Last verified 2025-09-22 (left) · 2025-09-22 (right)
GPT-4.1 mini vs Grok 4 — Pricing & Capability Comparison
GPT-4.1 mini charges $0.40 per million input tokens and $1.60 per million output tokens. Grok 4 comes in at $3.00 / $15.00. Context windows span 128K vs 256K tokens respectively.
TL;DR — Quick Comparison
- ✓GPT-4.1 mini is cheaper overall: $2.00 per 1M tokens (in+out) vs $18.00 for Grok 4 — saves $16.00 per 1M tokens
- ✓Input pricing: GPT-4.1 mini $0.40/1M vs Grok 4 $3.00/1M
- ✓Output pricing: GPT-4.1 mini $1.60/1M vs Grok 4 $15.00/1M
- ✓Context window: Grok 4 offers more (256K vs 128K)
- ✓Use our calculator below to estimate costs for your specific usage pattern
Input price (per 1M)
GPT-4.1 mini
$0.40
Grok 4
$3.00
GPT-4.1 mini leads here
Output price (per 1M)
GPT-4.1 mini
$1.60
Grok 4
$15.00
GPT-4.1 mini leads here
Context window
GPT-4.1 mini
128,000 tokens
Grok 4
256,000 tokens
Grok 4 leads here
Cached input
GPT-4.1 mini
Not published
Grok 4
$0.750
Grok 4 leads here
Cost comparison for 10K-token workloads
Side-by-side pricing for identical workloads (10,000 total tokens per request) across different distributions.
| Scenario | GPT-4.1 mini | Grok 4 | Grok 4 cached |
|---|---|---|---|
Balanced conversation 50% input · 50% output | $0.0100 | $0.0900 | $0.0788 |
Input-heavy workflow 80% input · 20% output | $0.0064 | $0.0540 | $0.0360 |
Generation heavy 30% input · 70% output | $0.0124 | $0.114 | $0.107 |
Cached system prompt 90% cached input · 10% fresh output | $0.0052 | $0.0420 | $0.0217 |
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper: GPT-4.1 mini or Grok 4?
GPT-4.1 mini is cheaper for input tokens at $0.40 per 1M tokens compared to $3.00. For output, GPT-4.1 mini costs $1.60 per 1M tokens versus $15.00 for Grok 4.
What is the cost per 1M tokens for GPT-4.1 mini?
GPT-4.1 mini pricing: $0.40 per 1M input tokens and $1.60 per 1M output tokens. Context window: 128,000 tokens.
What is the cost per 1M tokens for Grok 4?
Grok 4 pricing: $3.00 per 1M input tokens and $15.00 per 1M output tokens. Context window: 256,000 tokens.
How much does it cost per 1K tokens?
Per 1K tokens: GPT-4.1 mini costs $0.0004 input / $0.0016 output. Grok 4 costs $0.0030 input / $0.0150 output. This is useful for calculating small-scale usage costs.
Which model supports a larger context window?
Grok 4 offers 256,000 tokens (256K) versus 128K for GPT-4.1 mini.
What is the estimated monthly cost for typical usage?
For a typical workload of 10M input + 2M output tokens per month: GPT-4.1 mini would cost approximately $7.20, while Grok 4 would cost $60.00. GPT-4.1 mini is more economical for this usage pattern.
Do these models support prompt caching?
GPT-4.1 mini does not publish cached pricing. Grok 4 supports caching at $0.750 per 1M tokens, saving up to 75%.
Which model is best for my use case?
Choose GPT-4.1 mini for cost-sensitive applications with high input volume. Choose Grok 4 if you need 256K context for long documents or conversations. Consider prompt caching if you have repeated context. Use our token calculator to model your specific usage pattern.