OpenAI o1 vs Grok 3
Performance benchmarks + pricing comparison — updated April 2026
OpenAI o1
OpenAIReasoning model optimized for complex problem-solving. Excels at math, science, and advanced coding.
| Input | $15.00/M |
| Output | $60.00/M |
| Context | 200K tokens |
| Best For | Complex math, advanced coding, scientific reasoning |
| Benchmark | 83/100 |
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 | OpenAI o1 | Grok 3 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 83 | 70 | o1 leads by 13pts |
| SWE-bench Verified | 80 | 64 | o1 leads by 16pts |
| LiveCodeBench | 84 | 72 | o1 leads by 12pts |
| HumanEval | 95 | 88 | o1 leads by 7pts |
| BigCodeBench | 73 | 56 | o1 leads by 17pts |
Cost Comparison by Scenario
Estimated cost per project with 30% cache hit rate. Actual costs may vary based on usage patterns.
| Scenario | OpenAI o1 | Grok 3 | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Script (1K lines) | $2.32 | $0.55 | Grok 3 saves $1.77 (76%) |
| Medium Feature (10K lines) | $17.25 | $4.05 | Grok 3 saves $13.20 (77%) |
| Large Project (50K lines) | $86.25 | $20.25 | Grok 3 saves $66.00 (77%) |
| Code Review (5K lines) | $4.13 | $0.90 | Grok 3 saves $3.23 (78%) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI o1 | 83 | $0.181/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
OpenAI o1
- + Strong step-by-step reasoning
- + Best at math-heavy coding
- - Expensive
- - Slow
Grok 3
- + Strong reasoning
- + X integration
- - Newer model
- - Limited ecosystem
Verdict
Grok 3 is cheaper at $3.00/M, but OpenAI o1 scores higher on benchmarks (83 vs 70).
Choose Grok 3 for cost-sensitive projects, OpenAI o1 when performance matters most.
Compare with Other Models
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