Grok 4.20 vs Llama 4 Scout 17B
Grok 4.20 (2026) and Llama 4 Scout 17B (2025) are frontier reasoning models from xAI and AI at Meta. Grok 4.20 ships a 2M-token context window, while Llama 4 Scout 17B ships a 10M-token context window. On pricing, Llama 4 Scout 17B costs $0.17/1M input tokens versus $1.25/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit.
Llama 4 Scout 17B is ~635% cheaper at $0.17/1M; pay for Grok 4.20 only for reasoning depth.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Grok 4.20 | Llama 4 Scout 17B |
|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | RAG, Long context, and Vision |
| Context window | 2M | 10M |
| Cheapest output | $2.5/1M tokens | $0.66/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 2 tracked | 1 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Grok 4.20 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Grok 4.20 uniquely exposes Reasoning, Function calling, and Tool use in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Grok 4.20 for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- Llama 4 Scout 17B has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Llama 4 Scout 17B has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.66/1M tokens.
- Llama 4 Scout 17B uniquely exposes Multimodal 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 4.20
$1,625
Cheapest tracked route: xAI Console
Llama 4 Scout 17B
$301
Cheapest tracked route: AWS Bedrock
Estimated monthly gap: $1,324. Batch, cache, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Grok 4.20 and Llama 4 Scout 17B; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Llama 4 Scout 17B is $1.84/1M 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.
- Llama 4 Scout 17B adds Multimodal in local capability data.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Llama 4 Scout 17B and Grok 4.20; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Grok 4.20 is $1.84/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Check replacement coverage for Multimodal before moving production traffic.
- Grok 4.20 adds Reasoning, Function calling, and Tool use in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-01-01 | 2025-10-01 |
| Context window | 2M | 10M |
| Parameters | — | 17 |
| Architecture | - | - |
| License | Proprietary | Open Source |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2024-11 | 2024-08 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Grok 4.20 | Llama 4 Scout 17B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $1.25/1M tokens | $0.17/1M tokens |
| Output price | $2.5/1M tokens | $0.66/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Grok 4.20 | Llama 4 Scout 17B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | Yes |
| Reasoning | Yes | No |
| Function calling | Yes | No |
| Tool use | Yes | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | 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, reasoning mode: Grok 4.20, function calling: Grok 4.20, and tool use: Grok 4.20. Both models share 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 4.20 lists $1.25/1M input and $2.5/1M output tokens, while Llama 4 Scout 17B lists $0.17/1M input and $0.66/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Llama 4 Scout 17B lower by about $1.31 per million blended tokens. Availability is 2 providers versus 1, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Grok 4.20 when reasoning depth and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Llama 4 Scout 17B when long-context analysis, larger context windows, 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 4.20 or Llama 4 Scout 17B?
Llama 4 Scout 17B supports 10M tokens, while Grok 4.20 supports 2M 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 4.20 or Llama 4 Scout 17B?
Llama 4 Scout 17B is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Grok 4.20 costs $1.25/1M input and $2.5/1M output tokens. Llama 4 Scout 17B costs $0.17/1M input and $0.66/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Grok 4.20 or Llama 4 Scout 17B open source?
Grok 4.20 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 4.20 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 reasoning mode, Grok 4.20 or Llama 4 Scout 17B?
Grok 4.20 has the clearer documented reasoning mode signal in this comparison. If reasoning mode is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run Grok 4.20 and Llama 4 Scout 17B?
Grok 4.20 is available on xAI Console and OpenRouter. Llama 4 Scout 17B is available on AWS Bedrock. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-14. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.