Grok 3 Mini vs Llama 3.2 90B Instruct
Grok 3 Mini (2025) and Llama 3.2 90B Instruct (2025) are compact production models from xAI and AI at Meta. Grok 3 Mini ships a 131k-token context window, while Llama 3.2 90B Instruct ships a 128k-token context window. On pricing, Grok 3 Mini costs $0.25/1M input tokens versus $1.35/1M 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 ~440% cheaper at $0.25/1M; pay for Llama 3.2 90B Instruct only for vision-heavy evaluation.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Grok 3 Mini | Llama 3.2 90B Instruct |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | multimodal apps and provider-routed production | multimodal apps |
| Decision fit | RAG, Long context, and Vision | RAG, Long context, and Vision |
| Context window | 131k | 128k |
| Cheapest output | $1.27/1M tokens | $1.80/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 2 tracked | 1 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Grok 3 Mini has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- 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.
- Local decision data tags Llama 3.2 90B Instruct 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.
Grok 3 Mini
$518
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Microsoft Foundry
Llama 3.2 90B Instruct
$1,530
Cheapest tracked route/tier: AWS Bedrock
Estimated monthly gap: $1,013. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Grok 3 Mini and Llama 3.2 90B Instruct; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Llama 3.2 90B Instruct is $0.53/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Llama 3.2 90B Instruct and Grok 3 Mini; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Grok 3 Mini is $0.53/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-02-17 | 2025-09-01 |
| Context window | 131k | 128k |
| Parameters | — | 90B |
| Architecture | - | - |
| License | Proprietary | Llama 3 Community |
| Openness | Proprietary | Open weights |
| Commercial use | Commercial use with conditions | Commercial use with conditions |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2024-11 | 2023-12 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Grok 3 Mini | Llama 3.2 90B Instruct |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.25/1M tokens | $1.35/1M tokens |
| Output price | $1.27/1M tokens | $1.80/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Grok 3 Mini | Llama 3.2 90B Instruct |
|---|---|---|
| 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, Grok 3 Mini lists $0.25/1M input and $1.27/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while Llama 3.2 90B Instruct lists $1.35/1M input and $1.80/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Grok 3 Mini lower by about $0.93 per million blended tokens. Availability is 2 providers versus 1, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Grok 3 Mini when long-context analysis, larger context windows, and lower input-token cost are central to the workload. Choose Llama 3.2 90B Instruct when vision-heavy evaluation 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 Llama 3.2 90B Instruct?
Grok 3 Mini supports 131k tokens, while Llama 3.2 90B Instruct supports 128k 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 Llama 3.2 90B Instruct?
Grok 3 Mini is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Grok 3 Mini costs $0.25/1M input and $1.27/1M output tokens. Llama 3.2 90B Instruct costs $1.35/1M input and $1.80/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Grok 3 Mini or Llama 3.2 90B Instruct open source?
Grok 3 Mini is listed under Proprietary. Llama 3.2 90B Instruct is listed under Llama 3 Community. 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, Grok 3 Mini or Llama 3.2 90B Instruct?
Both Grok 3 Mini and Llama 3.2 90B Instruct 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, Grok 3 Mini or Llama 3.2 90B Instruct?
Both Grok 3 Mini and Llama 3.2 90B Instruct 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 Grok 3 Mini and Llama 3.2 90B Instruct?
Grok 3 Mini is available on OpenRouter and Microsoft Foundry. Llama 3.2 90B Instruct is available on AWS Bedrock. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-06-04. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.