Model Comparison
GPT-3.5 Turbo vs Grok-3Which is better in 2026?
Grok-3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-3.5 Turbo is 8.0x cheaper per token.
Verdict: GPT-3.5 Turbo vs Grok-3 — which is better?
GPT-3.5 Turbo (by OpenAI) and Grok-3 (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.
GPT-3.5 Turbo outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Grok-3 is better at 2 benchmarks (GPQA, MMMU). Grok-3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, GPT-3.5 Turbo is roughly 8.0x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Grok-3 also accepts a larger context window (128,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose GPT-3.5 Turbo if…
- cost matters — it's about 8.0x cheaper per token
Choose Grok-3 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 2 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 128,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Feb 2025
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GPT-3.5 Turbo outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Grok-3 is better at 2 benchmarks (GPQA, MMMU).
Grok-3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GPT-3.5 Turbo ($0.50/1M tokens) is 6.0x cheaper than Grok-3 ($3.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-3.5 Turbo ($1.50/1M tokens) is 10.0x cheaper than Grok-3 ($15.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Grok-3 is more expensive than GPT-3.5 Turbo.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Grok-3 accepts 128,000 input tokens compared to GPT-3.5 Turbo's 16,385 tokens. Grok-3 can generate longer responses up to 8,000 tokens, while GPT-3.5 Turbo is limited to 4,096 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Grok-3 supports multimodal inputs, whereas GPT-3.5 Turbo does not.
Grok-3 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GPT-3.5 Turbo
Grok-3
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
GPT-3.5 Turbo was released on 2023-03-21, while Grok-3 was released on 2025-02-17.
Grok-3 is 23 months newer than GPT-3.5 Turbo.
Mar 21, 2023
3.2 years ago
Feb 17, 2025
1.3 years ago
1.9yr newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-3.5 Turbo has a knowledge cutoff of 2021-09-30, while Grok-3 has a cutoff of 2024-11-17.
Grok-3 has more recent training data (up to 2024-11-17), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to GPT-3.5 Turbo (2021-09-30).
Sep 2021
Nov 2024
3.2 yr newerProvider Availability
GPT-3.5 Turbo is available from Azure, OpenAI. Grok-3 is available from xAI.
GPT-3.5 Turbo
Grok-3
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GPT-3.5 TurboGrok-3Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about GPT-3.5 Turbo vs Grok-3.