Grok 4.3 vs Llama 4 Scout 17B-16E Instruct
Grok 4.3 (2026) and Llama 4 Scout 17B-16E Instruct (2025) are frontier reasoning models from xAI and AI at Meta. Grok 4.3 ships a 1m-token context window, while Llama 4 Scout 17B-16E Instruct ships a 10m-token context window. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
Llama 4 Scout 17B-16E Instruct fits 10x more tokens; pick it for long-context work and Grok 4.3 for tighter calls.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Grok 4.3 | Llama 4 Scout 17B-16E Instruct |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 10m |
| Cheapest output | $2.50/1M tokens | $0.30/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 4 tracked | 12 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- 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 Scout 17B-16E Instruct has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Llama 4 Scout 17B-16E Instruct has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.30/1M tokens.
- Llama 4 Scout 17B-16E Instruct has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Local decision data tags Llama 4 Scout 17B-16E Instruct 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 Scout 17B-16E Instruct
$139
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Estimated monthly gap: $1,486. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter, Microsoft Foundry, and Vercel AI Gateway; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Llama 4 Scout 17B-16E Instruct is $2.20/1M 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 $2.20/1M 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 | 10m |
| Parameters | ~0.5T | 109B (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 Scout 17B-16E Instruct |
|---|---|---|
| Input price |
| $0.08/1M tokens |
| Output price |
| $0.30/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Grok 4.3 | Llama 4 Scout 17B-16E Instruct |
|---|---|---|
| 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
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
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 Scout 17B-16E Instruct lists $0.08/1M input and $0.30/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Llama 4 Scout 17B-16E Instruct lower by about $1.48 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 12, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Grok 4.3 when reasoning depth are central to the workload. Choose Llama 4 Scout 17B-16E Instruct 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.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Grok 4.3 or Llama 4 Scout 17B-16E Instruct?
Llama 4 Scout 17B-16E Instruct supports 10m tokens, while Grok 4.3 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 Scout 17B-16E Instruct?
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 Scout 17B-16E Instruct lists $0.08/1M input and $0.30/1M 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 Scout 17B-16E Instruct open source?
Grok 4.3 is listed under Proprietary. Llama 4 Scout 17B-16E Instruct 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 Scout 17B-16E Instruct?
Both Grok 4.3 and Llama 4 Scout 17B-16E Instruct 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 Scout 17B-16E Instruct?
Both Grok 4.3 and Llama 4 Scout 17B-16E Instruct 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 Scout 17B-16E Instruct?
Grok 4.3 is available on xAI Console, OpenRouter, Microsoft Foundry, and Vercel AI Gateway. Llama 4 Scout 17B-16E Instruct is available on Cloudflare Workers AI, OpenRouter, Together AI, Fireworks AI, and DeepInfra. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-06-07. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.