Command R (08-2024) vs Grok 2
A complete head-to-head: pricing, context window, benchmarks, modality coverage, and openness, with a programmatic verdict synthesized from the underlying data.
Updated
Command R (08-2024) specs · Grok 2 specs- PriceCommand R (08-2024)
Command R (08-2024) publishes pricing ($0.60 / 1M output tokens) while Grok 2 does not.
- Context windowTie
Both ship a 128K-token context window.
- BenchmarksTie
No directly comparable public benchmarks are available for both models, check the spec sheets for individual scores.
- ModalitiesGrok 2
Grok 2 supports 2 modalities (text, vision) vs 1 for Command R (08-2024).
- OpennessCommand R (08-2024)
Command R (08-2024) ships open weights (CC-BY-NC 4.0); Grok 2 is API-only.
On balance Command R (08-2024) edges ahead, winning 2 of 5 categories against Grok 2's 1. Command R (08-2024) publishes pricing ($0.60 / 1M output tokens) while Grok 2 does not. Both ship a 128K-token context window.
No directly comparable public benchmarks are available for both models, check the spec sheets for individual scores. They differ in modality coverage, Command R (08-2024) handles text while Grok 2 handles text, vision, which can be the deciding factor before you even look at benchmarks. Command R (08-2024) ships open weights (CC-BY-NC 4.0); Grok 2 is API-only.
Both shipped within roughly a month of each other in 2024, so they share the same generation of training data and tooling. Command R (08-2024) is usually picked for rag and multilingual workloads, while Grok 2 sees more deployments in chatbots. If pricing matters more than every last benchmark point, run the numbers in the calculator below before committing.
Side-by-side specs
| Spec | Command R (08-2024) | Grok 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Cohere | xAI |
| Released | Aug 2024 | Aug 2024 |
| Modalities | text | text, vision |
| Context window | 128K tokens | 128K tokens |
| Max output | , | , |
| Input · 1M | $0.15 / 1M tokens | Pricing not published |
| Output · 1M | $0.60 / 1M tokens | Pricing not published |
| Knowledge cutoff | , | , |
| Open weights | Yes (CC-BY-NC 4.0) | No |
| API available | Yes | Yes |
Pricing at scale
What you'd actually pay at typical workloads. Numbers come from each model's published per-million-token rates.
- Light usage, 100k in / 50k out per day$1.35 vs ,
- Heavy usage, 1M in / 500k out per day$13.50 vs ,
- RAG workload, 5M in / 200k out per day$26.10 vs ,
Light usage, 100k in / 50k out per day: pricing not directly comparable (one or both models are missing public per-token rates). Heavy usage, 1M in / 500k out per day: pricing not directly comparable (one or both models are missing public per-token rates). RAG workload, 5M in / 200k out per day: pricing not directly comparable (one or both models are missing public per-token rates).
Estimated spend for the listed models at your usage. Numbers are derived from each model's published per-million-token rates.
- Command R (08-2024)$0.045
- Grok 2Pricing unavailable
Benchmarks compared
Only sourced numbers. Where a benchmark is missing for one model we show the available value rather than fabricating the other.
Command R (08-2024) fits when…
- Improved tool-use
- Strong multilingual
- Self-hosting and on-prem requirements, open weights (CC-BY-NC 4.0).
Grok 2 fits when…
- Free on X Premium
- Real-time data
- Multimodal needs covering vision.
Consider Command R+ (08-2024)
Cohere's flagship optimized for RAG and tool use in enterprise settings.
Frequently asked
Is Command R (08-2024) or Grok 2 cheaper?
Per-token pricing isn't published for at least one of these models, check each model's spec page for current rates.Which has the larger context window?
Both Command R (08-2024) and Grok 2 ship a 128K-token context window.Is Command R (08-2024) or Grok 2 better for coding?
Both Command R (08-2024) and Grok 2 are competitive on coding benchmarks. See each model's individual spec page for HumanEval and SWE-bench scores where published. For an opinionated pick, consult our Best LLM for Coding ranking.Are either of these models open source?
Command R (08-2024) ships open weights (CC-BY-NC 4.0). Grok 2 is API-only.When were Command R (08-2024) and Grok 2 released?
Command R (08-2024) was released by Cohere on 2024-08-30. Grok 2 was released by xAI on 2024-08-13.
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