Model Comparison
Grok 4.5 vs Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512)Which is better in 2026?
Grok 4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) is 20.0x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Grok 4.5 vs Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) — which is better?
Grok 4.5 (by xAI) and Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) (by Mistral AI) 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 4.5 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) is better at 0 benchmarks. Grok 4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) is roughly 20.0x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Grok 4.5 also accepts a larger context window (500,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose Grok 4.5 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 500,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026
Choose Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) if…
- cost matters — it's about 20.0x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Grok 4.5 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) is better at 0 benchmarks.
Grok 4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Grok 4.5 ($2.00/1M tokens) is 13.3x more expensive than Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) ($0.15/1M tokens).
For output processing, Grok 4.5 ($6.00/1M tokens) is 40.0x more expensive than Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) ($0.15/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Grok 4.5 is more expensive than Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512).*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Grok 4.5 accepts 500,000 input tokens compared to Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512)'s 262,100 tokens. Only Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) specifies output context (262,100 tokens).
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Grok 4.5 and Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Grok 4.5
Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512)
License
Usage and distribution terms
Grok 4.5 is licensed under a proprietary license, while Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) uses Apache 2.0.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Proprietary
Closed source
Apache 2.0
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Grok 4.5 was released on 2026-07-16, while Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) was released on 2025-12-04.
Grok 4.5 is 7 months newer than Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512).
Jul 16, 2026
4 days ago
7mo newerDec 4, 2025
7 months ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Grok 4.5 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-02-01, while Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512)'s cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Grok 4.5's training data extends to 2026-02-01, but cannot make a direct comparison without Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512)'s cutoff date.
Feb 2026
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Provider Availability
Grok 4.5 is available from xAI. Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) is available from Mistral AI.
Grok 4.5
Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512)
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Grok 4.5 and Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512) side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about Grok 4.5 vs Ministral 3 (8B Reasoning 2512).