GPT-4o mini vs Grok 3
Performance benchmarks + pricing comparison — updated April 2026
GPT-4o mini
OpenAIAffordable small model. Fast and cost-effective for high-volume coding tasks.
| Input | $0.150/M |
| Output | $0.600/M |
| Context | 128K tokens |
| Best For | High-volume tasks, simple coding, cost-sensitive projects |
| Benchmark | 58/100 |
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-4o mini | Grok 3 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 58 | 70 | Grok 3 leads by 12pts |
| SWE-bench Verified | 50 | 64 | Grok 3 leads by 14pts |
| LiveCodeBench | 60 | 72 | Grok 3 leads by 12pts |
| HumanEval | 78 | 88 | Grok 3 leads by 10pts |
| BigCodeBench | 44 | 56 | Grok 3 leads by 12pts |
Cost Comparison by Scenario
Estimated cost per project with 30% cache hit rate. Actual costs may vary based on usage patterns.
| Scenario | GPT-4o mini | Grok 3 | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Script (1K lines) | $0.02 | $0.55 | GPT-4o mini saves $0.53 (96%) |
| Medium Feature (10K lines) | $0.18 | $4.05 | GPT-4o mini saves $3.87 (95%) |
| Large Project (50K lines) | $0.92 | $20.25 | GPT-4o mini saves $19.33 (95%) |
| Code Review (5K lines) | $0.05 | $0.90 | GPT-4o mini saves $0.85 (95%) |
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-4o mini | 58 | $0.003/pt | Better value |
| Grok 3 | 70 | $0.043/pt | Higher cost per point |
GPT-4o mini delivers the best value at $0.003 per score point.
Strengths & Weaknesses
GPT-4o mini
- + Very cheap
- + Fast responses
- - Struggles with multi-step reasoning
Grok 3
- + Strong reasoning
- + X integration
- - Newer model
- - Limited ecosystem
Verdict
GPT-4o mini is cheaper at $0.150/M, but Grok 3 scores higher on benchmarks (70 vs 58).
Choose GPT-4o mini for cost-sensitive projects, Grok 3 when performance matters most.
Compare with Other Models
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