Grok 3 Mini vs Grok 4
Grok 3 Mini (2025) and Grok 4 (2026) are frontier reasoning models from xAI. Grok 3 Mini ships a 131k-token context window, while Grok 4 ships a 256k-token context window. On pricing, Grok 3 Mini costs $0.3/1M input tokens versus $3/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit. It focuses on practical selection signals rather than broad model-family marketing.
Grok 3 Mini is ~900% cheaper at $0.3/1M; pay for Grok 4 only for coding workflow support.
Specs
| Released | 2025-02-17 | 2026-03-01 |
| Context window | 131k | 256k |
| Parameters | — | — |
| Architecture | - | decoder only |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | - |
Pricing and availability
| Grok 3 Mini | Grok 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.3/1M tokens | $3/1M tokens |
| Output price | $0.5/1M tokens | $15/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Grok 3 Mini | Grok 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | ||
| Multimodal | ||
| Reasoning | ||
| Function calling | ||
| Tool use | ||
| Structured outputs | ||
| Code execution |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on reasoning mode: Grok 4 and code execution: Grok 4. Both models share multimodal input 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, Grok 3 Mini lists $0.3/1M input and $0.5/1M output tokens, while Grok 4 lists $3/1M input and $15/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Grok 3 Mini lower by about $6.24 per million blended tokens. Availability is 1 providers versus 3, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Grok 3 Mini when provider fit and lower input-token cost are central to the workload. Choose Grok 4 when coding workflow support, larger context windows, 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. It also helps separate model capability from provider packaging, which can change cost and latency.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Grok 3 Mini or Grok 4?
Grok 4 supports 256k 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, Grok 3 Mini or Grok 4?
Grok 3 Mini is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Grok 3 Mini costs $0.3/1M input and $0.5/1M output tokens. Grok 4 costs $3/1M input and $15/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Grok 3 Mini or Grok 4 open source?
Grok 3 Mini is listed under Proprietary. Grok 4 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 multimodal input, Grok 3 Mini or Grok 4?
Both Grok 3 Mini and Grok 4 expose multimodal input. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface.
Which is better for reasoning mode, Grok 3 Mini or Grok 4?
Grok 4 has the clearer documented reasoning mode signal in this comparison. If reasoning mode is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run Grok 3 Mini and Grok 4?
Grok 3 Mini is available on OpenRouter. Grok 4 is available on Microsoft Foundry, OpenRouter, and Replicate API. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-04-24. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.