GPT-4o mini vs Grok 3
A complete head-to-head: pricing, context window, benchmarks, modality coverage, and openness, with a programmatic verdict synthesized from the underlying data.
Updated
GPT-4o mini specs · Grok 3 specs- PriceGPT-4o mini
GPT-4o mini is roughly 25.0× cheaper on output tokens ($0.60 vs $15.00 per 1M).
- 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.
- ModalitiesTie
Both handle text, vision.
- OpennessTie
Both are closed-weight, API-only.
On balance GPT-4o mini edges ahead, winning 1 of 5 categories against Grok 3's 0. GPT-4o mini is roughly 25.0× cheaper on output tokens ($0.60 vs $15.00 per 1M). Both ship a 128K-token context window.
No directly comparable public benchmarks are available for both models, check the spec sheets for individual scores. Both target the same set of modalities (text, vision), so the deciding factors are price, context, and raw quality. Both are closed-weight, API-only.
Grok 3 is the newer of the two, released 7 months after GPT-4o mini, which usually means a more recent knowledge cutoff and updated safety post-training. GPT-4o mini is usually picked for customer support and summarization workloads, while Grok 3 sees more deployments in chatbots and research agent. If pricing matters more than every last benchmark point, run the numbers in the calculator below before committing.
Side-by-side specs
| Spec | GPT-4o mini | Grok 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | xAI |
| Released | Jul 2024 | Feb 2025 |
| Modalities | text, vision | text, vision |
| Context window | 128K tokens | 128K tokens |
| Max output | , | , |
| Input · 1M | $0.15 / 1M tokens | $3.00 / 1M tokens |
| Output · 1M | $0.60 / 1M tokens | $15.00 / 1M tokens |
| Knowledge cutoff | , | 2024-08 |
| Open weights | No | 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 $31.50
- Heavy usage, 1M in / 500k out per day$13.50 vs $315
- RAG workload, 5M in / 200k out per day$26.10 vs $540
Light usage, 100k in / 50k out per day: $1.35 vs $31.50 per month, model A comes out ahead. Heavy usage, 1M in / 500k out per day: $13.50 vs $315 per month, model A comes out ahead. RAG workload, 5M in / 200k out per day: $26.10 vs $540 per month, model A comes out ahead.
Estimated spend for the listed models at your usage. Numbers are derived from each model's published per-million-token rates.
- GPT-4o mini$0.045
- Grok 3$1.05
Benchmarks compared
Only sourced numbers. Where a benchmark is missing for one model we show the available value rather than fabricating the other.
- MMLU82.0
GPT-4o mini fits when…
- Cheap
- Fast
- Mature
- Cost-sensitive workloads, 25.0× cheaper than Grok 3 on output tokens.
Grok 3 fits when…
- Real-time X access
- Reasoning modes
Consider GPT-5.5
OpenAI's mid-cycle GPT-5 refresh, improved reasoning, tool use, and multimodal grounding over the 2025 launch.
Frequently asked
Is GPT-4o mini or Grok 3 cheaper?
GPT-4o mini is cheaper at $0.60 / 1M tokens per million output tokens, vs $15.00 / 1M tokens for Grok 3.Which has the larger context window?
Both GPT-4o mini and Grok 3 ship a 128K-token context window.Is GPT-4o mini or Grok 3 better for coding?
Both GPT-4o mini and Grok 3 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?
Neither model ships open weights, both are accessible only via their respective providers' APIs.When were GPT-4o mini and Grok 3 released?
GPT-4o mini was released by OpenAI on 2024-07-18. Grok 3 was released by xAI on 2025-02-17.
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