GPT-4.1 Mini vs Grok 4.20
GPT-4.1 Mini (2025) and Grok 4.20 (2026) are frontier reasoning models from OpenAI and xAI. GPT-4.1 Mini ships a 1M-token context window, while Grok 4.20 ships a 2M-token context window. On SWE-bench Verified, Grok 4.20 leads by 53.1 pts. On pricing, GPT-4.1 Mini costs $0.4/1M input tokens versus $1.25/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit.
GPT-4.1 Mini is ~213% cheaper at $0.4/1M; pay for Grok 4.20 only for reasoning depth.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-04-01 | 2026-01-01 |
| Context window | 1M | 2M |
| Parameters | — | — |
| Architecture | decoder only | - |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2025-01 | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | GPT-4.1 Mini | Grok 4.20 |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.4/1M tokens | $1.25/1M tokens |
| Output price | $1.6/1M tokens | $2.5/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | GPT-4.1 Mini | Grok 4.20 |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | No |
| Multimodal | Yes | No |
| Reasoning | No | Yes |
| Function calling | Yes | Yes |
| Tool use | Yes | Yes |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | Yes | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | GPT-4.1 Mini | Grok 4.20 |
|---|---|---|
| SWE-bench Verified | 23.6 | 76.7 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, SWE-bench Verified has GPT-4.1 Mini at 23.6 and Grok 4.20 at 76.7, with Grok 4.20 ahead by 53.1 points. The largest visible gap is 53.1 points on SWE-bench Verified, which matters most when that benchmark mirrors your workload. Treat isolated benchmark wins as directional, because provider routing, prompt style, and tool access can move real application results.
The capability footprint differs most on vision: GPT-4.1 Mini, multimodal input: GPT-4.1 Mini, reasoning mode: Grok 4.20, and code execution: GPT-4.1 Mini. Both models share function calling, tool use, and structured outputs, 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, GPT-4.1 Mini lists $0.4/1M input and $1.6/1M output tokens, while Grok 4.20 lists $1.25/1M input and $2.5/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts GPT-4.1 Mini lower by about $0.86 per million blended tokens. Availability is 3 providers versus 2, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose GPT-4.1 Mini when coding workflow support, lower input-token cost, and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Grok 4.20 when reasoning depth and larger context windows are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, GPT-4.1 Mini or Grok 4.20?
Grok 4.20 supports 2M tokens, while GPT-4.1 Mini supports 1M tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Which is cheaper, GPT-4.1 Mini or Grok 4.20?
GPT-4.1 Mini is cheaper on tracked token pricing. GPT-4.1 Mini costs $0.4/1M input and $1.6/1M output tokens. Grok 4.20 costs $1.25/1M input and $2.5/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is GPT-4.1 Mini or Grok 4.20 open source?
GPT-4.1 Mini is listed under Proprietary. Grok 4.20 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, GPT-4.1 Mini or Grok 4.20?
GPT-4.1 Mini has the clearer documented vision signal in this comparison. If vision is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Which is better for multimodal input, GPT-4.1 Mini or Grok 4.20?
GPT-4.1 Mini has the clearer documented multimodal input signal in this comparison. If multimodal input is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run GPT-4.1 Mini and Grok 4.20?
GPT-4.1 Mini is available on OpenRouter, Replicate API, and OpenAI API. Grok 4.20 is available on xAI Console and OpenRouter. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-14. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.