GPT-5 Mini vs Grok 3 Mini
Data reconciled September 29, 2026
Short answer
GPT-5 Mini is 5× cheaper than Grok 3 Mini on input and 1.3× cheaper on output, while giving up nothing on context or capabilities. On measurable parameters the choice is unambiguous.
Side by side
| Parameter | GPT-5 Mini | Grok 3 Mini |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | xAI |
| Input, $ per 1M tokens | $0.25 | $1.25 |
| Output, $ per 1M tokens | $2.00 | $2.50 |
| Cache read, $ per 1M | $0.025 | $0.20 |
| Context window | 272,000 | 131,072 |
| Max output | 128,000 | 131,072 |
| Vision | yes | no |
| Tools | yes | yes |
| Reasoning | yes | yes |
| Status | available | available |
What it costs on your own workload
A price gap per million tokens says little until your volumes are plugged in: on a long fixed system prompt the winner is the model with cheap cache reads, not the one with a cheap input rate. Run GPT-5 Mini and Grok 3 Mini against your own numbers.
Open the cost calculatorWhat is deliberately absent
We do not compare answer quality and we do not reprint third-party benchmarks. We have no quality measurements of our own, and external tables go stale faster than prices while being compiled, almost always, by someone with a stake in the result. What is here is only what we reconcile ourselves every day: prices, limits and supported capabilities.