Model Comparison
Grok-2 vs Qwen3 VL 235B A22B ThinkingWhich is better in 2026?
Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is 3.3x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Grok-2 vs Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking — which is better?
Grok-2 (by xAI) and Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking (by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team) 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.
Grok-2 outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is better at 2 benchmarks (MMLU, MMLU-Pro). Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is roughly 3.3x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking also accepts a larger context window (262,144 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose Grok-2 if…
- you want predictable pricing at $2.00/M input and $10.00/M output
Choose Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 2 shared benchmarks
- cost matters — it's about 3.3x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 262,144 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Sep 2025
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Grok-2 outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is better at 2 benchmarks (MMLU, MMLU-Pro).
Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Grok-2 ($2.00/1M tokens) is 4.4x more expensive than Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking ($0.45/1M tokens).
For output processing, Grok-2 ($10.00/1M tokens) is 2.9x more expensive than Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking ($3.49/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Grok-2 is more expensive than Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking accepts 262,144 input tokens compared to Grok-2's 128,000 tokens. Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking can generate longer responses up to 262,144 tokens, while Grok-2 is limited to 8,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Grok-2 and Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Grok-2
Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking
License
Usage and distribution terms
Grok-2 is licensed under a proprietary license, while Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking uses Apache 2.0.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Proprietary
Closed source
Apache 2.0
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Grok-2 was released on 2024-08-13, while Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking was released on 2025-09-22.
Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is 14 months newer than Grok-2.
Aug 13, 2024
1.9 years ago
Sep 22, 2025
9 months ago
1.1yr newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
Grok-2 is available from xAI. Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is available from DeepInfra, Novita.
Grok-2
Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
No standout differentiators in the data we have for this pair.
Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking
View detailsAlibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Detailed Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|
FAQ
Common questions about Grok-2 vs Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking.