Model Comparison

Grok-3 vs GPT-4.1Which is better in 2026?

Grok-3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-4.1 is 1.7x cheaper per token.

Verdict: Grok-3 vs GPT-4.1 — which is better?

Grok-3 (by xAI) and GPT-4.1 (by OpenAI) 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 outperforms in 4 benchmarks (AIME 2024, AIME 2025, GPQA, MMMU), while GPT-4.1 is better at 0 benchmarks. Grok-3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, GPT-4.1 is roughly 1.7x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

GPT-4.1 also accepts a larger context window (1,047,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose Grok-3 if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 4 of 4 shared benchmarks

Choose GPT-4.1 if…

  • cost matters — it's about 1.7x cheaper per token
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 1,047,576 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Apr 2025

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

4 benchmarks

Grok-3 outperforms in 4 benchmarks (AIME 2024, AIME 2025, GPQA, MMMU), while GPT-4.1 is better at 0 benchmarks.

Grok-3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Tue Jul 14 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

GPT-4.1 costs less

For input processing, Grok-3 ($3.00/1M tokens) is 1.5x more expensive than GPT-4.1 ($2.00/1M tokens).

For output processing, Grok-3 ($15.00/1M tokens) is 1.9x more expensive than GPT-4.1 ($8.00/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Grok-3 is more expensive than GPT-4.1.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Tue Jul 14 2026 • llm-stats.com
xAI
Grok-3
Input tokens$3.00
Output tokens$15.00
Best providerxAI
OpenAI
GPT-4.1
Input tokens$2.00
Output tokens$8.00
Best providerOpenAI
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

GPT-4.1 accepts 1,047,576 input tokens compared to Grok-3's 128,000 tokens. GPT-4.1 can generate longer responses up to 32,768 tokens, while Grok-3 is limited to 8,000 tokens.

xAI
Grok-3
Input128,000 tokens
Output8,000 tokens
OpenAI
GPT-4.1
Input1,047,576 tokens
Output32,768 tokens
Tue Jul 14 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both Grok-3 and GPT-4.1 support multimodal inputs.

They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.

Grok-3

Text
Images
Audio
Video

GPT-4.1

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Both models are licensed under proprietary licenses.

Both models have usage restrictions defined by their respective organizations.

Grok-3

Proprietary

Closed source

GPT-4.1

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Grok-3 was released on 2025-02-17, while GPT-4.1 was released on 2025-04-14.

GPT-4.1 is 2 months newer than Grok-3.

Grok-3

Feb 17, 2025

1.4 years ago

GPT-4.1

Apr 14, 2025

1.2 years ago

1mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Grok-3 has a knowledge cutoff of 2024-11-17, while GPT-4.1 has a cutoff of 2024-06-01.

Grok-3 has more recent training data (up to 2024-11-17), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to GPT-4.1 (2024-06-01).

Grok-3

Nov 2024

5 mo newer
GPT-4.1

Jun 2024

Provider Availability

Grok-3 is available from xAI. GPT-4.1 is available from OpenAI.

Grok-3

xai logo
xAI
Input Price:Input: $3.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $15.00/1M

GPT-4.1

openai logo
OpenAI
Input Price:Input: $2.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $8.00/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

xAI
Higher AIME 2024 score (93.3% vs 48.1%)
Higher AIME 2025 score (93.3% vs 46.4%)
Higher GPQA score (84.6% vs 66.3%)
Higher MMMU score (78.0% vs 74.8%)
OpenAI
Larger context window (1,047,576 tokens)
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
xAIGrok-3
OpenAIGPT-4.1
Compare in Playground

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Grok-3 and GPT-4.1 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Grok-3
✓ Preferred
GPT-4.1
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
xAI
Grok-3
OpenAI
GPT-4.1

FAQ

Common questions about Grok-3 vs GPT-4.1.

Which is better, Grok-3 or GPT-4.1?

Grok-3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Grok-3 is made by xAI and GPT-4.1 is made by OpenAI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Grok-3 compare to GPT-4.1 in benchmarks?

Grok-3 scores AIME 2024: 93.3%, AIME 2025: 93.3%, GPQA: 84.6%, LiveCodeBench: 79.4%, MMMU: 78.0%. GPT-4.1 scores MMLU: 90.2%, CharXiv-D: 87.9%, IFEval: 87.4%, MMMLU: 87.3%, MMMU: 74.8%.

Is Grok-3 cheaper than GPT-4.1?

GPT-4.1 is 1.5x cheaper for input tokens. Grok-3 costs $3.00/M input and $15.00/M output via xai. GPT-4.1 costs $2.00/M input and $8.00/M output via openai.

What are the context window sizes for Grok-3 and GPT-4.1?

Grok-3 supports 128K tokens and GPT-4.1 supports 1.0M tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between Grok-3 and GPT-4.1?

Key differences include context window (128K vs 1.0M), input pricing ($3.00 vs $2.00/M). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Grok-3 and GPT-4.1?

Grok-3 is developed by xAI and GPT-4.1 is developed by OpenAI.

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