Cost Comparison (1000 input + 500 output tokens, 100 requests/day)
Grok 3 Mini
o3
Cost Differences
o3 costs more than Grok 3 Mini
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Grok 3 Mini | o3 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | xAI | OpenAI |
| Input Price | $0.30/1M tokens | $2.00/1M tokens |
| Output Price | $0.50/1M tokens | $8.00/1M tokens |
| Context Window | 128,000 tokens | 1,000,000 tokens |
| Max Output | 131,072 tokens | 131,072 tokens |
| Category | efficient | reasoning |
| Capabilities | textreasoningcode | textreasoningvisioncode |
| Release Date | 2/17/2025 | 4/16/2025 |
Grok 3 Mini vs o3: Which Should You Choose?
Choosing between Grok 3 Mini and o3 depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. Grok 3 Mini is the more affordable option at $0.30/1M input tokens — 85% cheaper than o3. Meanwhile, o3 offers a significantly larger context window at 1,000,000 tokens vs 128,000 for Grok 3 Mini.
These models come from different providers — xAI and OpenAI — which means different API ecosystems, SDKs, rate limits, and terms of service. If you're already integrated with xAI, switching to OpenAIinvolves migration effort beyond just pricing. Factor in your existing infrastructure when deciding.
These models target different tiers: Grok 3 Mini is a efficient model while o3 is reasoning. This means they're optimized for different workloads. o3 targets more demanding workloads, while Grok 3 Mini provides a cost-effective option for everyday tasks.
Output costs matter too. Grok 3 Mini charges $0.50/1M output tokens vs $8.00 for o3. For generation-heavy workloads (content creation, code generation, summarization), output pricing often dominates your bill. Grok 3 Mini has the edge here at $0.50/1M output tokens.
Multimodal capabilities: o3 supports vision (image inputs) while Grok 3 Mini is text-only. If your application needs image understanding, this narrows your choice.
Best Use Cases
Choose Grok 3 Mini when:
- • Budget is a primary concern
- • You're already using xAI's API ecosystem
- • You're running high-volume, latency-sensitive workloads
Choose o3 when:
- • You need a larger context window (1,000,000 tokens)
- • You need more capabilities (vision)
- • You're already using OpenAI's API ecosystem
Try Different Scenarios
Use the calculator below to see how costs change with different usage patterns
Grok 3 Mini (xAI)
o3 (OpenAI)
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