Grok 4.2 vs Llama 4 Scout 17B
Grok 4.2 (2026) and Llama 4 Scout 17B (2025) are general-purpose language models from xAI and AI at Meta. Grok 4.2 ships a not-yet-sourced context window, while Llama 4 Scout 17B ships a 10M-token context window. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit. It focuses on practical selection signals rather than broad model-family marketing. The goal is to make the tradeoff clear before deeper testing.
Grok 4.2 is safer overall; choose Llama 4 Scout 17B when provider fit matters.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Grok 4.2 | Llama 4 Scout 17B |
|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | General | RAG, Long context, and Vision |
| Context window | — | 10M |
| Cheapest output | - | $0.66/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 0 tracked | 1 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Use Grok 4.2 when your own prompt tests beat the comparison signals; the local data does not show a decisive standalone advantage yet.
- Llama 4 Scout 17B has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Llama 4 Scout 17B has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Llama 4 Scout 17B uniquely exposes Multimodal and Structured outputs in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Llama 4 Scout 17B for RAG, Long context, and Vision.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output prices on this page.
Grok 4.2
Unavailable
No complete token price in local provider data
Llama 4 Scout 17B
$301
Cheapest tracked route: AWS Bedrock
Cost delta unavailable until both models have sourced input and output token prices.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Grok 4.2 and Llama 4 Scout 17B; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Llama 4 Scout 17B adds Multimodal and Structured outputs in local capability data.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Llama 4 Scout 17B and Grok 4.2; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Check replacement coverage for Multimodal and Structured outputs before moving production traffic.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-05-16 | 2025-10-01 |
| Context window | — | 10M |
| Parameters | — | 17 |
| Architecture | - | - |
| License | Proprietary | Open Source |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2024-11 | 2024-08 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Grok 4.2 | Llama 4 Scout 17B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | - | $0.17/1M tokens |
| Output price | - | $0.66/1M tokens |
| Providers | - |
Capabilities
| Capability | Grok 4.2 | Llama 4 Scout 17B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | Yes |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | No | No |
| Tool use | No | No |
| Structured outputs | No | Yes |
| Code execution | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on multimodal input: Llama 4 Scout 17B and structured outputs: Llama 4 Scout 17B. Both models share the core language-model surface, 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.
Pricing coverage is uneven: Grok 4.2 has no token price sourced yet and Llama 4 Scout 17B has $0.17/1M input tokens. Provider availability is 0 tracked routes versus 1. Treat unknown pricing as an integration gap, then verify the route you will actually call before estimating production spend.
Choose Grok 4.2 when provider fit are central to the workload. Choose Llama 4 Scout 17B when provider fit 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. For teams standardizing a stack, that distinction is often the difference between a benchmark win and a reliable deployment.
FAQ
Is Grok 4.2 or Llama 4 Scout 17B open source?
Grok 4.2 is listed under Proprietary. Llama 4 Scout 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 multimodal input, Grok 4.2 or Llama 4 Scout 17B?
Llama 4 Scout 17B has the clearer documented multimodal input signal in this comparison. If multimodal input is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Which is better for structured outputs, Grok 4.2 or Llama 4 Scout 17B?
Llama 4 Scout 17B has the clearer documented structured outputs signal in this comparison. If structured outputs is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run Grok 4.2 and Llama 4 Scout 17B?
Grok 4.2 is available on the tracked providers still being sourced. Llama 4 Scout 17B is available on AWS Bedrock. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
When should I pick Grok 4.2 over Llama 4 Scout 17B?
Grok 4.2 is safer overall; choose Llama 4 Scout 17B when provider fit matters. If your workload also depends on provider fit, start with Grok 4.2; if it depends on provider fit, run the same evaluation with Llama 4 Scout 17B.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-16. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.