Head to head
Grok 4.5 vs Inkling
Grok 4.5 (xAI) and Inkling (Thinking Machines) compared on intelligence, speed, context, and price — and which to choose. Both run on just4o.chat from one chat.
| Metric | Grok 4.5 | Inkling |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligence (AA index) | — | 46 |
| Output speed (tokens/sec) | — | — |
| Context window | 500K ✓ | 256K |
| Max output | — | 256K |
| Input price / 1M | $2 | $1 ✓ |
| Output price / 1M | $6 | $4.05 ✓ |
| Released | 2026-07-08 | 2026-07 |
Choose Grok 4.5 if you want…
- Larger context window (500K)
Choose Inkling if you want…
- Lower price ($1.76 / 1M blended)
Inkling
Inkling is Thinking Machines Lab's first open-weights model, and on just4o.chat it runs through the Vercel AI Gateway under thinkingmachines/inkling. It is a multimodal MoE with 975B total parameters and 41B active, trained to reason over text, images, and audio in a shared space rather than bolting on separate encoders. Controllable thinking effort lets you trade latency for depth, function calling supports agentic workflows, and a 256k context window on the gateway is roomy enough for long multimodal sessions. It is a base-tier model on just4o.chat, billed at 4 base requests per send before length multipliers, at $1.00 per million input and $4.05 per million output tokens (cached input $0.17). Practical caveats: no native web search on this route, and chat attachments currently emphasize image input even though the model itself understands audio. For teams that want an open, customizable multimodal foundation with ZDR-compatible gateway routing, Inkling is a strong addition.
Full Inkling details →FAQ
Which is better, Grok 4.5 or Inkling?
Grok 4.5 leads on 1 of the headline metrics (larger context window (500k)), while Inkling wins on lower price ($1.76 / 1m blended). The right pick depends on whether you prioritise capability, speed, or cost.
Is Grok 4.5 or Inkling cheaper?
Inkling is cheaper at $1.76 per 1M tokens (blended), versus $3.
Can I use both Grok 4.5 and Inkling?
Yes. Both are available on just4o.chat from a single chat — you can switch between them per message with no separate subscriptions.