Grok-3 Mini vs Nova 2 Lite
Grok-3 Mini leads the LLM Stats Score 31.1 to 25.1. Grok-3 Mini is 2.4x cheaper per token.
xAI · Amazon · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Grok-3 Mini leads the overall LLM Stats Score 31.1 to 25.1, ranking #133 overall.
In the 3 individual benchmarks reported for both models, Grok-3 Mini wins 2; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, Grok-3 Mini is roughly 2.4x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Nova 2 Lite also accepts a larger context window (1,000,000 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 31.1 and ranks #133 on LLM Stats
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 2 of 3 exact shared results
- cost matters — it's about 2.4x cheaper per token
Choose Nova 2 Lite
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,000,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Dec 2025
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 · 19 for Nova 2 Lite
Grok-3 Mini outperforms in 2 benchmarks (GPQA, LiveCodeBench), while Nova 2 Lite is better at 1 benchmark (AIME 2025).
Grok-3 Mini shows notably better performance in the majority of 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) costs the same as Nova 2 Lite ($0.30/1M tokens).
For output processing, Grok-3 Mini ($0.50/1M tokens) is 5.0x cheaper than Nova 2 Lite ($2.50/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Nova 2 Lite is more expensive than Grok-3 Mini.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Nova 2 Lite accepts 1,000,000 input tokens compared to Grok-3 Mini's 128,000 tokens. Nova 2 Lite can generate longer responses up to 65,536 tokens, while Grok-3 Mini is limited to 8,000 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both Grok-3 Mini and Nova 2 Lite support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Grok-3 Mini
Nova 2 Lite
License
Usage and distribution terms
Both models are licensed under proprietary licenses.
Both models have usage restrictions defined by their respective organizations.
Proprietary
Closed source
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Grok-3 Mini was released on 2025-02-17, while Nova 2 Lite was released on 2025-12-02.
Nova 2 Lite is 10 months newer than Grok-3 Mini.
Feb 17, 2025
1.7 years ago
Dec 2, 2025
10 months ago
9mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Grok-3 Mini has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-11-17, while Nova 2 Lite'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 Nova 2 Lite's cutoff date.
Nov 2024
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Provider Availability
Grok-3 Mini is available from xAI. Nova 2 Lite is available from Bedrock.
Grok-3 Mini
Nova 2 Lite
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Grok-3 Mini and Nova 2 Lite side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Grok-3 Mini vs Nova 2 Lite.