Model Comparison

Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B vs Grok-3 MiniWhich is better in 2026?

Grok-3 Mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B is 2.7x cheaper per token.

Verdict: Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B vs Grok-3 Mini — which is better?

Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B (by Google) and Grok-3 Mini (by xAI) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.

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.

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.

Choose Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B if…

  • 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 if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Feb 2025

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

1 benchmarks

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.

Mon Jun 29 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B costs less

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Mon Jun 29 2026 • llm-stats.com
Google
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B
Input tokens$0.07
Output tokens$0.30
Best providerGoogle
xAI
Grok-3 Mini
Input tokens$0.30
Output tokens$0.50
Best providerxAI
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

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.

Google
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B
Input1,048,576 tokens
Output8,192 tokens
xAI
Grok-3 Mini
Input128,000 tokens
Output8,000 tokens
Mon Jun 29 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

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

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Grok-3 Mini

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Both models are licensed under proprietary licenses.

Both models have usage restrictions defined by their respective organizations.

Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B

Proprietary

Closed source

Grok-3 Mini

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.

Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B

Mar 15, 2024

2.3 years ago

Grok-3 Mini

Feb 17, 2025

1.4 years ago

11mo newer

Knowledge 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).

Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B

Oct 2024

Grok-3 Mini

Nov 2024

1 mo newer

Provider Availability

Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B is available from Google. Grok-3 Mini is available from xAI.

Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B

google logo
Google
Input Price:Input: $0.07/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.30/1M

Grok-3 Mini

xai logo
xAI
Input Price:Input: $0.30/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.50/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

Google
Larger context window (1,048,576 tokens)
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
xAI
Higher GPQA score (84.0% vs 38.4%)
GoogleGemini 1.5 Flash 8B
xAIGrok-3 Mini
Compare in Playground

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

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.

Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B
✓ Preferred
Grok-3 Mini
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Google
Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B
xAI
Grok-3 Mini

FAQ

Common questions about Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B vs Grok-3 Mini.

Which is better, Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B or Grok-3 Mini?

Grok-3 Mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B is made by Google and Grok-3 Mini is made by xAI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B compare to Grok-3 Mini in benchmarks?

Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B scores XSTest: 92.6%, FLEURS: 86.4%, Natural2Code: 75.5%, WMT23: 72.6%, Video-MME: 66.2%. Grok-3 Mini scores AIME 2024: 95.8%, AIME 2025: 90.8%, GPQA: 84.0%, LiveCodeBench: 80.4%.

Is Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B cheaper than Grok-3 Mini?

Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B is 4.3x cheaper for input tokens. Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B costs $0.07/M input and $0.30/M output via google. Grok-3 Mini costs $0.30/M input and $0.50/M output via xai.

What are the context window sizes for Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B and Grok-3 Mini?

Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B supports 1.0M tokens and Grok-3 Mini supports 128K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B and Grok-3 Mini?

Key differences include context window (1.0M vs 128K), input pricing ($0.07 vs $0.30/M). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B and Grok-3 Mini?

Gemini 1.5 Flash 8B is developed by Google and Grok-3 Mini is developed by xAI.

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