The AI arena is free today

Open Superagent

GPT-5 mini vs Grok-3 Mini

GPT-5 mini and Grok-3 Mini are closely matched at 27.1 and 31.1 on the LLM Stats Score. Grok-3 Mini is 2.0x cheaper per token.

OpenAI · xAI · Updated for 2026

Which is better?

GPT-5 mini and Grok-3 Mini are closely matched on the overall LLM Stats Score at 27.1 and 31.1.

The models split the 2 individual benchmarks reported for both models evenly.

On price, Grok-3 Mini is roughly 2.0x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

GPT-5 mini also accepts a larger context window (400,000 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-5 mini

  • you process long inputs — it offers a 400,000 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2025

Choose Grok-3 Mini

  • cost matters — it's about 2.0x cheaper per token

At a glance

The differences that matter most.

GPT-5 mini
OpenAI
Grok-3 Mini
xAI
Core performance indexes
LLM Stats Score
27.1
#167
31.1
#134
Reasoning
26.4
#168
30.7
#134
Cost, coverage & limits
Benchmark wins
1 of 2
1 of 2
Input price
$0.25 / M
$0.30 / M
Output price
$2.00 / M
$0.50 / M
Context window
400,000
128,000

Capability indexes

Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks

1 shared
Index
GPT-5 mini
Grok-3 Mini
Math
25.4#114
28.3#99
Conservative TrueSkill rating · higher is betterHow scores work

Individual benchmarks

5 reported for GPT-5 mini · 4 for Grok-3 Mini

2 shared

GPT-5 mini outperforms in 1 benchmarks (AIME 2025), while Grok-3 Mini is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA).

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.

Tue Oct 20 2026 • llm-stats.com

Human preference

Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Grok-3 Mini costs less

For input processing, GPT-5 mini ($0.25/1M tokens) is 1.2x cheaper than Grok-3 Mini ($0.30/1M tokens).

For output processing, GPT-5 mini ($2.00/1M tokens) is 4.0x more expensive than Grok-3 Mini ($0.50/1M tokens).

In conclusion, GPT-5 mini is more expensive than Grok-3 Mini.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Tue Oct 20 2026 • llm-stats.com
OpenAI
GPT-5 mini
Input tokens$0.25
Output tokens$2.00
Best providerOpenAI
xAI
Grok-3 Mini
Input tokens$0.30
Output tokens$0.50
Best providerxAI
Notice missing or incorrect data?

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

GPT-5 mini accepts 400,000 input tokens compared to Grok-3 Mini's 128,000 tokens. GPT-5 mini can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while Grok-3 Mini is limited to 8,000 tokens.

OpenAI
GPT-5 mini
Input400,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
xAI
Grok-3 Mini
Input128,000 tokens
Output8,000 tokens
Tue Oct 20 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input capabilities

Documented input modalities across available providers

Both GPT-5 mini and Grok-3 Mini support multimodal inputs.

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

GPT-5 mini

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.

GPT-5 mini

Proprietary

Closed source

Grok-3 Mini

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GPT-5 mini was released on 2025-08-07, while Grok-3 Mini was released on 2025-02-17.

GPT-5 mini is 6 months newer than Grok-3 Mini.

GPT-5 mini

Aug 7, 2025

1.2 years ago

5mo newer
Grok-3 Mini

Feb 17, 2025

1.7 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

GPT-5 mini has a knowledge cutoff of 2024-05-30, 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-5 mini (2024-05-30).

GPT-5 mini

May 2024

Grok-3 Mini

Nov 2024

6 mo newer

Provider Availability

GPT-5 mini is available from OpenAI. Grok-3 Mini is available from xAI.

GPT-5 mini

openai logo
OpenAI
Input Price:Input: $0.25/1MOutput Price:Output: $2.00/1M

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?

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against GPT-5 mini and Grok-3 Mini side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

GPT-5 mini
✓ Preferred
Grok-3 Mini
Open in Playground

FAQ

Common questions about GPT-5 mini vs Grok-3 Mini.

Which is better, GPT-5 mini or Grok-3 Mini?

GPT-5 mini and Grok-3 Mini are closely matched on the LLM Stats Score at 27.1 and 31.1. GPT-5 mini is made by OpenAI and Grok-3 Mini is made by xAI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their capability indexes, individual benchmarks, pricing, and limits above.

How does GPT-5 mini compare to Grok-3 Mini in benchmarks?

GPT-5 mini scores AIME 2025: 91.1%, HMMT 2025: 87.8%, GPQA: 82.3%, FrontierMath: 22.1%, Humanity's Last Exam: 16.7%. Grok-3 Mini scores AIME 2024: 95.8%, AIME 2025: 90.8%, GPQA: 84.0%, LiveCodeBench: 80.4%.

Is GPT-5 mini cheaper than Grok-3 Mini?

GPT-5 mini is 1.2x cheaper for input tokens. GPT-5 mini costs $0.25/M input and $2.00/M output via openai. Grok-3 Mini costs $0.30/M input and $0.50/M output via xai.

What are the context window sizes for GPT-5 mini and Grok-3 Mini?

GPT-5 mini supports 400K 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 GPT-5 mini and Grok-3 Mini?

Key differences include LLM Stats Score (27.1 vs 31.1), context window (400K vs 128K), input pricing ($0.25 vs $0.30/M). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes GPT-5 mini and Grok-3 Mini?

GPT-5 mini is developed by OpenAI and Grok-3 Mini is developed by xAI.

Related comparisons