| Signal | Grok 3 Mini | Delta | Qwen3 Max Thinking |
|---|---|---|---|
Capabilities | 83 | +17 | |
Benchmarks | 77 | +77 | |
Pricing | 1 | -3 | |
Context window size | 81 | -5 | |
Recency | 81 | -19 | |
Output Capacity | 20 | -55 | |
| Overall Result | 2 wins | of 6 | 4 wins |
0
days ranked higher
1
days
29
days ranked higher
xAI
Alibaba
Grok 3 Mini saves you $218.00/month
That's $2616.00/year compared to Qwen3 Max Thinking at your current usage level of 100K calls/month.
| Metric | Grok 3 Mini | Qwen3 Max Thinking | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 76 | 82 | Qwen3 Max Thinking |
| Rank | #103 | #66 | Qwen3 Max Thinking |
| Quality Rank | #103 | #66 | Qwen3 Max Thinking |
| Adoption Rank | #103 | #66 | Qwen3 Max Thinking |
| Parameters | -- | -- | -- |
| Context Window | 131K | 262K | Qwen3 Max Thinking |
| Pricing | $0.30/$0.50/M | $0.78/$3.90/M | -- |
| Signal Scores | |||
| Capabilities | 83 | 67 | Grok 3 Mini |
| Benchmarks | 77 | -- | Grok 3 Mini |
| Pricing | 1 | 4 | Qwen3 Max Thinking |
| Context window size | 81 | 86 | Qwen3 Max Thinking |
| Recency | 81 | 100 | Qwen3 Max Thinking |
| Output Capacity | 20 | 75 | Qwen3 Max Thinking |
Our composite score (0–100) combines six weighted signals: benchmark performance (25%), pricing efficiency (25%), context window size (15%), model recency (15%), output capacity (10%), and capability versatility (10%). Here's what the scores mean for these two models:
Scores 76/100 (rank #103), placing it in the top 65% of all 290 models tracked.
Scores 82/100 (rank #66), placing it in the top 78% of all 290 models tracked.
Qwen3 Max Thinking has a 6-point advantage, which typically translates to noticeably better performance on complex reasoning, code generation, and multi-step tasks.
Grok 3 Mini offers 83% better value per quality point. At 1M tokens/day, you'd spend $12.00/month with Grok 3 Mini vs $70.20/month with Qwen3 Max Thinking - a $58.20 monthly difference.
Both models have comparable response speeds. For most applications, the latency difference is negligible.
When latency matters most: Interactive chatbots, IDE code completion, real-time translation, and user-facing applications where response time directly impacts experience. For batch processing, background summarization, or offline analysis, latency is less critical.
Code generation & review
Higher benchmark score (0/100) indicates stronger performance on coding tasks like generating functions, debugging, and refactoring
Customer support chatbot
Faster response time (speed score 0/100) is critical for user-facing chat. Grok 3 Mini also offers lower per-token costs for high-volume support
Long document analysis
Larger context window (262K tokens) can process longer documents, contracts, and research papers in a single pass
Batch data extraction
Lower output pricing ($0.50/M) reduces costs when processing thousands of records daily
Creative writing & content
Higher overall composite score (82/100) correlates with better nuance, coherence, and style in long-form content
Qwen3 Max Thinking has a moderate advantage with a 5.599999999999994-point lead in composite score. It wins on more signal dimensions, but Grok 3 Mini has specific strengths that could make it the better choice for certain workflows.
Best for Quality
Grok 3 Mini
Marginally better benchmark scores; both are excellent
Best for Cost
Grok 3 Mini
83% lower pricing; better value at scale
Best for Reliability
Grok 3 Mini
Higher uptime and faster response speeds
Best for Prototyping
Grok 3 Mini
Stronger community support and better developer experience
Best for Production
Grok 3 Mini
Wider enterprise adoption and proven at scale
by xAI
| Capability | Grok 3 Mini | Qwen3 Max Thinking |
|---|---|---|
| Vision (Image Input) | ||
| Function Calling | ||
| Streaming | ||
| JSON Mode | ||
| Reasoning | ||
| Web Searchdiffers | ||
| Image Output |
xAI
Alibaba
Grok 3 Mini saves you $4.94/month
That's 81% cheaper than Qwen3 Max Thinking at 1,000 tokens/request and 100 requests/day.
Assumes 60% input / 40% output token ratio per request. Actual costs may vary based on your usage pattern.
| Parameter | Grok 3 Mini | Qwen3 Max Thinking |
|---|---|---|
| Context Window | 131K | 262K |
| Max Output Tokens | -- | 32,768 |
| Open Source | No | No |
| Created | Jun 10, 2025 | Feb 9, 2026 |
Qwen3 Max Thinking scores 82/100 (rank #66) compared to Grok 3 Mini's 76/100 (rank #103), giving it a 6-point advantage. Qwen3 Max Thinking is the stronger overall choice, though Grok 3 Mini may excel in specific areas like cost efficiency.
Grok 3 Mini is ranked #103 and Qwen3 Max Thinking is ranked #66 out of 290+ AI models. Rankings use a composite score combining benchmark performance (25%), pricing (25%), context window (15%), recency (15%), output capacity (10%), and versatility (10%). Scores update hourly.
Grok 3 Mini is cheaper at $0.50/M output tokens vs Qwen3 Max Thinking's $3.90/M output tokens - 7.8x more expensive. Input token pricing: Grok 3 Mini at $0.30/M vs Qwen3 Max Thinking at $0.78/M.
Qwen3 Max Thinking has a larger context window of 262,144 tokens compared to Grok 3 Mini's 131,072 tokens. A larger context window means the model can process longer documents and conversations.