Model Comparison

Grok-3 vs Step3-VL-10BWhich is better in 2026?

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.

Verdict: Grok-3 vs Step3-VL-10B — which is better?

Grok-3 (by xAI) and Step3-VL-10B (by StepFun) 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 1 benchmarks (AIME 2025), while Step3-VL-10B is better at 1 benchmark (MMMU). Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.

Choose Grok-3 if…

  • you want predictable pricing at $3.00/M input and $15.00/M output

Choose Step3-VL-10B if…

  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jan 2026
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

2 benchmarks

Grok-3 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (AIME 2025), while Step3-VL-10B is better at 1 benchmark (MMMU).

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.

Tue Jul 21 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Only Grok-3 specifies input context (128,000 tokens). Only Grok-3 specifies output context (8,000 tokens).

xAI
Grok-3
Input128,000 tokens
Output8,000 tokens
StepFun
Step3-VL-10B
Input- tokens
Output- tokens
Tue Jul 21 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both Grok-3 and Step3-VL-10B support multimodal inputs.

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

Grok-3

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Step3-VL-10B

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Grok-3 is licensed under a proprietary license, while Step3-VL-10B uses Apache 2.0.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

Grok-3

Proprietary

Closed source

Step3-VL-10B

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Grok-3 was released on 2025-02-17, while Step3-VL-10B was released on 2026-01-15.

Step3-VL-10B is 11 months newer than Grok-3.

Grok-3

Feb 17, 2025

1.4 years ago

Step3-VL-10B

Jan 15, 2026

6 months ago

11mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Grok-3 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-11-17, while Step3-VL-10B'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 Step3-VL-10B's cutoff date.

Grok-3

Nov 2024

Step3-VL-10B

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Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

xAI
Larger context window (128,000 tokens)
Higher AIME 2025 score (93.3% vs 87.7%)
StepFun
Has open weights
Higher MMMU score (78.1% vs 78.0%)
xAIGrok-3
StepFunStep3-VL-10B
Compare in Playground

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Grok-3 and Step3-VL-10B side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Grok-3
✓ Preferred
Step3-VL-10B
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
xAI
Grok-3
StepFun
Step3-VL-10B

FAQ

Common questions about Grok-3 vs Step3-VL-10B.

Which is better, Grok-3 or Step3-VL-10B?

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks. Grok-3 is made by xAI and Step3-VL-10B is made by StepFun. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Grok-3 compare to Step3-VL-10B in benchmarks?

Grok-3 scores AIME 2024: 93.3%, AIME 2025: 93.3%, GPQA: 84.6%, LiveCodeBench: 79.4%, MMMU: 78.0%. Step3-VL-10B scores MMBench: 91.8%, AIME 2025: 87.7%, MathVista: 84.0%, MMMU: 78.1%, MathVision: 70.8%.

What are the context window sizes for Grok-3 and Step3-VL-10B?

Grok-3 supports 128K tokens and Step3-VL-10B supports an unknown number of 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 Step3-VL-10B?

Key differences include licensing (Proprietary vs Apache 2.0). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Grok-3 and Step3-VL-10B?

Grok-3 is developed by xAI and Step3-VL-10B is developed by StepFun.

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