Grok 4.3 vs Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8
Grok 4.3 (2026) and Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 (2025) are frontier reasoning models from xAI and AI at Meta. Grok 4.3 ships a 1m-token context window, while Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 ships a 1m-token context window. On Google-Proof Q&A, Grok 4.3 leads by 23 pts. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
Grok 4.3 is safer overall; choose Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 when vision-heavy evaluation matters.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Grok 4.3 | Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | reasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agents | multimodal apps, long-context analysis, and provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | RAG, Agents, and Long context | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 1m | 1m |
| Cheapest output | $2.50/1M tokens | $0.60/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 4 tracked | 10 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | Google-Proof Q&A leader | 1 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Grok 4.3 holds a shared-benchmark lead on Google-Proof Q&A, ahead by 23 points.
- Grok 4.3 uniquely exposes Reasoning, Function calling, and Tool use in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Grok 4.3 for RAG, Agents, and Long context.
- Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.60/1M tokens.
- Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Local decision data tags Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 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 4.3
$1,625
Cheapest tracked route/tier: xAI Console
Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8
$270
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Estimated monthly gap: $1,355. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on Microsoft Foundry, OpenRouter, and Vercel AI Gateway; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 is $1.90/1M 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.
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter, Microsoft Foundry, and Vercel AI Gateway; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Grok 4.3 is $1.90/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Grok 4.3 adds Reasoning, Function calling, and Tool use in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-05-06 | 2025-04-05 |
| Context window | 1m | 1m |
| Parameters | ~0.5T | 400B (17B active) |
| Architecture | - | mixture of experts |
| License | Proprietary | Llama 4 Community |
| Openness | Proprietary | Open weights |
| Commercial use | Commercial use with conditions | Commercial use with conditions |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2024-11 | 2024-08 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Grok 4.3 | Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 |
|---|---|---|
| Input price |
| $0.15/1M tokens |
| Output price |
| $0.60/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Grok 4.3 | Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | Yes |
| Multimodal | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning | Yes | No |
| Function calling | Yes | No |
| Tool use | Yes | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | No | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | Grok 4.3 | Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 |
|---|---|---|
| Google-Proof Q&A | 90.1 | 67.1 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, Google-Proof Q&A has Grok 4.3 at 90.1 and Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 at 67.1, with Grok 4.3 ahead by 23 points. The largest visible gap is 23 points on Google-Proof Q&A, which matters most when that benchmark mirrors your workload. Treat isolated benchmark wins as directional, because provider routing, prompt style, and tool access can move real application results.
The capability footprint differs most on reasoning mode: Grok 4.3, function calling: Grok 4.3, and tool use: Grok 4.3. 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 4.3 lists tiered pricing: 0-200,001t is $1.25/1M input and $2.50/1M output; 200,001t+ is $2.50/1M input and $5/1M output, while Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 lists $0.15/1M input and $0.60/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 lower by about $1.34 per million blended tokens. For tiered rows, this cheapest-track view can understate interactive or fast-lane spend, so compare the tier you will actually use. Availability is 4 providers versus 10, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Grok 4.3 when reasoning depth are central to the workload. Choose Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 when vision-heavy evaluation, lower input-token cost, 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.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Grok 4.3 or Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8?
Grok 4.3 supports 1m tokens, while Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 supports 1m 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 4.3 or Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8?
Grok 4.3 lists tiered pricing: 0-200,001t is $1.25/1M input and $2.50/1M output; 200,001t+ is $2.50/1M input and $5/1M output. Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 lists $0.15/1M input and $0.60/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. Compare the tier you will actually use; cheap async pricing can overstate savings for interactive workflows. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Grok 4.3 or Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 open source?
Grok 4.3 is listed under Proprietary. Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 is listed under Llama 4 Community. 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 4.3 or Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8?
Both Grok 4.3 and Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 expose vision. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface.
Which is better for multimodal input, Grok 4.3 or Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8?
Both Grok 4.3 and Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 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 4.3 and Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8?
Grok 4.3 is available on xAI Console, OpenRouter, Microsoft Foundry, and Vercel AI Gateway. Llama 4 Maverick 17B Instruct FP8 is available on Microsoft Foundry, Together AI, OpenRouter, Fireworks AI, and DeepInfra. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-06-07. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.