Grok 4 vs o3
Complete pricing and performance comparison between xAI's Grok 4 and OpenAI's o3.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
o3
1.5x cheaper input, 1.9x cheaper output
Larger Context
Grok 4
2.0M vs 200K
Higher Quality
Grok 4
Score: 42 vs 38
Faster
o3
79 vs 49 tok/s
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | Grok 4 | o3 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | xAI | OpenAI | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $3 | $2 | o3 is 33% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $15 | $8 | o3 is 47% more expensive |
| Context Window | 2.0M | 200K | 10x difference |
| Max Output | 16K | 100K | |
| Tokenizer | cl100k_base | o200k_base |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | Grok 4 | o3 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | 42 | 38 | Grok 4 |
| Output Speed | 49 tok/s | 79 tok/s | o3 |
| Time to First Token | 9.39s | 10.83s | Grok 4 |
| Value (Quality/$) | 13.8 | 19.2 | Higher = better value |
Benchmark data from Artificial Analysis. Quality Index is a composite score across reasoning, coding, and knowledge tasks.
Cost at Scale
Estimated cost at different usage levels (3:1 input-to-output token ratio, typical for chat).
| Usage | Grok 4 | o3 | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0075 | $0.0044 | o3 saves $0.0031 |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.075 | $0.044 | o3 saves $0.031 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.750 | $0.440 | o3 saves $0.310 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $7.50 | $4.40 | o3 saves $3.10 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $75.00 | $44.00 | o3 saves $31.00 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $7500.00 | $4400.00 | o3 saves $3100.00 |
Pros & Cons
Grok 4 Strengths
- +Larger context window (2.0M vs 200K)
- +Higher quality score (42 vs 38)
- +Lower latency (faster first token)
o3 Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
- +Higher max output tokens
- +Faster output (79 vs 49 tok/s)
When to Use Each Model
Choose Grok 4 for
- →Long documents, large codebases, or multi-turn conversations
- →Tasks requiring maximum accuracy and reasoning
Choose o3 for
- →Budget-conscious projects where cost is the primary factor
- →Generating long-form content or detailed code
- →Real-time applications, chat, or autocomplete
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, Grok 4 or o3?
For input tokens, o3 is 1.5x cheaper at $2/1M tokens. For output tokens, o3 is 1.9x cheaper at $8/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), Grok 4 costs $7.50 vs o3 at $4.40.
What's the context window difference?
Grok 4 supports 2.0M context (2,000,000 tokens), while o3 supports 200K (200,000 tokens). Grok 4 can handle 10x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
Quality Index: Grok 4 scores 42 vs o3 at 38. Speed: Grok 4 generates 49 tok/s vs o3 at 79 tok/s. Time to first token: Grok 4 at 9.39s vs o3 at 10.83s.
When should I choose Grok 4 over o3?
Choose Grok 4 when you need: Larger context window (2.0M vs 200K), Higher quality score (42 vs 38), Lower latency (faster first token). Choose o3 when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens, Higher max output tokens, Faster output (79 vs 49 tok/s).
How much would 10,000 API requests cost?
At 1K input + 300 output tokens per request (typical chat): Grok 4 = $75.00, o3 = $44.00. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): Grok 4 = $450.00, o3 = $280.00.