Grok-4 vs Llama 3.1 70B Instruct
Grok-4 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Llama 3.1 70B Instruct is 30.0x cheaper per token.
xAI · Meta · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Grok-4 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Llama 3.1 70B Instruct is better at 0 benchmarks. Grok-4 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Llama 3.1 70B Instruct is roughly 30.0x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Grok-4 also accepts a larger context window (256,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current benchmark, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Grok-4
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 256,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2025
Choose Llama 3.1 70B Instruct
- cost matters — it's about 30.0x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Grok-4 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Llama 3.1 70B Instruct is better at 0 benchmarks.
Grok-4 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Playground indexes and blind preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Grok-4 ($3.00/1M tokens) is 15.0x more expensive than Llama 3.1 70B Instruct ($0.20/1M tokens).
For output processing, Grok-4 ($15.00/1M tokens) is 75.0x more expensive than Llama 3.1 70B Instruct ($0.20/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Grok-4 is more expensive than Llama 3.1 70B Instruct.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Grok-4 accepts 256,000 input tokens compared to Llama 3.1 70B Instruct's 128,000 tokens. Llama 3.1 70B Instruct can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while Grok-4 is limited to 8,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Grok-4 supports multimodal inputs, whereas Llama 3.1 70B Instruct does not.
Grok-4 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
Grok-4
Llama 3.1 70B Instruct
License
Usage and distribution terms
Grok-4 is licensed under a proprietary license, while Llama 3.1 70B Instruct uses Llama 3.1 Community License.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Proprietary
Closed source
Llama 3.1 Community License
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Grok-4 was released on 2025-07-09, while Llama 3.1 70B Instruct was released on 2024-07-23.
Grok-4 is 12 months newer than Llama 3.1 70B Instruct.
Jul 9, 2025
1.1 years ago
11mo newerJul 23, 2024
2.1 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Grok-4 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-12-31, while Llama 3.1 70B Instruct's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Grok-4's training data extends to 2024-12-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without Llama 3.1 70B Instruct's cutoff date.
Dec 2024
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Provider Availability
Grok-4 is available from xAI. Llama 3.1 70B Instruct is available from Lambda, DeepInfra, Hyperbolic, Groq, Cerebras, Together, Fireworks, Bedrock, Sambanova.
Grok-4
Llama 3.1 70B Instruct
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Grok-4 and Llama 3.1 70B Instruct side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Grok-4 vs Llama 3.1 70B Instruct.