Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B vs Grok-3 Mini
Grok-3 Mini leads the LLM Stats Score 31.6 to -0.2. Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B is 2.7x cheaper per token.
Google · xAI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Grok-3 Mini leads the overall LLM Stats Score 31.6 to -0.2, ranking #96 overall.
In the 1 individual benchmarks reported for both models, Grok-3 Mini wins 1; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B is roughly 2.7x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B also accepts a larger context window (1,048,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B
- cost matters — it's about 2.7x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
Choose Grok-3 Mini
- overall performance matters — it scores 31.6 and ranks #96 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 1 of 1 exact shared results
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Feb 2025
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
13 reported for Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B · 4 for Grok-3 Mini
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Grok-3 Mini is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA).
Grok-3 Mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B ($0.07/1M tokens) is 4.3x cheaper than Grok-3 Mini ($0.30/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B ($0.30/1M tokens) is 1.7x cheaper than Grok-3 Mini ($0.50/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Grok-3 Mini is more expensive than Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to Grok-3 Mini's 128,000 tokens. Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B can generate longer responses up to 8,192 tokens, while Grok-3 Mini is limited to 8,000 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B and Grok-3 Mini support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B
Grok-3 Mini
License
Usage and distribution terms
Both models are licensed under proprietary licenses.
Both models have usage restrictions defined by their respective organizations.
Proprietary
Closed source
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B was released on 2024-03-15, while Grok-3 Mini was released on 2025-02-17.
Grok-3 Mini is 11 months newer than Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B.
Mar 15, 2024
2.5 years ago
Feb 17, 2025
1.5 years ago
11mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B has a knowledge cutoff of 2024-10-01, while Grok-3 Mini has a cutoff of 2024-11-17.
Grok-3 Mini has more recent training data (up to 2024-11-17), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B (2024-10-01).
Oct 2024
Nov 2024
1 mo newerProvider Availability
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B is available from Google. Grok-3 Mini is available from xAI.
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B
Grok-3 Mini
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B and Grok-3 Mini side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B vs Grok-3 Mini.