Grok 4 vs Llama 4 Scout 17B Instruct
Grok 4 (2026) and Llama 4 Scout 17B Instruct (2026) are frontier reasoning models from xAI and AI at Meta. Grok 4 ships a 256k-token context window, while Llama 4 Scout 17B Instruct ships a not-yet-sourced context window. On pricing, Llama 4 Scout 17B Instruct costs $0.17/1M input tokens versus $3/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit.
Llama 4 Scout 17B Instruct is ~1665% cheaper at $0.17/1M; pay for Grok 4 only for coding workflow support.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-03-01 | 2026-01-01 |
| Context window | 256k | — |
| Parameters | — | — |
| Architecture | decoder only | - |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Grok 4 | Llama 4 Scout 17B Instruct |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $3/1M tokens | $0.17/1M tokens |
| Output price | $15/1M tokens | $0.66/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Grok 4 | Llama 4 Scout 17B Instruct |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning | Yes | No |
| Function calling | Yes | No |
| Tool use | Yes | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | Yes | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on reasoning mode: Grok 4, function calling: Grok 4, tool use: Grok 4, and code execution: Grok 4. Both models share 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 lists $3/1M input and $15/1M output tokens, while Llama 4 Scout 17B Instruct 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 Instruct lower by about $6.28 per million blended tokens. Availability is 3 providers versus 1, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Grok 4 when coding workflow support and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Llama 4 Scout 17B Instruct when provider fit 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 is cheaper, Grok 4 or Llama 4 Scout 17B Instruct?
Llama 4 Scout 17B Instruct is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Grok 4 costs $3/1M input and $15/1M output tokens. Llama 4 Scout 17B Instruct 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 or Llama 4 Scout 17B Instruct open source?
Grok 4 is listed under Proprietary. Llama 4 Scout 17B Instruct is listed under Proprietary. 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 or Llama 4 Scout 17B Instruct?
Both Grok 4 and Llama 4 Scout 17B Instruct expose multimodal input. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface.
Which is better for reasoning mode, Grok 4 or Llama 4 Scout 17B Instruct?
Grok 4 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.
Which is better for function calling, Grok 4 or Llama 4 Scout 17B Instruct?
Grok 4 has the clearer documented function calling signal in this comparison. If function calling 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 and Llama 4 Scout 17B Instruct?
Grok 4 is available on Microsoft Foundry, OpenRouter, and Replicate API. Llama 4 Scout 17B Instruct is available on AWS Bedrock. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-05-11. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.