Llama 4 Scout vs Grok 4.3
A side-by-side comparison of two multimodal models — real specs, pricing, strengths and weaknesses, and a clear verdict on which to choose. Kept current by our agents.
Quick verdict: which should you choose?
Choose Llama 4 Scout if you need
- ✓Choose Llama 4 Scout if you need a 10M-token context window for long text and image sequences.
- ✓Choose Llama 4 Scout if you need the lowest output price at $0.3 per 1M tokens.
- ✓Choose Llama 4 Scout if you need an open-weight model from Meta with native multimodal input.
- ✓Choose Llama 4 Scout if you need strong reasoning over very long inputs despite potential latency.
Choose Grok 4.3 if you need
- ✓Choose Grok 4.3 if you need the highest intelligence index at 43.9 for complex tasks.
- ✓Choose Grok 4.3 if you need faster output at 143.92 tokens per second.
- ✓Choose Grok 4.3 if you need integrated real-time tool access and direct response style.
- ✓Choose Grok 4.3 if you need strong multi-step reasoning within a 1M-token context.
Verdict
Grok 4.3 leads decisively on intelligence (43.9 vs 13.5) and output speed while offering real-time tools, but Llama 4 Scout dominates on context size (10M vs 1M tokens), price ($0.3 vs $2.5 per 1M), and open-weight availability. Llama 4 Scout suits workloads needing native multimodal support over extremely long sequences, whereas Grok 4.3 excels at complex multi-step reasoning within its smaller context. Neither model wins outright; the choice hinges on whether scale and cost or raw capability matter more.
Llama 4 Scout vs Grok 4.3: side by side
| Spec | Llama 4 Scout | Grok 4.3 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence | 13.5 | 43.9 | Grok 4.3 |
| Output speed | 112 t/s | 144 t/s | Grok 4.3 |
| Output price | $0.30/1M | $2.50/1M | Llama 4 Scout |
| Context | 10000K | 1000K | Llama 4 Scout |
| Params | — | — | Tie |
| Type | Open-weight | Proprietary | Tie |
| Provider | Meta | xAI | Tie |
Detailed analysis
Intelligence
Winner: Grok 4.3Grok 4.3 scores 43.9 on the intelligence index compared to Llama 4 Scout's 13.5. This gap aligns with Grok's listed strength in complex multi-step reasoning. Llama 4 Scout's lower score is offset by its focus on long-sequence reasoning.
Pricing
Winner: Llama 4 ScoutLlama 4 Scout costs $0.3 per 1M output tokens while Grok 4.3 costs $2.5 per 1M. The eightfold price difference favors Llama 4 Scout for high-volume use. Both carry high compute costs at maximum context, but Llama's base rate remains far lower.
Context & Speed
Winner: Llama 4 ScoutLlama 4 Scout provides a 10M-token context versus Grok 4.3's 1M tokens, enabling longer multimodal sequences. Grok 4.3 is faster at 143.92 t/s compared to 112.48 t/s, yet Llama's context advantage is ten times larger. Both may incur latency or high cost at peak context lengths.
Access & Modalities
Winner: Llama 4 ScoutLlama 4 Scout is open-weight with native multimodal text-and-image support. Grok 4.3 is proprietary and lists integrated real-time tools but notes less mature vision capabilities. The open-weight nature gives Llama 4 Scout broader accessibility.
Llama 4 Scout
Pros
- +Extremely large context window
- +Native multimodal input support
- +Strong reasoning over long inputs
Cons
- –High compute cost at maximum context
- –Limited to text and image modalities only
- –May exhibit latency on very long sequences
Grok 4.3
Pros
- +Strong performance on complex multi-step reasoning
- +Large context window for document-level tasks
- +Helpful and direct response style
- +Integrated real-time tool access
Cons
- –Vision capabilities less mature than specialized models
- –Occasional over-refusal on edge-case queries
- –High computational cost for maximum context usage
Summary: Llama 4 Scout vs Grok 4.3
Select Llama 4 Scout when maximum context length, low cost, and open weights are priorities for long multimodal inputs. Select Grok 4.3 when higher intelligence, faster speed, and tool access outweigh the smaller context and higher price. The models serve distinct multimodal use cases rather than direct substitutes.
Frequently asked questions
Grok 4.3 is stronger on intelligence and speed; Llama 4 Scout is stronger on context size, price, and openness. No single winner exists across all metrics.