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Model Comparison

Granite 3.3 8B Base vs Grok-2 miniWhich is better in 2026?

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.

Verdict: Granite 3.3 8B Base vs Grok-2 mini — which is better?

Granite 3.3 8B Base (by IBM) and Grok-2 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.

Granite 3.3 8B Base outperforms in 1 benchmarks (HumanEval), while Grok-2 mini is better at 1 benchmark (MMLU). Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.

Choose Granite 3.3 8B Base if…

  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Apr 2025
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Choose Grok-2 mini if…

  • you are already invested in the xAI ecosystem

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

2 benchmarks

Granite 3.3 8B Base outperforms in 1 benchmarks (HumanEval), while Grok-2 mini is better at 1 benchmark (MMLU).

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.

Fri Aug 07 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both Granite 3.3 8B Base and Grok-2 mini support multimodal inputs.

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

Granite 3.3 8B Base

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Grok-2 mini

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Granite 3.3 8B Base is licensed under Apache 2.0, while Grok-2 mini uses a proprietary license.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

Granite 3.3 8B Base

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Grok-2 mini

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Granite 3.3 8B Base was released on 2025-04-16, while Grok-2 mini was released on 2024-08-13.

Granite 3.3 8B Base is 8 months newer than Grok-2 mini.

Granite 3.3 8B Base

Apr 16, 2025

1.3 years ago

8mo newer
Grok-2 mini

Aug 13, 2024

2.0 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Granite 3.3 8B Base has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-04-01, while Grok-2 mini's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Granite 3.3 8B Base's training data extends to 2024-04-01, but cannot make a direct comparison without Grok-2 mini's cutoff date.

Granite 3.3 8B Base

Apr 2024

Grok-2 mini

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Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

IBM
Has open weights
Higher HumanEval score (89.7% vs 85.7%)
xAI
Higher MMLU score (86.2% vs 63.9%)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Granite 3.3 8B Base and Grok-2 mini side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Granite 3.3 8B Base
✓ Preferred
Grok-2 mini
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
IBM
Granite 3.3 8B Base
xAI
Grok-2 mini

FAQ

Common questions about Granite 3.3 8B Base vs Grok-2 mini.

Which is better, Granite 3.3 8B Base or Grok-2 mini?

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks. Granite 3.3 8B Base is made by IBM and Grok-2 mini is made by xAI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Granite 3.3 8B Base compare to Grok-2 mini in benchmarks?

Granite 3.3 8B Base scores HumanEval: 89.7%, AttaQ: 88.5%, HumanEval+: 86.1%, AIME 2024: 81.2%, HellaSwag: 80.1%. Grok-2 mini scores DocVQA: 93.2%, MMLU: 86.2%, HumanEval: 85.7%, MATH: 73.0%, MMLU-Pro: 72.0%.

What are the main differences between Granite 3.3 8B Base and Grok-2 mini?

Key differences include licensing (Apache 2.0 vs Proprietary). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Granite 3.3 8B Base and Grok-2 mini?

Granite 3.3 8B Base is developed by IBM and Grok-2 mini is developed by xAI.

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