Grok-3 Mini vs Llama 3.3 70B Instruct
Grok-3 Mini leads the LLM Stats Score 31.3 to 13.8. Llama 3.3 70B Instruct is 2.8x cheaper per token.
xAI · Meta · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Grok-3 Mini leads the overall LLM Stats Score 31.3 to 13.8, ranking #111 overall.
In the 1 individual benchmarks reported for both models, Grok-3 Mini wins 1; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, Llama 3.3 70B Instruct is roughly 2.8x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Llama 3.3 70B Instruct also accepts a larger context window (131,072 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Grok-3 Mini
- overall performance matters — it scores 31.3 and ranks #111 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 1 of 1 exact shared results
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Feb 2025
Choose Llama 3.3 70B Instruct
- cost matters — it's about 2.8x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 131,072 token context window
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
4 reported for Grok-3 Mini · 9 for Llama 3.3 70B Instruct
Grok-3 Mini outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Llama 3.3 70B Instruct is better at 0 benchmarks.
Grok-3 Mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Grok-3 Mini ($0.30/1M tokens) is 3.0x more expensive than Llama 3.3 70B Instruct ($0.10/1M tokens).
For output processing, Grok-3 Mini ($0.50/1M tokens) is 2.5x more expensive than Llama 3.3 70B Instruct ($0.20/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Grok-3 Mini is more expensive than Llama 3.3 70B Instruct.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Llama 3.3 70B Instruct accepts 131,072 input tokens compared to Grok-3 Mini's 128,000 tokens. Llama 3.3 70B Instruct can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Grok-3 Mini is limited to 8,000 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Grok-3 Mini supports multimodal inputs, whereas Llama 3.3 70B Instruct 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
Llama 3.3 70B Instruct
License
Usage and distribution terms
Grok-3 Mini is licensed under a proprietary license, while Llama 3.3 70B Instruct uses Llama 3.3 Community License Agreement.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Proprietary
Closed source
Llama 3.3 Community License Agreement
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Grok-3 Mini was released on 2025-02-17, while Llama 3.3 70B Instruct was released on 2024-12-06.
Grok-3 Mini is 2 months newer than Llama 3.3 70B Instruct.
Feb 17, 2025
1.6 years ago
2mo newerDec 6, 2024
1.8 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Grok-3 Mini has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-11-17, while Llama 3.3 70B Instruct'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 Llama 3.3 70B Instruct's cutoff date.
Nov 2024
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Provider Availability
Grok-3 Mini is available from xAI. Llama 3.3 70B Instruct is available from DeepInfra, Lambda, Hyperbolic, Groq, Sambanova, Cerebras, Bedrock, Together, Fireworks.
Grok-3 Mini
Llama 3.3 70B Instruct
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Grok-3 Mini and Llama 3.3 70B Instruct side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Grok-3 Mini vs Llama 3.3 70B Instruct.