Model Comparison

Grok-3 vs Nova LiteWhich is better in 2026?

Grok-3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Nova Lite is 57.1x cheaper per token.

Verdict: Grok-3 vs Nova Lite — which is better?

Grok-3 (by xAI) and Nova Lite (by Amazon) 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 Nova Lite is better at 0 benchmarks. Grok-3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, Nova Lite is roughly 57.1x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Nova Lite also accepts a larger context window (300,000 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 2 of 2 shared benchmarks
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Feb 2025

Choose Nova Lite if…

  • cost matters — it's about 57.1x cheaper per token
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 300,000 token context window

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

2 benchmarks

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

Grok-3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Mon Jul 27 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Nova Lite costs less

For input processing, Grok-3 ($3.00/1M tokens) is 50.0x more expensive than Nova Lite ($0.06/1M tokens).

For output processing, Grok-3 ($15.00/1M tokens) is 62.5x more expensive than Nova Lite ($0.24/1M tokens).

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

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Mon Jul 27 2026 • llm-stats.com
xAI
Grok-3
Input tokens$3.00
Output tokens$15.00
Best providerxAI
Amazon
Nova Lite
Input tokens$0.06
Output tokens$0.24
Best providerAWS Bedrock
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Nova Lite accepts 300,000 input tokens compared to Grok-3's 128,000 tokens. Grok-3 can generate longer responses up to 8,000 tokens, while Nova Lite is limited to 2,048 tokens.

xAI
Grok-3
Input128,000 tokens
Output8,000 tokens
Amazon
Nova Lite
Input300,000 tokens
Output2,048 tokens
Mon Jul 27 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both Grok-3 and Nova Lite support multimodal inputs.

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

Grok-3

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Nova Lite

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

Nova Lite

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Grok-3 was released on 2025-02-17, while Nova Lite was released on 2024-11-20.

Grok-3 is 3 months newer than Nova Lite.

Grok-3

Feb 17, 2025

1.4 years ago

2mo newer
Nova Lite

Nov 20, 2024

1.7 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Grok-3 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-11-17, while Nova Lite'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 Nova Lite's cutoff date.

Grok-3

Nov 2024

Nova Lite

—

Provider Availability

Grok-3 is available from xAI. Nova Lite is available from Bedrock.

Grok-3

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

Nova Lite

bedrock logo
AWS Bedrock
Input Price:Input: $0.06/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.24/1M
* 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 42.0%)
Higher MMMU score (78.0% vs 56.2%)
Amazon
Larger context window (300,000 tokens)
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
xAIGrok-3
AmazonNova Lite
Compare in Playground

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

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

Grok-3
✓ Preferred
Nova Lite
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
xAI
Grok-3
Amazon
Nova Lite

FAQ

Common questions about Grok-3 vs Nova Lite.

Which is better, Grok-3 or Nova Lite?

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

How does Grok-3 compare to Nova Lite in benchmarks?

Grok-3 scores AIME 2024: 93.3%, AIME 2025: 93.3%, GPQA: 84.6%, LiveCodeBench: 79.4%, MMMU: 78.0%. Nova Lite scores GSM8k: 94.5%, ARC-C: 92.4%, DocVQA: 92.4%, IFEval: 89.7%, Translation en→Set1 COMET22: 88.8%.

Is Grok-3 cheaper than Nova Lite?

Nova Lite is 50.0x cheaper for input tokens. Grok-3 costs $3.00/M input and $15.00/M output via xai. Nova Lite costs $0.06/M input and $0.24/M output via bedrock.

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

Grok-3 supports 128K tokens and Nova Lite supports 300K 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 Nova Lite?

Key differences include context window (128K vs 300K), input pricing ($3.00 vs $0.06/M). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Grok-3 and Nova Lite?

Grok-3 is developed by xAI and Nova Lite is developed by Amazon.

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