Model Comparison

GPT-5.6 Sol vs Grok-3 MiniWhich is better in 2026?

GPT-5.6 Sol significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Grok-3 Mini is 32.1x cheaper per token.

Verdict: GPT-5.6 Sol vs Grok-3 Mini — which is better?

GPT-5.6 Sol (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-5.6 Sol outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Grok-3 Mini is better at 0 benchmarks. GPT-5.6 Sol significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, Grok-3 Mini is roughly 32.1x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

GPT-5.6 Sol also accepts a larger context window (1,050,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose GPT-5.6 Sol if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 1,050,000 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026

Choose Grok-3 Mini if…

  • cost matters — it's about 32.1x cheaper per token

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

1 benchmarks

GPT-5.6 Sol outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Grok-3 Mini is better at 0 benchmarks.

GPT-5.6 Sol significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Sat Jul 18 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Grok-3 Mini costs less

For input processing, GPT-5.6 Sol ($5.00/1M tokens) is 16.7x more expensive than Grok-3 Mini ($0.30/1M tokens).

For output processing, GPT-5.6 Sol ($30.00/1M tokens) is 60.0x more expensive than Grok-3 Mini ($0.50/1M tokens).

In conclusion, GPT-5.6 Sol is more expensive than Grok-3 Mini.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Sat Jul 18 2026 • llm-stats.com
OpenAI
GPT-5.6 Sol
Input tokens$5.00
Output tokens$30.00
Best providerOpenAI
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

GPT-5.6 Sol accepts 1,050,000 input tokens compared to Grok-3 Mini's 128,000 tokens. GPT-5.6 Sol can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while Grok-3 Mini is limited to 8,000 tokens.

OpenAI
GPT-5.6 Sol
Input1,050,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
xAI
Grok-3 Mini
Input128,000 tokens
Output8,000 tokens
Sat Jul 18 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both GPT-5.6 Sol and Grok-3 Mini support multimodal inputs.

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

GPT-5.6 Sol

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-5.6 Sol

Proprietary

Closed source

Grok-3 Mini

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GPT-5.6 Sol was released on 2026-07-09, while Grok-3 Mini was released on 2025-02-17.

GPT-5.6 Sol is 17 months newer than Grok-3 Mini.

GPT-5.6 Sol

Jul 9, 2026

1 weeks ago

1.4yr newer
Grok-3 Mini

Feb 17, 2025

1.4 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

GPT-5.6 Sol has a knowledge cutoff of 2026-02-16, while Grok-3 Mini has a cutoff of 2024-11-17.

GPT-5.6 Sol has more recent training data (up to 2026-02-16), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to Grok-3 Mini (2024-11-17).

GPT-5.6 Sol

Feb 2026

1.3 yr newer
Grok-3 Mini

Nov 2024

Provider Availability

GPT-5.6 Sol is available from OpenAI. Grok-3 Mini is available from xAI.

GPT-5.6 Sol

openai logo
OpenAI
Input Price:Input: $5.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $30.00/1M

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?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

OpenAI
Larger context window (1,050,000 tokens)
Higher GPQA score (94.6% vs 84.0%)
xAI
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
OpenAIGPT-5.6 Sol
xAIGrok-3 Mini
Compare in Playground

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against GPT-5.6 Sol and Grok-3 Mini side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

GPT-5.6 Sol
✓ Preferred
Grok-3 Mini
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
OpenAI
GPT-5.6 Sol
xAI
Grok-3 Mini

FAQ

Common questions about GPT-5.6 Sol vs Grok-3 Mini.

Which is better, GPT-5.6 Sol or Grok-3 Mini?

GPT-5.6 Sol significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-5.6 Sol is made by OpenAI and Grok-3 Mini is made by xAI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does GPT-5.6 Sol compare to Grok-3 Mini in benchmarks?

GPT-5.6 Sol scores Connectors: 100.0%, Capture-the-Flag Challenges (Internal): 96.7%, HealthBench Consensus: 95.5%, GPQA: 94.6%, MRCR v2 (8-needle): 91.5%. Grok-3 Mini scores AIME 2024: 95.8%, AIME 2025: 90.8%, GPQA: 84.0%, LiveCodeBench: 80.4%.

Is GPT-5.6 Sol cheaper than Grok-3 Mini?

Grok-3 Mini is 16.7x cheaper for input tokens. GPT-5.6 Sol costs $5.00/M input and $30.00/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-5.6 Sol and Grok-3 Mini?

GPT-5.6 Sol supports 1.1M 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-5.6 Sol and Grok-3 Mini?

Key differences include context window (1.1M vs 128K), input pricing ($5.00 vs $0.30/M). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes GPT-5.6 Sol and Grok-3 Mini?

GPT-5.6 Sol is developed by OpenAI and Grok-3 Mini is developed by xAI.

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