Model Comparison

Grok-2 vs Grok-3 Mini

Grok-3 Mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Grok-3 Mini is 11.4x cheaper per token.

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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

1 benchmarks

Grok-2 outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Grok-3 Mini is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA).

Grok-3 Mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Fri May 15 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Grok-3 Mini costs less

For input processing, Grok-2 ($2.00/1M tokens) is 6.7x more expensive than Grok-3 Mini ($0.30/1M tokens).

For output processing, Grok-2 ($10.00/1M tokens) is 20.0x more expensive than Grok-3 Mini ($0.50/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Grok-2 is more expensive than Grok-3 Mini.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Fri May 15 2026 • llm-stats.com
xAI
Grok-2
Input tokens$2.00
Output tokens$10.00
Best providerxAI
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

Both models have the same input context window of 128,000 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 8,000 tokens.

xAI
Grok-2
Input128,000 tokens
Output8,000 tokens
xAI
Grok-3 Mini
Input128,000 tokens
Output8,000 tokens
Fri May 15 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both Grok-2 and Grok-3 Mini support multimodal inputs.

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

Grok-2

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.

Grok-2

Proprietary

Closed source

Grok-3 Mini

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Grok-2 was released on 2024-08-13, while Grok-3 Mini was released on 2025-02-17.

Grok-3 Mini is 6 months newer than Grok-2.

Grok-2

Aug 13, 2024

1.8 years ago

Grok-3 Mini

Feb 17, 2025

1.2 years ago

6mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Grok-3 Mini has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-11-17, while Grok-2's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Grok-3 Mini's training data extends to 2024-11-17, but cannot make a direct comparison without Grok-2's cutoff date.

Grok-2

—

Grok-3 Mini

Nov 2024

Provider Availability

Grok-2 is available from xAI. Grok-3 Mini is available from xAI.

Grok-2

xai logo
xAI
Input Price:Input: $2.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $10.00/1M

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

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Key Takeaways

xAI

No standout differentiators in the data we have for this pair.

xAI
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Higher GPQA score (84.0% vs 56.0%)
xAIGrok-2
xAIGrok-3 Mini
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Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
xAI
Grok-2
xAI
Grok-3 Mini

FAQ

Common questions about Grok-2 vs Grok-3 Mini.

Which is better, Grok-2 or Grok-3 Mini?

Grok-3 Mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Grok-2 is made by xAI 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 Grok-2 compare to Grok-3 Mini in benchmarks?

Grok-2 scores DocVQA: 93.6%, HumanEval: 88.4%, MMLU: 87.5%, MATH: 76.1%, MMLU-Pro: 75.5%. Grok-3 Mini scores AIME 2024: 95.8%, AIME 2025: 90.8%, GPQA: 84.0%, LiveCodeBench: 80.4%.

Is Grok-2 cheaper than Grok-3 Mini?

Grok-3 Mini is 6.7x cheaper for input tokens. Grok-2 costs $2.00/M input and $10.00/M output via xai. Grok-3 Mini costs $0.30/M input and $0.50/M output via xai.

What are the context window sizes for Grok-2 and Grok-3 Mini?

Grok-2 supports 128K 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 Grok-2 and Grok-3 Mini?

Key differences include input pricing ($2.00 vs $0.30/M). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.