Model Comparison
Grok-3 Mini vs Jamba 1.5 MiniWhich is better in 2026?
Grok-3 Mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Jamba 1.5 Mini is 1.4x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Grok-3 Mini vs Jamba 1.5 Mini — which is better?
Grok-3 Mini (by xAI) and Jamba 1.5 Mini (by AI21 Labs) 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-3 Mini outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Jamba 1.5 Mini is better at 0 benchmarks. Grok-3 Mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Jamba 1.5 Mini is roughly 1.4x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Jamba 1.5 Mini also accepts a larger context window (256,144 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose Grok-3 Mini if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Feb 2025
Choose Jamba 1.5 Mini if…
- cost matters — it's about 1.4x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 256,144 token context window
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Grok-3 Mini outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Jamba 1.5 Mini is better at 0 benchmarks.
Grok-3 Mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Grok-3 Mini ($0.30/1M tokens) is 1.5x more expensive than Jamba 1.5 Mini ($0.20/1M tokens).
For output processing, Grok-3 Mini ($0.50/1M tokens) is 1.3x more expensive than Jamba 1.5 Mini ($0.40/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Grok-3 Mini is more expensive than Jamba 1.5 Mini.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Jamba 1.5 Mini accepts 256,144 input tokens compared to Grok-3 Mini's 128,000 tokens. Jamba 1.5 Mini can generate longer responses up to 256,144 tokens, while Grok-3 Mini is limited to 8,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Grok-3 Mini supports multimodal inputs, whereas Jamba 1.5 Mini does not.
Grok-3 Mini can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
Grok-3 Mini
Jamba 1.5 Mini
License
Usage and distribution terms
Grok-3 Mini is licensed under a proprietary license, while Jamba 1.5 Mini uses Jamba Open Model License.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Proprietary
Closed source
Jamba Open Model License
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Grok-3 Mini was released on 2025-02-17, while Jamba 1.5 Mini was released on 2024-08-22.
Grok-3 Mini is 6 months newer than Jamba 1.5 Mini.
Feb 17, 2025
1.3 years ago
5mo newerAug 22, 2024
1.8 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Grok-3 Mini has a knowledge cutoff of 2024-11-17, while Jamba 1.5 Mini has a cutoff of 2024-03-05.
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 Jamba 1.5 Mini (2024-03-05).
Nov 2024
8 mo newerMar 2024
Provider Availability
Grok-3 Mini is available from xAI. Jamba 1.5 Mini is available from Bedrock, Google.
Grok-3 Mini
Jamba 1.5 Mini
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Jamba 1.5 Mini
View detailsAI21 Labs
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about Grok-3 Mini vs Jamba 1.5 Mini.