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comparison

Grok 4.3 vs Grok 4.20

Token pricing, context window and real monthly cost, side by side. Grok 4.3 is the cheaper of the two for a typical workload (near-identical cost).

cheaper for a typical workload
Grok 4.3
both land at the same monthly cost for this workload
Grok 4.3 $625/mo
Grok 4.20 $625/mo
Flagship vs Flagship comparable technical class at a lower rate — the better value

Positioned by published specs — size, context and modality — not measured performance; a smaller model can sometimes outperform a larger one on your task.

Cost versus technical classGrok 4.3: $625/mo, Flagship class. Grok 4.20: $625/mo, Flagship class. Plotted by monthly cost (horizontal) against technical class from size and context (vertical).best valuepremiumbudgetoverpricedGrok 4.3$625/mo · FlagshipGrok 4.20$625/mo · Flagship← lower cost · monthly $ · higher cost →
↑ technical class (size & context)
Same technical class

Grok 4.3 and Grok 4.20 are the same class (Flagship) on size & context, so they're plausible substitutes — decide on price, modality and provider fit.

Grok 4.3 versus Grok 4.20 specifications and price.
metric Grok 4.3 Grok 4.20
Input / 1M $1.25 $1.25
Output / 1M $2.50 $2.50
Context 1M 2M
Technical class Flagship Flagship
Cost @ typical workload $625/mo $625/mo
Modality text + image text + image
Price source list list
Provider xAI xAI

Snapshot . Cost uses a typical workload; tune it in the calculator. How we measure →

Which should you pick?

On a typical workload, Grok 4.3 costs $625/mo against Grok 4.20's $625/mo, essentially the same. But the ranking depends on your output-to-input ratio: output is the pricier direction for both, so an output-heavy job (code generation, long answers) widens the gap while an input-heavy one (summarization, retrieval) narrows it. If you need to fit more in a single prompt, Grok 4.20 has the larger 2M-token window (~3,000 pages). By technical class — a spec read of size and context, not measured capability — both are Flagship, so this is a like-for-like price decision.

These are list and routed market prices, not measured outcomes. Two models at the same rate can still cost different amounts to finish the same task, because verbose or reasoning-heavy models emit more tokens. That gap is exactly what measured cost-per-task captures. The technical-class read above is likewise spec-based — size, context and modality, not measured performance — so a smaller model can still outperform a larger one on your specific task.

Frequently asked questions

Is Grok 4.3 or Grok 4.20 cheaper?

For a typical workload (1,500 input + 500 output tokens × 200,000 requests/month), Grok 4.3 costs $625/mo versus $625/mo for Grok 4.20. Because output is priced higher than input, the winner can flip if your workload writes much more or less than this; check your own numbers in the calculator.

What's the difference between Grok 4.3 and Grok 4.20 from xAI?

Same provider, different tier. On price, Grok 4.3 is $1.25/$2.50 per 1M (in/out) and Grok 4.20 is $1.25/$2.50. By technical class (size & context) they're the same — both Flagship. Grok 4.20 carries the larger 2M-token context.

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