OpenAI o1 vs Grok 3 Mini
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 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 |
Benchmark Performance Comparison
Third-party benchmark scores — higher is better. Data sourced from SWE-bench, LiveCodeBench, HumanEval, and BigCodeBench.
| Benchmark | OpenAI o1 | Grok 3 Mini | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 83 | 50 | o1 leads by 33pts |
| SWE-bench Verified | 80 | 42 | o1 leads by 38pts |
| LiveCodeBench | 84 | 52 | o1 leads by 32pts |
| HumanEval | 95 | 72 | o1 leads by 23pts |
| BigCodeBench | 73 | 36 | o1 leads by 37pts |
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 Mini | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Script (1K lines) | $2.32 | $0.03 | Grok 3 Mini saves $2.30 (99%) |
| Medium Feature (10K lines) | $17.25 | $0.21 | Grok 3 Mini saves $17.05 (99%) |
| Large Project (50K lines) | $86.25 | $1.02 | Grok 3 Mini saves $85.22 (99%) |
| Code Review (5K lines) | $4.13 | $0.07 | Grok 3 Mini saves $4.06 (98%) |
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 Mini | 50 | $0.006/pt | Better value |
Grok 3 Mini delivers the best value at $0.006 per score point.
Strengths & Weaknesses
OpenAI o1
- + Strong step-by-step reasoning
- + Best at math-heavy coding
- - Expensive
- - Slow
Grok 3 Mini
- + Budget option
- + Fast
- - Limited capabilities
Verdict
Grok 3 Mini is cheaper at $0.300/M, but OpenAI o1 scores higher on benchmarks (83 vs 50).
Choose Grok 3 Mini for cost-sensitive projects, OpenAI o1 when performance matters most.
Compare with Other Models
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