Grok-3 Mini vs Particle-1
Grok-3 Mini and Particle-1 are closely matched at 30.7 and 31.9 on the LLM Stats Score. Grok-3 Mini is 1.3x cheaper per token.
xAI · Particle AI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Grok-3 Mini and Particle-1 are closely matched on the overall LLM Stats Score at 30.7 and 31.9.
In the 1 individual benchmarks reported for both models, Particle-1 wins 1; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, Grok-3 Mini is roughly 1.3x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Particle-1 also accepts a larger context window (1,048,576 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
- cost matters — it's about 1.3x cheaper per token
Choose Particle-1
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 1 of 1 exact shared results
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Oct 2026
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Individual benchmarks
4 reported for Grok-3 Mini · 3 for Particle-1
Grok-3 Mini outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Particle-1 is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA).
Particle-1 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 1.2x more expensive than Particle-1 ($0.25/1M tokens).
For output processing, Grok-3 Mini ($0.50/1M tokens) is 2.0x cheaper than Particle-1 ($1.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Particle-1 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
Particle-1 accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to Grok-3 Mini's 128,000 tokens. Particle-1 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
Both Grok-3 Mini and Particle-1 support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Grok-3 Mini
Particle-1
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 Particle-1 was released on 2026-10-28.
Particle-1 is 21 months newer than Grok-3 Mini.
Feb 17, 2025
1.7 years ago
Oct 28, 2026
1 days ago
1.7yr newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Grok-3 Mini has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-11-17, while Particle-1'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 Particle-1's cutoff date.
Nov 2024
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Provider Availability
Grok-3 Mini is available from xAI. Particle-1 is available from Particle AI.
Grok-3 Mini
Particle-1
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Grok-3 Mini and Particle-1 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Grok-3 Mini vs Particle-1.