Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 vs Grok 3 Mini
Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 (2025) and Grok 3 Mini (2025) are general-purpose language models from Google DeepMind and xAI. Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 ships a 1m-token context window, while Grok 3 Mini ships a 131k-token context window. On pricing, Grok 3 Mini costs $0.25/1M input tokens versus $1.25/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
Grok 3 Mini is ~400% cheaper at $0.25/1M; pay for Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 only for long-context analysis.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 | Grok 3 Mini |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | multimodal apps and long-context analysis | multimodal apps and provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | RAG, Long context, and Vision | RAG, Long context, and Vision |
| Context window | 1m | 131k |
| Cheapest output | $10/1M tokens | $1.27/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 1 tracked | 2 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Local decision data tags Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 for RAG, Long context, and Vision.
- Grok 3 Mini has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $1.27/1M tokens.
- Grok 3 Mini has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Local decision data tags Grok 3 Mini for RAG, Long context, and Vision.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06
$3,500
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Grok 3 Mini
$518
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Microsoft Foundry
Estimated monthly gap: $2,983. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Grok 3 Mini is $8.73/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 is $8.73/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-05-06 | 2025-02-17 |
| Context window | 1m | 131k |
| Parameters | — | — |
| Architecture | decoder only | - |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Openness | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Commercial use | Commercial use with conditions | Commercial use with conditions |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2025-01 | 2024-11 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 | Grok 3 Mini |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $1.25/1M tokens | $0.25/1M tokens |
| Output price | $10/1M tokens | $1.27/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 | Grok 3 Mini |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | Yes |
| Multimodal | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | No | No |
| Tool use | No | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | No | 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 is close: both models cover vision, multimodal input, and structured outputs. That makes context budget, benchmark fit, and provider maturity more important than a simple checklist. If your application depends on one integration detail, verify it against the provider route you plan to use, not just the base model listing.
For cost, Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 lists $1.25/1M input and $10/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while Grok 3 Mini lists $0.25/1M input and $1.27/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Grok 3 Mini lower by about $3.32 per million blended tokens. Availability is 1 providers versus 2, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 when long-context analysis and larger context windows are central to the workload. Choose Grok 3 Mini when vision-heavy evaluation, lower input-token cost, and broader provider choice 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.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 or Grok 3 Mini?
Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 supports 1m tokens, while Grok 3 Mini 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, Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 or Grok 3 Mini?
Grok 3 Mini is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 costs $1.25/1M input and $10/1M output tokens. Grok 3 Mini costs $0.25/1M input and $1.27/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 or Grok 3 Mini open source?
Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 is listed under Proprietary. Grok 3 Mini 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, Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 or Grok 3 Mini?
Both Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 and Grok 3 Mini expose vision. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface.
Which is better for multimodal input, Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 or Grok 3 Mini?
Both Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 and Grok 3 Mini expose multimodal input. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface.
Where can I run Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 and Grok 3 Mini?
Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 05-06 is available on OpenRouter. Grok 3 Mini is available on OpenRouter and Microsoft Foundry. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-06-04. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.