Grok 3 Mini vs GPT-4.1 mini
Performance benchmarks + pricing comparison — updated April 2026
Grok 3 Mini
xAICost-effective xAI model for high-volume tasks. Good balance of capability and affordability.
| Input | $0.300/M |
| Output | $0.500/M |
| Context | 128K tokens |
| Best For | High-volume tasks, simple coding, cost-sensitive projects |
| Benchmark | 50/100 |
GPT-4.1 mini
OpenAICost-optimized GPT-4.1 variant. Strong coding capability at budget pricing, replacing GPT-4o mini for many use cases.
| Input | $0.400/M |
| Output | $1.60/M |
| Context | 128K tokens |
| Best For | High-volume coding, cost-sensitive projects, automation |
| Benchmark | 68/100 |
Benchmark Performance Comparison
Third-party benchmark scores — higher is better. Data sourced from SWE-bench, LiveCodeBench, HumanEval, and BigCodeBench.
| Benchmark | Grok 3 Mini | GPT-4.1 mini | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 50 | 68 | GPT-4.1 Mini leads by 18pts |
| SWE-bench Verified | 42 | 62 | GPT-4.1 Mini leads by 20pts |
| LiveCodeBench | 52 | 70 | GPT-4.1 Mini leads by 18pts |
| HumanEval | 72 | 86 | GPT-4.1 Mini leads by 14pts |
| BigCodeBench | 36 | 54 | GPT-4.1 Mini leads by 18pts |
Cost Comparison by Scenario
Estimated cost per project with 30% cache hit rate. Actual costs may vary based on usage patterns.
| Scenario | Grok 3 Mini | GPT-4.1 mini | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Script (1K lines) | $0.03 | $0.06 | Grok 3 Mini saves $0.04 (59%) |
| Medium Feature (10K lines) | $0.21 | $0.46 | Grok 3 Mini saves $0.26 (55%) |
| Large Project (50K lines) | $1.02 | $2.30 | Grok 3 Mini saves $1.28 (55%) |
| Code Review (5K lines) | $0.07 | $0.11 | Grok 3 Mini saves $0.04 (41%) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grok 3 Mini | 50 | $0.006/pt | Better value |
| GPT-4.1 mini | 68 | $0.022/pt | Higher cost per point |
Grok 3 Mini delivers the best value at $0.006 per score point.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Grok 3 Mini
- + Budget option
- + Fast
- - Limited capabilities
GPT-4.1 mini
- + Good value
- + Latest architecture
- - Mini variant limitations
Verdict
Grok 3 Mini is cheaper at $0.300/M, but GPT-4.1 mini scores higher on benchmarks (68 vs 50).
Choose Grok 3 Mini for cost-sensitive projects, GPT-4.1 mini when performance matters most.
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