Model Comparison

Grok-3 vs Grok-2Which is better in 2026?

Grok-3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Grok-2 is 1.5x cheaper per token.

Verdict: Grok-3 vs Grok-2 — which is better?

Grok-3 (by xAI) and Grok-2 (by xAI) 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 2 benchmarks (GPQA, MMMU), while Grok-2 is better at 0 benchmarks. Grok-3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, Grok-2 is roughly 1.5x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Choose Grok-3 if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 2 shared benchmarks
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Feb 2025

Choose Grok-2 if…

  • cost matters — it's about 1.5x cheaper per token

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

2 benchmarks

Grok-3 outperforms in 2 benchmarks (GPQA, MMMU), while Grok-2 is better at 0 benchmarks.

Grok-3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Fri Jul 03 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Grok-2 costs less

For input processing, Grok-3 ($3.00/1M tokens) is 1.5x more expensive than Grok-2 ($2.00/1M tokens).

For output processing, Grok-3 ($15.00/1M tokens) is 1.5x more expensive than Grok-2 ($10.00/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Grok-3 is more expensive than Grok-2.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Fri Jul 03 2026 • llm-stats.com
xAI
Grok-3
Input tokens$3.00
Output tokens$15.00
Best providerxAI
xAI
Grok-2
Input tokens$2.00
Output tokens$10.00
Best providerxAI
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Both models have the same input context window of 128,000 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 8,000 tokens.

xAI
Grok-3
Input128,000 tokens
Output8,000 tokens
xAI
Grok-2
Input128,000 tokens
Output8,000 tokens
Fri Jul 03 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both Grok-3 and Grok-2 support multimodal inputs.

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

Grok-3

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Grok-2

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

Grok-2

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Grok-3 was released on 2025-02-17, while Grok-2 was released on 2024-08-13.

Grok-3 is 6 months newer than Grok-2.

Grok-3

Feb 17, 2025

1.4 years ago

6mo newer
Grok-2

Aug 13, 2024

1.9 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Grok-3 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-11-17, while Grok-2's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Grok-3's training data extends to 2024-11-17, but cannot make a direct comparison without Grok-2's cutoff date.

Grok-3

Nov 2024

Grok-2

—

Provider Availability

Grok-3 is available from xAI. Grok-2 is available from xAI.

Grok-3

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

Grok-2

xai logo
xAI
Input Price:Input: $2.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $10.00/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

xAI
Higher GPQA score (84.6% vs 56.0%)
Higher MMMU score (78.0% vs 66.1%)
xAI
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
xAIGrok-3
xAIGrok-2
Compare in Playground

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Grok-3 and Grok-2 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Grok-3
✓ Preferred
Grok-2
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AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
xAI
Grok-3
xAI
Grok-2

FAQ

Common questions about Grok-3 vs Grok-2.

Which is better, Grok-3 or Grok-2?

Grok-3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Grok-3 is made by xAI and Grok-2 is made by xAI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Grok-3 compare to Grok-2 in benchmarks?

Grok-3 scores AIME 2024: 93.3%, AIME 2025: 93.3%, GPQA: 84.6%, LiveCodeBench: 79.4%, MMMU: 78.0%. Grok-2 scores DocVQA: 93.6%, HumanEval: 88.4%, MMLU: 87.5%, MATH: 76.1%, MMLU-Pro: 75.5%.

Is Grok-3 cheaper than Grok-2?

Grok-2 is 1.5x cheaper for input tokens. Grok-3 costs $3.00/M input and $15.00/M output via xai. Grok-2 costs $2.00/M input and $10.00/M output via xai.

What are the context window sizes for Grok-3 and Grok-2?

Grok-3 supports 128K tokens and Grok-2 supports 128K 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 Grok-2?

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

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