Grok 3 vs Magistral Medium
Grok 3 vs Magistral Medium: Magistral Medium is cheaper for input-heavy usage ($2.00/M vs $3.00/M input tokens), while Grok 3 is better for long-context tasks (131,072 tokens).
Direct answer: choose Magistral Medium for lower token spend and choose Grok 3 when your workload needs longer context.
Compare input and output token pricing, context windows, and monthly cost estimates on one page so you can pick the cheaper model fast.
Cost Comparison (1000 input + 500 output tokens, 100 requests/day)
Grok 3
Magistral Medium
Cost Differences
Magistral Medium costs less than Grok 3
Quick Recommendation
Winner for direct API pricing: Magistral Medium. At the default workload, Magistral Medium saves about $18.00/month ($219.00/year) versus Grok 3.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Grok 3 | Magistral Medium |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | xAI | Mistral AI |
| Input Price | $3.00/1M tokens | $2.00/1M tokens |
| Output Price | $15.00/1M tokens | $5.00/1M tokens |
| Context Window | 131,072 tokens | 128,000 tokens |
| Max Output | 131,072 tokens | 32,768 tokens |
| Category | flagship | reasoning |
| Capabilities | textvisionreasoningcode | textreasoning |
| Release Date | 2/17/2025 | 12/15/2025 |
Grok 3 vs Magistral Medium: Which Should You Choose?
Choosing between Grok 3 and Magistral Medium depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. Magistral Medium is the more affordable option at $2.00/1M input tokens — 33% cheaper than Grok 3. Meanwhile, Grok 3 offers a significantly larger context window at 131,072 tokens vs 128,000 for Magistral Medium.
These models come from different providers — xAI and Mistral AI — which means different API ecosystems, SDKs, rate limits, and terms of service. If you're already integrated with xAI, switching to Mistral AIinvolves migration effort beyond just pricing. Factor in your existing infrastructure when deciding.
These models target different tiers: Grok 3 is a flagship model while Magistral Medium is reasoning. This means they're optimized for different workloads. Grok 3 is built for complex tasks that require deeper reasoning, while Magistral Medium offers better value for routine operations.
Output costs matter too. Grok 3 charges $15.00/1M output tokens vs $5.00 for Magistral Medium. For generation-heavy workloads (content creation, code generation, summarization), output pricing often dominates your bill. Magistral Medium has the edge here at $5.00/1M output tokens.
Multimodal capabilities: Grok 3 supports vision (image inputs) while Magistral Medium is text-only. If your application needs image understanding, this narrows your choice.
Best Use Cases
Choose Grok 3 when:
- • You need a larger context window (131,072 tokens)
- • You need more capabilities (vision, code)
- • You need longer outputs (up to 131,072 tokens)
- • You're already using xAI's API ecosystem
Choose Magistral Medium when:
- • Budget is a primary concern
- • You're already using Mistral AI's API ecosystem
Pros and Caveats at a Glance
Grok 3
- • Input pricing: $3.00/M tokens
- • Output pricing: $15.00/M tokens
- • Context window: 131,072 tokens
- • Max output: 131,072 tokens
Watch out for
- • Higher input cost than Magistral Medium
- • Higher output cost than Magistral Medium
Magistral Medium
- • Input pricing: $2.00/M tokens
- • Output pricing: $5.00/M tokens
- • Context window: 128,000 tokens
- • Max output: 32,768 tokens
Watch out for
- • Smaller context window than Grok 3
Try Different Scenarios
Use the calculator below to see how costs change with different usage patterns
Grok 3 (xAI)
Magistral Medium (Mistral AI)
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Which is cheaper, Grok 3 or Magistral Medium?▼
What is the context window difference between Grok 3 and Magistral Medium?▼
Which model is better for AI Chatbot?▼
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