Grok-2vsGrok 3 Mini
xAI vs xAI — Side-by-side model comparison
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Metric | Grok-2 | Grok 3 Mini |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | ||
| Arena Rank | #7 | #16 |
| Context Window | 128K | 128K |
| Input Pricing | $2.00/1M tokens | $0.30/1M tokens |
| Output Pricing | $10.00/1M tokens | $0.50/1M tokens |
| Parameters | Undisclosed | Undisclosed |
| Open Source | No | No |
| Best For | Real-time information, reasoning, coding | Lightweight reasoning, fast responses, chat |
| Release Date | Aug 13, 2024 | Apr 12, 2025 |
Grok-2
Grok-2 is xAI's flagship language model, designed with unique access to real-time data from the X platform (formerly Twitter). It features a 128K context window and delivers strong performance across reasoning, coding, and general knowledge tasks. Grok-2 differentiates itself through its ability to incorporate current events and trending discussions into its responses, making it particularly useful for tasks requiring up-to-the-minute information.
View xAI profile →Grok 3 Mini
Grok 3 Mini is xAI's smaller, faster variant of Grok 3, featuring built-in reasoning capabilities at a lower cost point. It maintains Grok's distinctive personality and real-time X (Twitter) data access while offering faster response times and reduced pricing. The model uses internal chain-of-thought reasoning to improve accuracy on complex queries. Grok 3 Mini is positioned as an everyday AI assistant that combines the speed of smaller models with the reasoning improvements of thinking-capable architectures. It's particularly useful for tasks requiring current information, quick analysis, and conversational AI applications.
View xAI profile →Key Differences: Grok-2 vs Grok 3 Mini
Grok-2 ranks higher in arena benchmarks (#7) indicating stronger overall performance.
Grok 3 Mini is 15.0x cheaper on average, making it the better choice for high-volume applications.
When to use Grok-2
- +You need the highest quality output based on arena rankings
- +Quality matters more than cost
- +Your use case involves real-time information, reasoning, coding
When to use Grok 3 Mini
- +Budget is a concern and you need cost efficiency
- +Your use case involves lightweight reasoning, fast responses, chat
Cost Analysis
At current pricing, Grok 3 Mini is 15.0x more affordable than Grok-2. For a typical enterprise workload processing 100M tokens per month:
Grok-2 monthly cost
$600
100M tokens/mo (50/50 in/out)
Grok 3 Mini monthly cost
$40
100M tokens/mo (50/50 in/out)
The Verdict
Grok 3 Mini wins our head-to-head comparison with 2 out of 5 category wins. It's the stronger choice for lightweight reasoning, fast responses, chat, though Grok-2 holds an edge in real-time information, reasoning, coding.
Last compared: March 2026 · Data sourced from public benchmarks and official pricing pages