Grok 4 Fast Reasoning vs Llama 4 Maverick 17B
Grok 4 Fast Reasoning (2025) and Llama 4 Maverick 17B (2025) are frontier reasoning models from xAI and AI at Meta. Grok 4 Fast Reasoning ships a 2M-token context window, while Llama 4 Maverick 17B ships a 128k-token context window. On pricing, Llama 4 Maverick 17B costs $0.24/1M input tokens versus $1.25/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit.
Llama 4 Maverick 17B is ~421% cheaper at $0.24/1M; pay for Grok 4 Fast Reasoning only for reasoning depth.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Grok 4 Fast Reasoning | Llama 4 Maverick 17B |
|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | Long context and Vision | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 2M | 128k |
| Cheapest output | $2.5/1M tokens | $0.97/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 2 tracked | 1 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Grok 4 Fast Reasoning has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Grok 4 Fast Reasoning has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Grok 4 Fast Reasoning uniquely exposes Vision and Reasoning in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Grok 4 Fast Reasoning for Long context and Vision.
- Llama 4 Maverick 17B has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.97/1M tokens.
- Llama 4 Maverick 17B uniquely exposes Structured outputs and Code execution in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Llama 4 Maverick 17B for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output prices on this page.
Grok 4 Fast Reasoning
$1,625
Cheapest tracked route: xAI Console
Llama 4 Maverick 17B
$435
Cheapest tracked route: AWS Bedrock
Estimated monthly gap: $1,191. Batch, cache, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Grok 4 Fast Reasoning and Llama 4 Maverick 17B; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Llama 4 Maverick 17B is $1.53/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision and Reasoning before moving production traffic.
- Llama 4 Maverick 17B adds Structured outputs and Code execution in local capability data.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Llama 4 Maverick 17B and Grok 4 Fast Reasoning; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Grok 4 Fast Reasoning is $1.53/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Check replacement coverage for Structured outputs and Code execution before moving production traffic.
- Grok 4 Fast Reasoning adds Vision and Reasoning in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-09-01 | 2025-10-01 |
| Context window | 2M | 128k |
| Parameters | — | 17 |
| Architecture | decoder only | - |
| License | Proprietary | Open Source |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | 2024-08 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Grok 4 Fast Reasoning | Llama 4 Maverick 17B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $1.25/1M tokens | $0.24/1M tokens |
| Output price | $2.5/1M tokens | $0.97/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Grok 4 Fast Reasoning | Llama 4 Maverick 17B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | No |
| Multimodal | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning | Yes | No |
| Function calling | No | No |
| Tool use | No | No |
| Structured outputs | No | Yes |
| Code execution | No | Yes |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on vision: Grok 4 Fast Reasoning, reasoning mode: Grok 4 Fast Reasoning, structured outputs: Llama 4 Maverick 17B, and code execution: Llama 4 Maverick 17B. Both models share multimodal input, 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 4 Fast Reasoning lists $1.25/1M input and $2.5/1M output tokens, while Llama 4 Maverick 17B lists $0.24/1M input and $0.97/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Llama 4 Maverick 17B lower by about $1.17 per million blended tokens. Availability is 2 providers versus 1, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Grok 4 Fast Reasoning when reasoning depth, larger context windows, and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Llama 4 Maverick 17B when coding workflow support and lower input-token cost 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.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Grok 4 Fast Reasoning or Llama 4 Maverick 17B?
Grok 4 Fast Reasoning supports 2M tokens, while Llama 4 Maverick 17B 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 4 Fast Reasoning or Llama 4 Maverick 17B?
Llama 4 Maverick 17B is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Grok 4 Fast Reasoning costs $1.25/1M input and $2.5/1M output tokens. Llama 4 Maverick 17B costs $0.24/1M input and $0.97/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Grok 4 Fast Reasoning or Llama 4 Maverick 17B open source?
Grok 4 Fast Reasoning is listed under Proprietary. Llama 4 Maverick 17B is listed under Open Source. 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 4 Fast Reasoning or Llama 4 Maverick 17B?
Grok 4 Fast Reasoning 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.
Which is better for multimodal input, Grok 4 Fast Reasoning or Llama 4 Maverick 17B?
Both Grok 4 Fast Reasoning and Llama 4 Maverick 17B 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 4 Fast Reasoning and Llama 4 Maverick 17B?
Grok 4 Fast Reasoning is available on Microsoft Foundry and xAI Console. Llama 4 Maverick 17B is available on AWS Bedrock. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-20. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.