xAI API vs Perplexity Sonar API pricing
Both start at $1 per million input tokens, $2 per million output. xAI API has changed its listed prices 2 times since 2026. Perplexity Sonar API has not changed its listed prices since 2026.
xAI API vs Perplexity Sonar API at a glance
Current list prices as last read from each pricing page.
xAI API
- Starts at
- $1 per million input tokens, $2 per million outputgrok-build-0.1, USD per million tokens, prompts under 200K tokens
- Top listed plan
- $2 per million input tokens, $6 per million outputgrok-4.6
- Priced by
- Usage based
- Free plan
- Not recorded
- Price history
- since 2026
- Price changes
- 2
Perplexity Sonar API
- Starts at
- $1 per million input tokens, $1 per million output, plus $5 to $12 per 1,000 requestsSonar, USD per million tokens, before per request fees
- Top listed plan
- $3 per million input tokens, $15 per million output, plus $6 to $14 per 1,000 requestsSonar Pro
- Priced by
- Usage based
- Free plan
- Not recorded
- Price history
- since 2026
- Price changes
- none
xAI API vs Perplexity Sonar API price history
Both histories on one chart. The default line is each product's cheapest paid plan.
Show the data as a table
| Observed | xAI API grok-4.3, input | Perplexity Sonar API Sonar, input |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 21, 2026 | $1.25 | $1 |
| Oct 3, 2026 | $1.25 | $1 |
Plans side by side
Every plan currently listed, with the price it started at where we have it.
xAI APIUSD per million tokens, prompts under 200K tokens
| Plan | Price | Listed since |
|---|---|---|
| grok-4.6, input | $2 | Sep 2026 |
| grok-4.6, output | $6 | Sep 2026 |
| grok-4.3, input | $1.25 | Sep 2026 |
| grok-4.3, output | $2.50 | Sep 2026 |
| grok-4.7, input | $2 | Oct 2026 |
| grok-4.7, output | $6 | Oct 2026 |
Perplexity Sonar APIUSD per million tokens, before per request fees
| Plan | Price | Listed since |
|---|---|---|
| Sonar, input | $1 | Sep 2026 |
| Sonar, output | $1 | Sep 2026 |
| Sonar Pro, input | $3 | Sep 2026 |
| Sonar Pro, output | $15 | Sep 2026 |
What changed, and when
Every dated price move we have on record for either product, newest first.
- Oct 2026xAI API added the grok-4.7 input and output plans. grok-4.7, input listed at $2. grok-4.7, output listed at $6.
xAI API vs Perplexity Sonar API pricing questions
- Is xAI API or Perplexity Sonar API cheaper?
- Both start at $1 per million input tokens, $2 per million output. xAI API's top listed plan is grok-4.6 at $2 per million input tokens, $6 per million output, Perplexity Sonar API's top listed plan is Sonar Pro at $3 per million input tokens, $15 per million output, plus $6 to $14 per 1,000 requests.
- Has xAI API or Perplexity Sonar API raised prices?
- xAI API: grok-4.7, input appeared by Oct 2026 at $2. grok-4.7, output appeared by Oct 2026 at $6. Perplexity Sonar API has not changed its listed prices since 2026.
- How are xAI API and Perplexity Sonar API priced?
- xAI API: usage based, USD per million tokens, prompts under 200K tokens. Perplexity Sonar API: usage based, USD per million tokens, before per request fees.
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