GoldieBench Blog · 6 min read
Grok Bot vs Codex: Which AI Models Each One Runs, What The GoldieBench Scores Say, And How To Pair Them
Codex lets you choose the model. Grok Bot doesn't. Here's what the GoldieBench numbers mean for each.
Grok Bot vs Codex splits on model choice: Codex lets you pick the model and reasoning effort, while Grok Bot chooses the model for every task itself and gives you no picker.
That one difference decides how useful a benchmark is for each tool.
For Codex, a score helps you choose what to run.
For Grok Bot, a score only describes models it might route to, and the docs say you can't steer that routing.
Below I pull the GoldieBench scores that matter for this pairing and quote each one with the page I read it on, on 31 October 2026.
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How each tool picks its model
Codex: you choose
The Codex CLI page lists model, reasoning effort and permissions among the things you set for each task.
OpenAI's plan table names GPT-6.1 Sol and GPT-6 Luna on Plus.
The Codex docs home adds GPT-6.1 Terra for visual reasoning and computer use on Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu.
On GitHub, rust-v0.165.0 (27 October) added a Vertex AI provider, and rust-v0.166.0 (29 October) put Terra in the bundled, Vertex AI and Amazon Bedrock catalogs.
Grok Bot: it chooses
The Grok Bot FAQ says there's no model picker and the backend model can change from one request to the next.
It can be a first-party SpaceXSI model or a third-party model from a provider on Cursor's sub-processor list.
Grok Bot doesn't show which model handled a request, and a Cursor team's model allowlist doesn't apply to it.
The GoldieBench scores that matter here
| Model | GoldieBench score | Tasks | Page read |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-5.6 Sol | 8.16/10 average | 50 | /models/gpt56 |
| Grok | 8.09/10 average | 47 demos, 43 scored | /models/grok |
| Grok 4.7 | 7.15/10 average | 20 | /models/grok47 |
| GPT-5.6 Sol vs Grok 4.7 | Sol wins 12–5, 3 ties | Shared tasks | /vs/gpt56-vs-grok47 |
Every score is a one-shot result: same fixed prompt, one try, one self-contained HTML file, scored 0–10.
What GPT-5.6 Sol's 8.16 tells a Codex user
On the GPT-5.6 Sol page, the model averages 8.16/10 over 50 tasks with 2 gold, 9 silver and 10 bronze medals.
It was benched as the flagship Sol tier at medium reasoning effort.
That's the nearest OpenAI model on the bench to what Codex runs today, but it isn't the same model.
Codex's current catalog names GPT-6.1 Sol, GPT-6 Luna and GPT-6.1 Terra, and none of those three appear on the GoldieBench model list.
The page's best-for list points Sol at the hardest reasoning and code jobs.
Read the 8.16 as a signal about the Sol line, not a grade for Codex the agent.
What the Grok scores tell a Grok Bot user
The Grok page shows 8.09/10 across 47 one-shot demos, 43 of them scored, with a 256,000-token context window.
Grok 4.7 averages 7.15/10 on 20 game builds, with 0 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze medals.
The Grok 4.7 page also lists xAI-reported reference numbers: CursorBench 4.0 at 46.3%, DeepSWE v1.1 at 71.0% and Terminal-Bench 4.0 at 38.0%.
GoldieBench marks those as outside benchmarks, not its own medal scores.
None of these numbers tell you what Grok Bot will run on a given task, because it hides the model.
The FAQ even uses a task routed to Opus 5.5 as its example.
The head-to-head: GPT-5.6 Sol vs Grok 4.7
On the head-to-head page, GPT-5.6 Sol beats Grok 4.7 by 12 tasks to 5, with 3 ties.
That page puts Sol's average at 8.12/10 across the shared tasks, against 7.15/10 for Grok 4.7.
The 8.12 differs from the 8.16 on the model page because it only counts tasks both models ran.
For code-heavy agent work, that's a point for the OpenAI side.
For Grok Bot, it matters less, because coding goes to Cursor Cloud Agents anyway.
What the bench doesn't cover
- Codex's current models. GPT-6.1 Sol, GPT-6.1 Terra and GPT-6 Luna weren't on the model list when I read it.
- The agents themselves. GoldieBench scores models on one-shot builds, not agents that loop, run tools and wait for approvals.
- Grok Bot's routing. With no visible model, there's nothing on the bench to map a Grok Bot run to.
- Safety behaviour. Sandboxes, Auto Review and Ask first rules sit outside what a one-shot score measures.
The methodology page spells out the rules: same prompt for every model, no iteration, no best-of-N, and Julian's own 0–10 score.
How to read a one-shot score for agent work
A one-shot score measures first-draft quality with no second chance.
Agents get second chances: Codex can run tests, read errors and retry inside the sandbox.
So a high one-shot score is a good tiebreak for which model to run in Codex, not a promise about the finished pull request.
Codex's approval settings and your AGENTS.md rules shape the final result as much as the model does.
Use the medals as a second signal: a model that collects silvers and bronzes across many tasks is steadier than one with a single gold.
GPT-5.6 Sol's 21 medals across 50 tasks show that kind of range, while Grok 4.7's 5 medals across 20 tasks show a narrower strength in game builds.
Why the bench still matters for Grok Bot users
You can't pick Grok Bot's model, but you can pick what Grok Bot does.
If your Agent OS already runs a strong code model through Codex, Grok Bot never needs to touch the repo.
That leaves Grok Bot on browser work, inboxes and routines, where its cloud computer matters more than any score.
The bench then guides the Codex side and your Agent OS model tabs, which is where you do have a dial.
The pairing plan
| Lane | What to run | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Hard code in Codex | The Sol tier you have access to | Sol is the top OpenAI line on the bench at 8.16/10 |
| Bulk code in Codex | A lighter tier such as Terra | The GPT-5.6 Sol page routes Sol to the hard calls and Terra to the bulk |
| Business errands | Grok Bot, no model to pick | Its value is the cloud computer, apps and routines |
| One-shot builds in your Agent OS | Grok 4.7 in the Grok Build tab | Its page lists arcade, driving and shooter one-shots as its best fit |
I'd wire the Codex lanes into an Agent OS kanban, the same routing taught inside the AI Profit Boardroom.
Verdict: pick by job, then by model
Pick Codex if your work is code, because it's the side where a benchmark actually changes what you run.
Pick Grok Bot if your work is inboxes, Slack and routines, and accept that the model choice isn't yours.
Pair them if you do both, with Codex on the strongest Sol tier you can reach and Grok Bot on the errands.
Get the routed Agent OS setup inside the AI Profit Boardroom.
Open the four GoldieBench pages above and set your Codex model today.
Also On Our Network
- Agent Operatorsthe seven-step setup order for running Codex and Grok Bot side by side
- AI Income Deskwhich agent a shop, a service firm or an agency should buy first
- AI Tool Verdictan eight-criterion scorecard with a split verdict for code and business work
- agentos.guidefive copy-paste prompts that wire Codex and Grok Bot into one workflow
- aiprofitboardroom.comthe complete Grok Bot Vs Codex guide on the AI Profit Boardroom blog
Read the GoldieBench pages, set your Codex model, and book a free strategy session if you want help pairing models with grok bot vs codex.
FAQ
Can I choose which model Grok Bot uses?
No. Grok Bot picks the model for each task, has no model picker and doesn't show which model handled a request.
Which models can Codex run?
OpenAI's docs list GPT-6.1 Sol and GPT-6 Luna on Plus, plus GPT-6.1 Terra on Plus and higher plans. You set the model and reasoning effort per task.
Has GoldieBench scored Codex directly?
No. GoldieBench scores models on one-shot builds. The closest OpenAI entry is GPT-5.6 Sol at 8.16/10 over 50 tasks.
How does GPT-5.6 Sol compare with Grok 4.7 on GoldieBench?
Sol wins the head-to-head 12 to 5 with 3 ties, averaging 8.12/10 on shared tasks against 7.15/10 for Grok 4.7.
Keep reading
Grok Bot Plugins + Which AI Models To Pair With Them: Real GoldieBench Scores For Grok, Grok 4.7 And The Top Of The Board
Grok Bot Computer Use: Which AI Models To Pair With It, And What The GoldieBench Scores Mean When You Can't Pick The Model
Hermes Camofox + Which AI Models To Run It With: Real GoldieBench Scores For Every Browser Job🌐 Sister-site take: read this on agentos.guide