Cost Comparison (1000 input + 500 output tokens, 100 requests/day)
Grok 3 Mini
Grok 4.1 Fast
Cost Differences
Grok 4.1 Fast costs less than Grok 3 Mini
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Grok 3 Mini | Grok 4.1 Fast |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | xAI | xAI |
| Input Price | $0.30/1M tokens | $0.20/1M tokens |
| Output Price | $0.50/1M tokens | $0.50/1M tokens |
| Context Window | 128,000 tokens | 2,000,000 tokens |
| Max Output | 131,072 tokens | 131,072 tokens |
| Category | efficient | efficient |
| Capabilities | textreasoningcode | textreasoningcode |
| Release Date | 2/17/2025 | 1/15/2026 |
Grok 3 Mini vs Grok 4.1 Fast: Which Should You Choose?
Choosing between Grok 3 Mini and Grok 4.1 Fast depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. Grok 4.1 Fast is the more affordable option at $0.20/1M input tokens — 33% cheaper than Grok 3 Mini. Meanwhile, Grok 4.1 Fast offers a significantly larger context window at 2,000,000 tokens vs 128,000 for Grok 3 Mini.
Both models are in the efficient category, making this a direct head-to-head comparison. At scale — say 10,000 requests per day — the cost difference adds up: Grok 4.1 Fast would save you roughly $30.00/month compared to Grok 3 Mini. For startups and indie developers, that difference can be significant.
Output costs matter too. Grok 3 Mini charges $0.50/1M output tokens vs $0.50 for Grok 4.1 Fast.
Best Use Cases
Choose Grok 3 Mini when:
- • You're already using xAI's API ecosystem
- • You're running high-volume, latency-sensitive workloads
Choose Grok 4.1 Fast when:
- • Budget is a primary concern
- • You need a larger context window (2,000,000 tokens)
- • You're already using xAI's API ecosystem
- • You're running high-volume, latency-sensitive workloads
Try Different Scenarios
Use the calculator below to see how costs change with different usage patterns
Grok 3 Mini (xAI)
Grok 4.1 Fast (xAI)
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