GPT-4 vs Grok 3
Performance benchmarks + pricing comparison — updated April 2026
GPT-4
OpenAIOriginal GPT-4. Most expensive OpenAI model, largely superseded by newer options.
| Input | $30.00/M |
| Output | $60.00/M |
| Context | 8K tokens |
| Best For | Legacy applications requiring GPT-4 specifically |
| Benchmark | 68/100 |
Grok 3
xAIxAI's flagship model. Strong general-purpose capability with real-time knowledge access through X platform integration.
| Input | $3.00/M |
| Output | $15.00/M |
| Context | 128K tokens |
| Best For | General coding, research tasks, current-event-aware applications |
| Benchmark | 70/100 |
Benchmark Performance Comparison
Third-party benchmark scores — higher is better. Data sourced from SWE-bench, LiveCodeBench, HumanEval, and BigCodeBench.
| Benchmark | GPT-4 | Grok 3 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 68 | 70 | Grok 3 leads by 2pts |
| SWE-bench Verified | 60 | 64 | Grok 3 leads by 4pts |
| LiveCodeBench | 70 | 72 | Grok 3 leads by 2pts |
| HumanEval | 86 | 88 | Grok 3 leads by 2pts |
| BigCodeBench | 54 | 56 | Grok 3 leads by 2pts |
Cost Comparison by Scenario
Estimated cost per project with 30% cache hit rate. Actual costs may vary based on usage patterns.
| Scenario | GPT-4 | Grok 3 | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Script (1K lines) | $2.85 | $0.55 | Grok 3 saves $2.29 (81%) |
| Medium Feature (10K lines) | $22.50 | $4.05 | Grok 3 saves $18.45 (82%) |
| Large Project (50K lines) | $112.50 | $20.25 | Grok 3 saves $92.25 (82%) |
| Code Review (5K lines) | $6.75 | $0.90 | Grok 3 saves $5.85 (87%) |
Value Analysis (Price per Benchmark Score Point)
Lower is better — how much you pay for each point of benchmark performance.
| Model | Overall Score | Price per Score Point | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-4 | 68 | $0.441/pt | Higher cost per point |
| Grok 3 | 70 | $0.043/pt | Better value |
Grok 3 delivers the best value at $0.043 per score point.
Strengths & Weaknesses
GPT-4
- + Original breakthrough model
- - Two generations behind
- - Expensive
Grok 3
- + Strong reasoning
- + X integration
- - Newer model
- - Limited ecosystem
Verdict
Grok 3 wins on both price and performance — $3.00/M input with a benchmark score of 70/100.
For most developers, this is the clear choice between these two models.
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