Cursor Basics
Grok 4.6 in Cursor: Pricing and Best Uses
Grok 4.6 is a frontier model from Cursor and SpaceXAI that improved on Grok 4.5's instruction following and long-running agent work. Cursor now points most new work to Grok 4.7, but Grok 4.6 stays available and Cursor Router requires it. Standard costs $2 per million input tokens and $6 output; Fast costs $4 and $12.

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What is Grok 4.6 in Cursor?
Cursor and SpaceXAI released Grok 4.6A Cursor and SpaceXAI model for complex coding and knowledge work, still in the Cursor model pool and succeeded by Grok 4.7; it is a selectable model and is separate from the Grok Bot product. Press Enter for the full definition. on August 12, 2026. Cursor positions it for work that has to survive many steps: researching unfamiliar material, navigating a codebase, using tools, checking results, correcting course, and turning a broad idea into a working application or document.
It is no longer the newest Grok. Cursor's Grok 4.6A Cursor and SpaceXAI model for complex coding and knowledge work, still in the Cursor model pool and succeeded by Grok 4.7; it is a selectable model and is separate from the Grok Bot product. Press Enter for the full definition. page now recommends Grok 4.7Cursor and SpaceXAI's current lead Cursor model, in the weekly pool at $2 per million input tokens and $6 per million output, with a 256k context window and a 500k variant; above 256k input tokens it bills at 2x the standard rate. Press Enter for the full definition., its successor, for stronger self-verification and longer-running work. Grok 4.6 remains available, at the same standard rates as Grok 4.7: $2 input and $6 output per million tokens. For the wider choice, start from the current model guide.
- Model ID
- grok-4.6
- Provider
- Cursor, developed with SpaceXAI
- Context
- 256k; no separate Max context is published
- Capabilities
- Agent and thinking
- Cursor ratings
- Medium speed, medium cost, frontier intelligence
- Usage pool
- Cursor models, with Grok 4.7Cursor and SpaceXAI's current lead Cursor model, in the weekly pool at $2 per million input tokens and $6 per million output, with a 256k context window and a 500k variant; above 256k input tokens it bills at 2x the standard rate. Press Enter for the full definition., Grok 4.5 and Composer 2.5The current Composer release, better at long-running tasks and at judging when a job needs a light touch versus deep work. Press Enter for the full definition.
From Cursor's Grok 4.6 model card.
The documented gains over Grok 4.5 are better instruction following, stronger long-horizon work and better first passes on visual and interactive projects. Use them to decide where to try it first, and test it on work whose correct result you can check.
Don't confuse the model, which you select inside Cursor's agent surfaces, with Grok BotAn early AI teammate product from SpaceXAI and Cursor that works across apps on a persistent cloud computer and asks for approval on selected actions; launch materials describe it as beta, but Cursor says Beta Services terms do not apply. Press Enter for the full definition.. Grok Bot is a separate product that works on its own cloud computer, runs routines and has its own plan access. BugbotCursor's automated PR reviewer that posts inline findings and can push fix commits from isolated VMs. Press Enter for the full definition. is different again: it is Cursor's pull request reviewer.
Check yourself · one question
One user has a persistent agent with plugins and a cloud computer. Another selected Grok 4.6 in Cursor Agent. What should the report say first?
From the Lesson Compare two Grok sessions field by field — about 2 minutes, free to read.
Rather do it than read about it? Run 11 interactive Cursor walkthroughs in a simulated editor. Free, no account needed.
How is Grok 4.6 different from Grok 4.5?
Cursor says Grok 4.6A Cursor and SpaceXAI model for complex coding and knowledge work, still in the Cursor model pool and succeeded by Grok 4.7; it is a selectable model and is separate from the Grok Bot product. Press Enter for the full definition. stays with complex tasks across many steps and follows detailed instructions more reliably than Grok 4.5. Its launch post also reports stronger first passes on visual and interactive projects, and more self-testing and verification during longer runs. These gains matter most on long tasks, where a run that loses track of the goal costs more than one extra model turn.
The launch post credits the change to a longer supplemental training run, supervised trajectories regenerated across effort levels and agent harnesses, and reinforcement learning across general coding, knowledge work, kernel optimization, web development and computer-aided design. That explains how Cursor trained the behavior. Whether it beats an alternative on your stack is something only your own tests can show.
- Signal
- Long work across tools
- Grok 4.6
- Trained for longer agent trajectories and course correction
- What to verify
- It reruns checks after changing its approach
- Signal
- Detailed constraints
- Grok 4.6
- Cursor reports better instruction following than Grok 4.5
- What to verify
- Every acceptance condition survives the final result
- Signal
- Visual or interactive build
- Grok 4.6
- Cursor reports stronger first passes
- What to verify
- The actual screen, responsive states, and interactions
- Signal
- Short routine edit
- Grok 4.6
- The frontier model may be unnecessary
- What to verify
- Composer 2.5The current Composer release, better at long-running tasks and at judging when a job needs a light touch versus deep work. Press Enter for the full definition. or another lower-cost model can pass the same test
| Signal | Grok 4.6 | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Long work across tools | Trained for longer agent trajectories and course correction | It reruns checks after changing its approach |
| Detailed constraints | Cursor reports better instruction following than Grok 4.5 | Every acceptance condition survives the final result |
| Visual or interactive build | Cursor reports stronger first passes | The actual screen, responsive states, and interactions |
| Short routine edit | The frontier model may be unnecessary | Composer 2.5The current Composer release, better at long-running tasks and at judging when a job needs a light touch versus deep work. Press Enter for the full definition. or another lower-cost model can pass the same test |
Selection guidance based on Cursor's model card and launch post.
Cursor's launch post also cites benchmark results, including that Grok 4.6A Cursor and SpaceXAI model for complex coding and knowledge work, still in the Cursor model pool and succeeded by Grok 4.7; it is a selectable model and is separate from the Grok Bot product. Press Enter for the full definition. matches GPT-5.6 Sol on one composite intelligence index. Treat that as launch evidence to check against a repository test. A benchmark can't see your build system, your review standard or your company policy, and it can't tell whether your task needs visual judgment or code reasoning.
Run the same bounded task in a fresh session on each candidate. Keep the prompt, repository state, checks and acceptance criteria fixed.
Then compare the final diff, test results, elapsed time, token use and how often a person had to redirect the run.
Which effort level and tools does Grok 4.6 support?
You can set Grok 4.6A Cursor and SpaceXAI model for complex coding and knowledge work, still in the Cursor model pool and succeeded by Grok 4.7; it is a selectable model and is separate from the Grok Bot product. Press Enter for the full definition. to low, medium, high or xhigh effort. High is the default on plans that let you choose. A higher setting gives the model more time to work through a hard task. The per-token rate stays the same, but a deeper run can use more tokens and take longer.
- Effort
- Low
- Reasonable starting point
- A small, well-specified change
- Watch for
- Skipping a dependency or verification step
- Effort
- Medium
- Reasonable starting point
- Normal repository work, and the fixed setting on Plus and legacy Start
- Watch for
- A hard task that needs a deeper investigation
- Effort
- High
- Reasonable starting point
- Complex debugging, design, or multi-part implementation
- Watch for
- Paying for depth on routine work
- Effort
- xhigh
- Reasonable starting point
- The hardest long-horizon task with a clear test
- Watch for
- Long runs without intermediate evidence
| Effort | Reasonable starting point | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Low | A small, well-specified change | Skipping a dependency or verification step |
| Medium | Normal repository work, and the fixed setting on Plus and legacy Start | A hard task that needs a deeper investigation |
| High | Complex debugging, design, or multi-part implementation | Paying for depth on routine work |
| xhigh | The hardest long-horizon task with a clear test | Long runs without intermediate evidence |
Effort changes how much work the model does, not the list price per token.
Inside Cursor, the model can search files and the web, read and edit files, run shell commands, control a browser, take screenshots, generate images, fetch rules and ask clarifying questions. Cursor also documents image reading for vision-capable models. What a given run can use still depends on the product surface, approval mode, sandbox, team policy and the credentials it has.
The longer the tool list, the more a narrow task contract is worth. Name the files or systems in scope, the commands that prove the work is done, and the actions that need approval. The model can check its own work, but only your acceptance test tells it what finished means in this repository.
How much does Grok 4.6 cost in Cursor?
Included usage comes first: Grok 4.6A Cursor and SpaceXAI model for complex coding and knowledge work, still in the Cursor model pool and succeeded by Grok 4.7; it is a selectable model and is separate from the Grok Bot product. Press Enter for the full definition. draws on the pool for Cursor models that your plan includes. Beyond the pool, Cursor publishes Standard and Fast rates per million tokens. Its table shows no cache-write rate for either tier, and Cursor doesn't say whether the blank means cache writes are free.
- Variant
- Grok 4.6A Cursor and SpaceXAI model for complex coding and knowledge work, still in the Cursor model pool and succeeded by Grok 4.7; it is a selectable model and is separate from the Grok Bot product. Press Enter for the full definition. Standard
- Input
- $2
- Cache write
- Not listed
- Cache read
- $0.50
- Output
- $6
- Variant
- Grok 4.6A Cursor and SpaceXAI model for complex coding and knowledge work, still in the Cursor model pool and succeeded by Grok 4.7; it is a selectable model and is separate from the Grok Bot product. Press Enter for the full definition. Fast
- Input
- $4
- Cache write
- Not listed
- Cache read
- $1
- Output
- $12
| Variant | Input | Cache write | Cache read | Output |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grok 4.6A Cursor and SpaceXAI model for complex coding and knowledge work, still in the Cursor model pool and succeeded by Grok 4.7; it is a selectable model and is separate from the Grok Bot product. Press Enter for the full definition. Standard | $2 | Not listed | $0.50 | $6 |
| Grok 4.6A Cursor and SpaceXAI model for complex coding and knowledge work, still in the Cursor model pool and succeeded by Grok 4.7; it is a selectable model and is separate from the Grok Bot product. Press Enter for the full definition. Fast | $4 | Not listed | $1 | $12 |
List prices per million tokens for usage beyond the plan's pool.
Fast doubles every published rate, and it is the default speed tier on Premium and higher and on the legacy Pro, Pro+ and Ultra plans. Confirm the speed tier before cost-sensitive work starts. Standard suits queued or background work where nobody waits on each response, while Fast is easier to justify in an active pairing loop.
Cursor's launch promotion is over. For one week from August 12, the model page listed a 50% discount and the launch post described two times the included usage.
Grok 4.7Cursor and SpaceXAI's current lead Cursor model, in the weekly pool at $2 per million input tokens and $6 per million output, with a 256k context window and a 500k variant; above 256k input tokens it bills at 2x the standard rate. Press Enter for the full definition., Grok 4.5 and Composer 2.5The current Composer release, better at long-running tasks and at judging when a job needs a light touch versus deep work. Press Enter for the full definition. draw from the same pool. Legacy Cursor plansThe plans Cursor sold before The X Subscription (Hobby, Start, Pro, Pro+, Ultra, and Teams Standard and Premium seats); they keep working for existing subscribers with two monthly usage pools and on-demand usage. Press Enter for the full definition. split usage into two monthly pools instead: Cursor ModelsOn legacy Cursor plans, the monthly usage pool for Cursor's own models (Grok 4.7, Grok 4.6, Grok 4.5 and Composer 2.5), kept separate from the third-party Other Models pool. The X Subscription replaces it with one weekly pool. Press Enter for the full definition., which covers Grok 4.6A Cursor and SpaceXAI model for complex coding and knowledge work, still in the Cursor model pool and succeeded by Grok 4.7; it is a selectable model and is separate from the Grok Bot product. Press Enter for the full definition., and Other ModelsOn legacy Cursor plans, the monthly pool for supported third-party models from providers such as Anthropic, Google and OpenAI, separate from Cursor Models. On The X Subscription third-party models are billed from prepaid credit instead. Press Enter for the full definition. for third-party models.
Teams and Enterprise pay a $0.25 per million Cursor Token Rate on eligible third-party models, whether selected directly or reached through some Auto routes. Cursor's own models, Grok 4.6A Cursor and SpaceXAI model for complex coding and knowledge work, still in the Cursor model pool and succeeded by Grok 4.7; it is a selectable model and is separate from the Grok Bot product. Press Enter for the full definition. included, don't carry it.
Do Plus and Cursor Start include Grok 4.6?
Yes, at fixed settings. On Plus and on Cursor StartAn India-only legacy individual plan at ₹649 a month centered on Cursor's own models, with cloud and mobile access but without Other Models, Auto, Bugbot, Automations or the Agent SDK; Cursor names Plus as the comparable plan on The X Subscription. Press Enter for the full definition., Grok 4.6A Cursor and SpaceXAI model for complex coding and knowledge work, still in the Cursor model pool and succeeded by Grok 4.7; it is a selectable model and is separate from the Grok Bot product. Press Enter for the full definition. runs at standard speed with medium effort, alongside Grok 4.7Cursor and SpaceXAI's current lead Cursor model, in the weekly pool at $2 per million input tokens and $6 per million output, with a 256k context window and a 500k variant; above 256k input tokens it bills at 2x the standard rate. Press Enter for the full definition., Grok 4.5 and Composer 2.5The current Composer release, better at long-running tasks and at judging when a job needs a light touch versus deep work. Press Enter for the full definition.. Start is the plan Cursor sold to developers in India before The X SubscriptionThe subscription Cursor is sold through: one plan for Grok, Cursor and X, with Free, Plus, Premium, Super and Ultra tiers, per-seat Teams, a weekly included pool for Cursor models shared with Grok, and third-party models billed at API list price from prepaid credit. Press Enter for the full definition., now legacy, at ₹649 a month with tax included.
- Control or feature on Start
- Standard speed
- Status
- Included
- Control or feature on Start
- Medium effort
- Status
- Fixed
- Control or feature on Start
- Fast mode
- Status
- Not available
- Control or feature on Start
- Low, high, or xhigh selection
- Status
- Not available
- Control or feature on Start
- On-demand usage
- Status
- Not included
- Control or feature on Start
- Other ModelsOn legacy Cursor plans, the monthly pool for supported third-party models from providers such as Anthropic, Google and OpenAI, separate from Cursor Models. On The X Subscription third-party models are billed from prepaid credit instead. Press Enter for the full definition. and Auto
- Status
- Not included
| Control or feature on Start | Status |
|---|---|
| Standard speed | Included |
| Medium effort | Fixed |
| Fast mode | Not available |
| Low, high, or xhigh selection | Not available |
| On-demand usage | Not included |
| Other ModelsOn legacy Cursor plans, the monthly pool for supported third-party models from providers such as Anthropic, Google and OpenAI, separate from Cursor Models. On The X Subscription third-party models are billed from prepaid credit instead. Press Enter for the full definition. and Auto | Not included |
Legacy Cursor Start plan boundaries, from Cursor's Start help page.
Start also excludes BugbotCursor's automated PR reviewer that posts inline findings and can push fix commits from isolated VMs. Press Enter for the full definition., Automations and the Cursor SDK. The Grok 4.6A Cursor and SpaceXAI model for complex coding and knowledge work, still in the Cursor model pool and succeeded by Grok 4.7; it is a selectable model and is separate from the Grok Bot product. Press Enter for the full definition. it includes is the same model with its speed and effort controls fixed, and AI features pause when the monthly pool runs out. For Fast, effort choice, Bugbot or Automations, move to Premium or above on The X SubscriptionThe subscription Cursor is sold through: one plan for Grok, Cursor and X, with Free, Plus, Premium, Super and Ultra tiers, per-seat Teams, a weekly included pool for Cursor models shared with Grok, and third-party models billed at API list price from prepaid credit. Press Enter for the full definition., or to legacy Pro, Pro+ or Ultra. Cursor's pricing pages don't say which plans on The X Subscription include the SDK.
Cursor publishes no size for Start's allowance. Its help page says the monthly pool is larger than the free Hobby plan's, and that the Grok models use it faster than Composer 2.5The current Composer release, better at long-running tasks and at judging when a job needs a light touch versus deep work. Press Enter for the full definition. does. Check the dashboard for the balance you have left.
What should a team check before standardizing on Grok 4.6?
Start with model access, the usage pool and Privacy ModeCursor's setting that guarantees code data is not used for training by Cursor or its model providers, and that an admin can enforce org-wide; data-retention terms are a separate, contractual layer. Press Enter for the full definition.. Cursor says that with Privacy Mode on, code is never used for training by Cursor or its model providers. Its privacy page adds that most models run under zero data retention agreements, and names the Claude Fable models as exceptions. It publishes no retention period specific to Grok 4.6A Cursor and SpaceXAI model for complex coding and knowledge work, still in the Cursor model pool and succeeded by Grok 4.7; it is a selectable model and is separate from the Grok Bot product. Press Enter for the full definition..
Data residency is a separate check. Cursor's Models & Pricing page marks Grok 4.6A Cursor and SpaceXAI model for complex coding and knowledge work, still in the Cursor model pool and succeeded by Grok 4.7; it is a selectable model and is separate from the Grok Bot product. Press Enter for the full definition. as eligible for US-only data residency. That option is for Enterprise customers, is enabled per team, and adds 10% to the price of eligible models.
Keep Grok 4.6A Cursor and SpaceXAI model for complex coding and knowledge work, still in the Cursor model pool and succeeded by Grok 4.7; it is a selectable model and is separate from the Grok Bot product. Press Enter for the full definition. allowed after a move to Grok 4.7Cursor and SpaceXAI's current lead Cursor model, in the weekly pool at $2 per million input tokens and $6 per million output, with a 256k context window and a 500k variant; above 256k input tokens it bills at 2x the standard rate. Press Enter for the full definition., because Cursor Router requires it and blocking it disables the router.
At launch, Cursor also made Grok 4.6A Cursor and SpaceXAI model for complex coding and knowledge work, still in the Cursor model pool and succeeded by Grok 4.7; it is a selectable model and is separate from the Grok Bot product. Press Enter for the full definition. available in Grok Build, the SpaceXAI API, OpenRouter, Vercel and Cloudflare. Availability there doesn't carry over Cursor's billing, tool access, retention or approval controls.
- 1Confirm the model is allowed for the relevant team or group, and keep it allowed if you use Cursor Router.
- 2Choose Standard or Fast, and set an effort level that matches the task.
- 3Run a representative task with fixed acceptance criteria and record the evidence.
- 4Check Privacy ModeCursor's setting that guarantees code data is not used for training by Cursor or its model providers, and that an admin can enforce org-wide; data-retention terms are a separate, contractual layer. Press Enter for the full definition., retention exceptions and residency eligibility against current documentation.
- 5Review usage after one billing cycle before you make it the default everywhere.
Keep a dated record of what you verified, when, and on which task. Grok 4.6A Cursor and SpaceXAI model for complex coding and knowledge work, still in the Cursor model pool and succeeded by Grok 4.7; it is a selectable model and is separate from the Grok Bot product. Press Enter for the full definition. shows why: since launch, it has stopped being the Grok model Cursor recommends, become eligible for US-only data residency and become the model Cursor Router requires.
Frequently asked questions
When did Grok 4.6 launch, and who built it?
Cursor released Grok 4.6 with SpaceXAI on August 12, 2026. Its model ID is grok-4.6, and its model card lists a 256k context window, Agent and Thinking capabilities, medium speed and cost, and frontier intelligence.
How much does Grok 4.6 cost?
Your plan's included usage covers it first. Beyond that, Standard costs $2 per million input tokens, $0.50 cache read and $6 output, and Fast costs $4 input, $1 cache read and $12 output. Cursor does not list a cache-write rate.
Which effort levels does Grok 4.6 support?
Low, medium, high and xhigh, with high as the default. Plus and the legacy Cursor Start plan fix the model at medium effort and standard speed.
Is Grok 4.6 included with Cursor Start?
Yes. The legacy Start plan includes Grok 4.6 at standard speed and fixed medium effort. Fast, effort choice, third-party models, Auto, on-demand usage, Bugbot, Automations and the SDK are not included.
Where can I select Grok 4.6 in Cursor?
Select Grok 4.6 in Cursor's coding-agent model picker where your plan supports it. That picker is separate from Grok Bot, a product that works on its own cloud computer, with different access and security boundaries.
Does Cursor Router need Grok 4.6?
Yes. Cursor's router docs make enabling Grok 4.6 a requirement, because the router needs a powerful, cost-efficient model for turns that don't need another frontier model. If a team blocks Grok 4.6, the router is disabled.
Sources & last verified
- Cursor: Grok 4.6 model documentation
- Cursor: Introducing Grok 4.6
- Cursor: Models and pricing
- Cursor: Privacy and data governance
- Cursor Help: Grok 4.6
- Cursor Docs: Cursor Router
- Cursor Help: Cursor Start
Cursor ships frequently. Facts verified against primary sources on October 28, 2026.