API cost decision in 10 seconds

Grok 4.20 vs INTELLECT-3

Pick INTELLECT-3 for lower cost; pick Grok 4.20 only if the larger context window matters more.

Page updated: 2026-05-26T10:03:26Z Data confirmed: 2026-05-26T12:38:15Z Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output

Budget verdict

Pick INTELLECT-3 for lower cost; pick Grok 4.20 only if the larger context window matters more.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, INTELLECT-3 is estimated at $0.75 vs $2.5 for Grok 4.20, saving $1.75 (70% lower).

Cost-first pickINTELLECT-3

Context-first pickGrok 4.20

Sample savings$1.7570%

10x traffic gap$17.5

Grok 4.20 has more context, but INTELLECT-3 saves $1.75 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $17.5. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

INTELLECT-3 stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.

Workload shape	Token mix	Better pick	Grok 4.20	INTELLECT-3
Input-heavy / RAG	5M input + 500K output	INTELLECT-3	$7.5	$1.55
Balanced workload	1M input + 1M output	INTELLECT-3	$3.75	$1.3
Output-heavy chatbot	1M input + 5M output	INTELLECT-3	$13.75	$5.7

Cheaper input INTELLECT-3 $1.25 vs $0.2 / 1M

INTELLECT-3 is $1.05 cheaper per 1M input tokens (84% lower; 6.25x difference).

Cheaper output INTELLECT-3 $2.5 vs $1.1 / 1M

INTELLECT-3 is $1.4 cheaper per 1M output tokens (56% lower; 2.27x difference).

Larger context Grok 4.20 2M vs 131.07K

Grok 4.20 has 1.87M more context (15.3x larger).

Sample workload INTELLECT-3 $2.5 vs $0.75

INTELLECT-3 is $1.75 cheaper on the standard workload (70% lower).

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.

Monthly input tokens Monthly output tokens

Grok 4.20 Calculating… Estimated API cost

INTELLECT-3 Calculating… Estimated API cost

Cheaper for this workload Calculating… Difference: calculating…

This estimate uses normalized public API pricing per 1M tokens. It is a planning aid, not a billing quote. Verify provider pricing, limits, and terms before production use.

Quick Decision

Verdict

INTELLECT-3 has the lower input price; INTELLECT-3 has the lower output price; Grok 4.20 offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, INTELLECT-3 is cheaper for the standard workload.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $2.5 for Grok 4.20 and $0.75 for INTELLECT-3.

Best Fit

Choose Grok 4.20 when you care most about larger context window.

Choose INTELLECT-3 when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.

Decision Notes

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, INTELLECT-3 is estimated at $0.75 vs $2.5 for Grok 4.20, saving $1.75 (70% lower).
INTELLECT-3 is $1.75 cheaper on the standard workload (70% lower).
INTELLECT-3 is $1.05 cheaper per 1M input tokens (84% lower; 6.25x difference).
INTELLECT-3 is $1.4 cheaper per 1M output tokens (56% lower; 2.27x difference).
Grok 4.20 has 1.87M more context (15.3x larger).

Head-to-Head Specs

Feature	Grok 4.20 (xAI)	INTELLECT-3 (Prime Intellect)
Input Price prompt tokens per 1M	$1.25	$0.2
Completion Price per 1M tokens	$2.5	$1.1
Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output	$2.5	$0.75
Context Window	2M	131.07K
Release Date	2026-03-31	2025-11-27

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use case	Better pick	Why
Budget-constrained production	INTELLECT-3	On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, INTELLECT-3 is estimated at $0.75 vs $2.5 for Grok 4.20, saving $1.75 (70% lower).
High-volume input processing	INTELLECT-3	Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbots	INTELLECT-3	Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document work	Grok 4.20	A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files.

Related Alternatives

Same-provider lower-cost swaps

Grok Build 0.1 can replace Grok 4.20 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $2.

Larger context near this budget

Llama 4 Scout offers 10M context with $0.23 sample workload cost.

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