ZMIME
Comparison · 2 models · Updated Nov 2, 2026

GPT-5.3 Chat vs Grok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning)

Grok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning) comes out ahead, 52 to 28 on our weighted score, and it is the cheaper option too.

  1. OpenAI

    GPT-5.3 Chat

    Released Mar 3, 2026

    28/100
    • ECI—
    • Price$1.75 / $14.00
    • Context128K
  2. Our pick

    xAI

    Grok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning)

    Released Mar 9, 2026

    52/100
    • ECI—
    • Price$1.25 / $2.50
    • Context1M
  3. Add a model

    Make it a three-way comparison.

01 — Verdict

Grok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning) is our pick

Grok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning) is the better all-round choice, scoring 52/100 against GPT-5.3 Chat (28). It leads on price, inputs & features and context window. The score weighs price 50%, inputs & features 30%, context window 20%. None of the shared benchmarks cover every model here yet, so capability is left out of this verdict.

  • CapabilityNot enough dataNo independent benchmark covers every model here yet
  • Lowest priceGrok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning)Grok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning) $1.56 · GPT-5.3 Chat $4.81 per 1M tokens (3:1 blend)
  • Longest contextGrok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning)Grok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning) 1,000,000 · GPT-5.3 Chat 128,000 tokens
  • Widest inputsGrok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning)GPT-5.3 Chat: Text, Images · Grok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning): Text, Images, PDFs
  • Self-hostingNo open weightsBoth are available only through APIs
How the score is built
MeasureWeightGPT-5.3 ChatGrok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning)
Price50%1739
Inputs & features30%5070
Context window20%2460
Overall100%28/10052/100

Left out because at least one model lacks the data: capability. The remaining weights were rescaled.

02 — Side by side

Every spec in one table

Highlighted cells lead their row. Dashes mean the data is not published.

GPT-5.3 Chat vs Grok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning) specifications side by side
SpecificationGPT-5.3 ChatOpenAIGrok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning)xAI
Capability
Capabilities Index (ECI)——
ECI rank——
Price per million tokens
Input$1.75$1.25 (best)
Output$14.00$2.50 (best)
Cached input—$0.20
Blended (3:1)$4.81$1.56 (best)
Long-context rateSame rateOver 200K: $2.50 / $5.00
Price sourceMedian of 4 providersOfficial xAI API
Limits
Context window128,000 tokens1,000,000 tokens (best)
Max output16,384 tokens30,000 tokens (best)
Inputs and features
TextYesYes
ImagesYesYes
PDFsNoYes
AudioNoNo
VideoNoNo
ReasoningNoNo
Tool callingYesYes
Structured outputNoYes
Availability
WeightsProprietaryProprietary
API model ID—grok-4.20-0309-non-reasoning
API providers413 (best)
ReleasedMar 3, 2026Mar 9, 2026
Knowledge cutoffAug 31, 2025—
03 — Cost

What would a month cost?

Enter your expected volume in millions of tokens. List prices only; caching and batch discounts would lower these.

  • GPT-5.3 Chat$45.50
  • Grok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning)$17.50
04 — Questions

Which should you choose?

Which is better: GPT-5.3 Chat or Grok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning)?

Grok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning) is the better all-round choice, scoring 52/100 against GPT-5.3 Chat (28). It leads on price, inputs & features and context window. The score weighs price 50%, inputs & features 30%, context window 20%. None of the shared benchmarks cover every model here yet, so capability is left out of this verdict.

Which is cheaper, GPT-5.3 Chat or Grok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning)?

Grok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning) is cheaper at $1.25 input / $2.50 output per million tokens (official xAI API price). GPT-5.3 Chat costs $1.75 input / $14.00 output per million tokens (median across 4 API providers). At a typical mix of three input tokens to one output token, that is $1.56 per million tokens for Grok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning) versus $4.81 for GPT-5.3 Chat (3.1× as much).

Which scores higher on benchmarks?

There is no independent benchmark that covers both models yet. GPT-5.3 Chat has not been scored yet and Grok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning) has not been scored yet.

Which is better for coding?

There are no published SWE-bench Verified results for GPT-5.3 Chat and Grok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning) yet, so there is no like-for-like coding score. Test both on a sample of your own tasks. Both support tool calling for agent workflows.

Which has the bigger context window?

Grok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning) has the largest context window at 1,000,000 tokens, against 128,000 for GPT-5.3 Chat. Maximum output per response: GPT-5.3 Chat up to 16,384, Grok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning) up to 30,000 tokens.

Which can read images, PDFs, audio or video?

GPT-5.3 Chat accepts text and images; Grok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning) accepts text, images and PDFs. Grok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning) handles the widest range of inputs.

Are any of these open source?

No. GPT-5.3 Chat and Grok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning) are proprietary and only available through APIs and apps.

Which is newer?

Grok 4.20 (Non-Reasoning) is the newest, released Mar 9, 2026. GPT-5.3 Chat came out Mar 3, 2026. Knowledge cutoff: GPT-5.3 Chat Aug 31, 2025.

How do you decide the winner?

Each model gets a 0–100 score on capability (50%, independent benchmark results); price (25%, blended price per million tokens (3 input : 1 output), log scale); inputs & features (15%, image, PDF, audio and video input, tool calling, structured output and reasoning); context window (10%, maximum tokens per request, log scale). Dimensions missing for any model are dropped and the remaining weights rescaled, so every model is judged on the same evidence. Specs and prices come from public model listings and the labs’ own API pages; capability scores come from independent benchmark runs. Data updated Nov 2, 2026.