Claude Haiku 4.5 vs Grok-3
Claude Haiku 4.5 (2025) and Grok-3 (2025) are frontier reasoning models from Anthropic and xAI. Claude Haiku 4.5 ships a 200k-token context window, while Grok-3 ships a 131k-token context window. On pricing, both list $0.80/1M input tokens on the cheapest tracked route. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
Claude Haiku 4.5 is safer overall; choose Grok-3 when reasoning depth matters.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Claude Haiku 4.5 | Grok-3 |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | multimodal apps, tool-calling agents, and provider-routed production | reasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agents |
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 200k | 131k |
| Cheapest output | $4/1M tokens | $2.40/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 8 tracked | 4 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Claude Haiku 4.5 has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Claude Haiku 4.5 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Claude Haiku 4.5 uniquely exposes Code execution in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Claude Haiku 4.5 for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- Grok-3 has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $2.40/1M tokens.
- Grok-3 uniquely exposes Reasoning in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Grok-3 for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
Claude Haiku 4.5
$1,640
Cheapest tracked route/tier: AWS Bedrock
Grok-3
$1,240
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Chutes AI
Estimated monthly gap: $400. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter and Microsoft Foundry; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Grok-3 is $1.60/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Code execution before moving production traffic.
- Grok-3 adds Reasoning in local capability data.
- Provider overlap exists on Microsoft Foundry and OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Claude Haiku 4.5 is $1.60/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Check replacement coverage for Reasoning before moving production traffic.
- Claude Haiku 4.5 adds Code execution in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-10-01 | 2025-02-17 |
| Context window | 200k | 131k |
| Parameters | — | — |
| Architecture | decoder only | - |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Openness | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Commercial use | Commercial use with conditions | Commercial use with conditions |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2025-02 | 2025-04 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Claude Haiku 4.5 | Grok-3 |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.80/1M tokens | $0.80/1M tokens |
| Output price | $4/1M tokens | $2.40/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Claude Haiku 4.5 | Grok-3 |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | Yes |
| Multimodal | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning | No | Yes |
| Function calling | Yes | Yes |
| Tool use | Yes | Yes |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | Yes | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on reasoning mode: Grok-3 and code execution: Claude Haiku 4.5. Both models share vision, multimodal input, function calling, and tool use, so the practical split is not just feature count. Use those differences to decide whether the page is about raw model quality, agentic coding support, multimodal ingestion, or predictable structured API behavior.
For cost, Claude Haiku 4.5 lists $0.80/1M input and $4/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while Grok-3 lists $0.80/1M input and $2.40/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Grok-3 lower by about $0.48 per million blended tokens. Availability is 8 providers versus 4, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Claude Haiku 4.5 when coding workflow support, larger context windows, and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Grok-3 when reasoning depth are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship. This keeps the decision grounded in measurable tradeoffs instead of brand-level assumptions. It also helps separate model capability from provider packaging, which can change cost and latency.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Claude Haiku 4.5 or Grok-3?
Claude Haiku 4.5 supports 200k tokens, while Grok-3 supports 131k tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Which is cheaper, Claude Haiku 4.5 or Grok-3?
Grok-3 is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Claude Haiku 4.5 costs $0.80/1M input and $4/1M output tokens. Grok-3 costs $0.80/1M input and $2.40/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Claude Haiku 4.5 or Grok-3 open source?
Claude Haiku 4.5 is listed under Proprietary. Grok-3 is listed under Proprietary. License labels affect whether you can self-host, redistribute weights, or rely only on hosted APIs, so confirm the upstream license before deployment.
Which is better for vision, Claude Haiku 4.5 or Grok-3?
Both Claude Haiku 4.5 and Grok-3 expose vision. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Which is better for multimodal input, Claude Haiku 4.5 or Grok-3?
Both Claude Haiku 4.5 and Grok-3 expose multimodal input. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Where can I run Claude Haiku 4.5 and Grok-3?
Claude Haiku 4.5 is available on Microsoft Foundry, Anthropic, Snowflake Cortex, AWS Bedrock, and GCP Vertex AI. Grok-3 is available on OpenRouter, xAI Console, Chutes AI, and Microsoft Foundry. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-25. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.