Grok 3 Mini vs Qwen3.5-122B-A10B
Grok 3 Mini (2025) and Qwen3.5-122B-A10B (2026) are frontier reasoning models from xAI and Alibaba. Grok 3 Mini ships a 131k-token context window, while Qwen3.5-122B-A10B ships a 262k-token context window. On pricing, Grok 3 Mini costs $0.25/1M input tokens versus $0.26/1M 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.
Qwen3.5-122B-A10B is safer overall; choose Grok 3 Mini when vision-heavy evaluation matters.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Grok 3 Mini | Qwen3.5-122B-A10B |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | multimodal apps and provider-routed production | reasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agents |
| Decision fit | RAG, Long context, and Vision | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 131k | 262k |
| Cheapest output | $1.27/1M tokens | $2.08/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 2 tracked | 3 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Grok 3 Mini has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $1.27/1M tokens.
- Local decision data tags Grok 3 Mini for RAG, Long context, and Vision.
- Qwen3.5-122B-A10B has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Qwen3.5-122B-A10B has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Qwen3.5-122B-A10B uniquely exposes Reasoning, Function calling, and Tool use in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Qwen3.5-122B-A10B 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.
Grok 3 Mini
$518
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Microsoft Foundry
Qwen3.5-122B-A10B
$728
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Estimated monthly gap: $211. 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.
- Qwen3.5-122B-A10B is $0.81/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Qwen3.5-122B-A10B adds Reasoning, Function calling, and Tool use in local capability data.
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Grok 3 Mini is $0.81/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Reasoning, Function calling, and Tool use before moving production traffic.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-02-17 | 2026-02-24 |
| Context window | 131k | 262k |
| Parameters | — | 122B |
| Architecture | - | mixture of experts |
| License | Proprietary | Apache 2.0(OSI) |
| Openness | Proprietary | Open source |
| Commercial use | Commercial use with conditions | Commercial use allowed |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2024-11 | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Grok 3 Mini | Qwen3.5-122B-A10B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.25/1M tokens | $0.26/1M tokens |
| Output price | $1.27/1M tokens | $2.08/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Grok 3 Mini | Qwen3.5-122B-A10B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | Yes |
| Multimodal | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning | No | Yes |
| Function calling | No | Yes |
| Tool use | No | Yes |
| 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 differs most on reasoning mode: Qwen3.5-122B-A10B, function calling: Qwen3.5-122B-A10B, and tool use: Qwen3.5-122B-A10B. Both models share vision, 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 $0.25/1M input and $1.27/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while Qwen3.5-122B-A10B lists $0.26/1M input and $2.08/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Grok 3 Mini lower by about $0.25 per million blended tokens. Availability is 2 providers versus 3, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Grok 3 Mini when vision-heavy evaluation and lower input-token cost are central to the workload. Choose Qwen3.5-122B-A10B when reasoning depth, 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 Qwen3.5-122B-A10B?
Qwen3.5-122B-A10B supports 262k 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 Qwen3.5-122B-A10B?
Grok 3 Mini is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Grok 3 Mini costs $0.25/1M input and $1.27/1M output tokens. Qwen3.5-122B-A10B costs $0.26/1M input and $2.08/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Grok 3 Mini or Qwen3.5-122B-A10B open source?
Grok 3 Mini is listed under Proprietary. Qwen3.5-122B-A10B is listed under Apache 2.0. 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 Qwen3.5-122B-A10B?
Both Grok 3 Mini and Qwen3.5-122B-A10B 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, Grok 3 Mini or Qwen3.5-122B-A10B?
Both Grok 3 Mini and Qwen3.5-122B-A10B 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 Grok 3 Mini and Qwen3.5-122B-A10B?
Grok 3 Mini is available on OpenRouter and Microsoft Foundry. Qwen3.5-122B-A10B is available on OpenRouter, Alibaba Cloud PAI-EAS, and Novita AI. 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.