | 61.4 | 43.9 | Claude Opus 4.8 |
| Output speed | 62 t/s | 135 t/s | Grok 4.3 |
| Output price | $25.00/1M | $2.50/1M | Grok 4.3 |
| Context | 1000K | 1000K | Tie |
| Params | — | — | Tie |
| Type | Proprietary | Proprietary | Tie |
| Provider | Anthropic | xAI | Tie |
Detailed analysis
Intelligence
Winner: Claude Opus 4.8Claude Opus 4.8 scores 61.4 on the intelligence index compared to Grok 4.3's 43.9. This gap supports its strength in careful and nuanced reasoning. Grok 4.3 still shows strong performance on complex multi-step reasoning but trails in the provided metric.
Speed
Winner: Grok 4.3Grok 4.3 delivers 134.99 tokens per second versus Claude Opus 4.8's 62.18 t/s. The speed advantage favors Grok for latency-sensitive workloads. Claude's limitation of higher latency on large contexts reinforces this split.
Pricing
Winner: Grok 4.3Grok 4.3 costs $2.5 per million tokens while Claude Opus 4.8 costs $25 per million tokens. The tenfold price difference makes Grok far more economical for extended use. Both models share the same 1M-token context, so cost scales directly with usage volume.
Multimodal Capabilities
Winner: Claude Opus 4.8Claude Opus 4.8 provides strong multimodal integration of text, images, and files. Grok 4.3's vision capabilities are noted as less mature than specialized models. This gives Claude the edge for tasks requiring tight text-image-file reasoning.
Claude Opus 4.8
Pros
- +Handles extremely long inputs effectively
- +Strong multimodal integration of text, images, and files
- +Careful and nuanced reasoning
- +Robust safety alignment
Cons
- –Higher latency on large contexts
- –Conservative response style due to safety tuning
- –May require explicit guidance for creative tasks
Grok 4.3
Pros
- +Strong performance on complex multi-step reasoning
- +Large context window for document-level tasks
- +Helpful and direct response style
- +Integrated real-time tool access
Cons
- –Vision capabilities less mature than specialized models
- –Occasional over-refusal on edge-case queries
- –High computational cost for maximum context usage
Summary: Claude Opus 4.8 vs Grok 4.3
Select Grok 4.3 when speed, cost, and direct tool-assisted reasoning matter most. Choose Claude Opus 4.8 when maximum intelligence and polished multimodal safety are priorities. The identical context sizes mean the decision hinges on intelligence, speed, and price trade-offs rather than window length.
Frequently asked questions
Claude Opus 4.8 is better for intelligence and multimodal quality while Grok 4.3 is better for speed and price; neither dominates all dimensions.