Grok-3 vs Phi-3 Mini 4k
Grok-3 (2025) and Phi-3 Mini 4k (2024) are frontier reasoning models from xAI and Microsoft Research. Grok-3 ships a 131k-token context window, while Phi-3 Mini 4k ships a 4k-token context window. On MMLU PRO, Grok-3 leads by 34.2 pts. On pricing, Phi-3 Mini 4k costs $0.05/1M input tokens versus $0.80/1M 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.
Phi-3 Mini 4k is ~1500% cheaper at $0.05/1M; pay for Grok-3 only for reasoning depth.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Grok-3 | Phi-3 Mini 4k |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | reasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agents | provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | Coding and Classification |
| Context window | 131k | 4k |
| Cheapest output | $2.40/1M tokens | $0.25/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 4 tracked | 4 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | MMLU PRO leader | 3 shared |
Decision tradeoffs
- Grok-3 holds a shared-benchmark lead on MMLU PRO, ahead by 34.2 points.
- Grok-3 has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Grok-3 uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Grok-3 for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- Phi-3 Mini 4k has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.25/1M tokens.
- Local decision data tags Phi-3 Mini 4k for Coding and Classification.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
Grok-3
$1,240
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Chutes AI
Phi-3 Mini 4k
$103
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Replicate API
Estimated monthly gap: $1,138. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on Microsoft Foundry; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Phi-3 Mini 4k is $2.15/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning before moving production traffic.
- Provider overlap exists on Microsoft Foundry; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Grok-3 is $2.15/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Grok-3 adds Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-02-17 | 2024-04-23 |
| Context window | 131k | 4k |
| Parameters | — | 3.8B |
| Architecture | - | Decoder Only |
| License | Proprietary | MITOSI-approved |
| Openness | Proprietary | Open source |
| Weights | Not released | Unknown |
| Code | Unknown | Unknown |
| Commercial use | Commercial use: conditional | Commercial use: permitted |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2025-04 | 2023-10 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Grok-3 | Phi-3 Mini 4k |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.80/1M tokens | $0.05/1M tokens |
| Output price | $2.40/1M tokens | $0.25/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Grok-3 | Phi-3 Mini 4k |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | No |
| Multimodal | Yes | No |
| Reasoning | Yes | No |
| JSON / Tool use | Yes | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | No |
| Code execution | No | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | Grok-3 | Phi-3 Mini 4k |
|---|---|---|
| MMLU PRO | 79.9 | 45.7 |
| Google-Proof Q&A | 84.6 | 40.9 |
| HumanEval | 94.5 | 59.8 |
Continue comparing
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Last reviewed: 2026-07-10. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.