Model Comparison
GPT-3.5 Turbo vs Grok-3 MiniWhich is better in 2026?
Grok-3 Mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Grok-3 Mini is 2.1x cheaper per token.
Verdict: GPT-3.5 Turbo vs Grok-3 Mini — which is better?
GPT-3.5 Turbo (by OpenAI) 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.
GPT-3.5 Turbo outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Grok-3 Mini is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA). Grok-3 Mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Grok-3 Mini is roughly 2.1x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Grok-3 Mini 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…
- you want predictable pricing at $0.50/M input and $1.50/M output
Choose Grok-3 Mini if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
- cost matters — it's about 2.1x cheaper per token
- 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 Mini is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA).
Grok-3 Mini 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 1.7x more expensive than Grok-3 Mini ($0.30/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-3.5 Turbo ($1.50/1M tokens) is 3.0x more expensive than Grok-3 Mini ($0.50/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-3.5 Turbo is more expensive than Grok-3 Mini.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Grok-3 Mini accepts 128,000 input tokens compared to GPT-3.5 Turbo's 16,385 tokens. Grok-3 Mini 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 Mini supports multimodal inputs, whereas GPT-3.5 Turbo does not.
Grok-3 Mini can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GPT-3.5 Turbo
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
GPT-3.5 Turbo was released on 2023-03-21, while Grok-3 Mini was released on 2025-02-17.
Grok-3 Mini 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 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 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 Mini is available from xAI.
GPT-3.5 Turbo
Grok-3 Mini
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
No standout differentiators in the data we have for this pair.
GPT-3.5 TurboGrok-3 MiniDetailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about GPT-3.5 Turbo vs Grok-3 Mini.