Model Comparison

Gemini 3.6 Flash vs Grok-3 MiniWhich is better in 2026?

Comparing Gemini 3.6 Flash and Grok-3 Mini across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Verdict: Gemini 3.6 Flash vs Grok-3 Mini — which is better?

Gemini 3.6 Flash (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.

On price, Grok-3 Mini is roughly 8.6x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Gemini 3.6 Flash also accepts a larger context window (1,048,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose Gemini 3.6 Flash if…

  • you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026

Choose Grok-3 Mini if…

  • cost matters — it's about 8.6x cheaper per token

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

Gemini 3.6 Flash and Grok-3 Minidon't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Grok-3 Mini costs less

For input processing, Gemini 3.6 Flash ($1.50/1M tokens) is 5.0x more expensive than Grok-3 Mini ($0.30/1M tokens).

For output processing, Gemini 3.6 Flash ($7.50/1M tokens) is 15.0x more expensive than Grok-3 Mini ($0.50/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Gemini 3.6 Flash is more expensive than Grok-3 Mini.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Tue Jul 21 2026 • llm-stats.com
Google
Gemini 3.6 Flash
Input tokens$1.50
Output tokens$7.50
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 3.6 Flash accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to Grok-3 Mini's 128,000 tokens. Gemini 3.6 Flash can generate longer responses up to 65,536 tokens, while Grok-3 Mini is limited to 8,000 tokens.

Google
Gemini 3.6 Flash
Input1,048,576 tokens
Output65,536 tokens
xAI
Grok-3 Mini
Input128,000 tokens
Output8,000 tokens
Tue Jul 21 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both Gemini 3.6 Flash and Grok-3 Mini support multimodal inputs.

They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.

Gemini 3.6 Flash

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 3.6 Flash

Proprietary

Closed source

Grok-3 Mini

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Gemini 3.6 Flash was released on 2026-07-21, while Grok-3 Mini was released on 2025-02-17.

Gemini 3.6 Flash is 17 months newer than Grok-3 Mini.

Gemini 3.6 Flash

Jul 21, 2026

0 days ago

1.4yr newer
Grok-3 Mini

Feb 17, 2025

1.4 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Gemini 3.6 Flash has a knowledge cutoff of 2026-03-31, while Grok-3 Mini has a cutoff of 2024-11-17.

Gemini 3.6 Flash has more recent training data (up to 2026-03-31), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to Grok-3 Mini (2024-11-17).

Gemini 3.6 Flash

Mar 2026

1.3 yr newer
Grok-3 Mini

Nov 2024

Provider Availability

Gemini 3.6 Flash is available from Google. Grok-3 Mini is available from xAI.

Gemini 3.6 Flash

google logo
Google
Input Price:Input: $1.50/1MOutput Price:Output: $7.50/1M

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)
xAI
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
GoogleGemini 3.6 Flash
xAIGrok-3 Mini
Compare in Playground

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Gemini 3.6 Flash and Grok-3 Mini side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Gemini 3.6 Flash
✓ Preferred
Grok-3 Mini
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Google
Gemini 3.6 Flash
xAI
Grok-3 Mini

FAQ

Common questions about Gemini 3.6 Flash vs Grok-3 Mini.

Which is better, Gemini 3.6 Flash or Grok-3 Mini?

Gemini 3.6 Flash (Google) and Grok-3 Mini (xAI) each have strengths in different areas. Compare their benchmark scores, pricing, context windows, and capabilities above to determine which fits your needs.

How does Gemini 3.6 Flash compare to Grok-3 Mini in benchmarks?

Gemini 3.6 Flash scores CharXiv-R: 89.4%, OSWorld-Verified: 83.0%, Terminal-Bench 2.1: 78.0%, MLE-Bench: 63.9%, SWE-Bench Pro: 58.7%. Grok-3 Mini scores AIME 2024: 95.8%, AIME 2025: 90.8%, GPQA: 84.0%, LiveCodeBench: 80.4%.

Is Gemini 3.6 Flash cheaper than Grok-3 Mini?

Grok-3 Mini is 5.0x cheaper for input tokens. Gemini 3.6 Flash costs $1.50/M input and $7.50/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 3.6 Flash and Grok-3 Mini?

Gemini 3.6 Flash 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 3.6 Flash and Grok-3 Mini?

Key differences include context window (1.0M vs 128K), input pricing ($1.50 vs $0.30/M). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Gemini 3.6 Flash and Grok-3 Mini?

Gemini 3.6 Flash is developed by Google and Grok-3 Mini is developed by xAI.

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