GPT-3.5 Turbo vs Grok-3 Mini
Grok-3 Mini leads the LLM Stats Score 31.7 to -9.2. Grok-3 Mini is 2.1x cheaper per token.
OpenAI · xAI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Grok-3 Mini leads the overall LLM Stats Score 31.7 to -9.2, ranking #98 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, 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.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose GPT-3.5 Turbo
- you want predictable pricing at $0.50/M input and $1.50/M output
Choose Grok-3 Mini
- overall performance matters — it scores 31.7 and ranks #98 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning and coding — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 1 of 1 exact shared results
- 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
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
8 reported for GPT-3.5 Turbo · 4 for Grok-3 Mini
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.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
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
Documented input modalities across available providers
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
3.4 years ago
Feb 17, 2025
1.5 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
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT-3.5 Turbo and Grok-3 Mini side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about GPT-3.5 Turbo vs Grok-3 Mini.