---
title: "Grok 3 Mini for OpenClaw: Pricing, Setup, and What It's Good At"
description: "Everything you need to know about using Grok 3 Mini with OpenClaw. Costs $0.30/M input, $0.50/M output. 131K context window. Here's when to use it and when to pick something else."
date: 2026-03-12
updatedDate: 2026-03-12
image: /images/models/provider-xai-hero.jpg
keywords: "grok 3 mini openclaw, grok 3 mini pricing, grok 3 mini review, xai openclaw, grok 3 mini api"
category: model-guide
modelData:
  provider: "xAI"
  provider_slug: "xai"
  full_id: "xai/grok-3-mini"
  input_cost_per_1m: 0.3
  output_cost_per_1m: 0.5
  max_input_tokens: 131072
  max_output_tokens: 131072
  features: ["function_calling", "reasoning", "web_search"]
  parameter_count: null
  architecture: null
  license: null
faq:
  - question: "What is the exact pricing for Grok 3 Mini?"
    answer: "It costs $0.30 per 1 million input tokens and $0.50 per 1 million output tokens."
  - question: "How large is the context window?"
    answer: "The model supports 131,072 tokens for both input and output sequences."
  - question: "Does it support tool calling?"
    answer: "Yes, it has native support for function calling and web search features within the API."
---

Current as of March 2026. Grok 3 Mini sits in an interesting spot: $0.30/M input, $0.50/M output, 131K context window, and it has a reasoning mode. That combination is unusual at this price. Claude 3.5 Haiku costs $0.80/$4.00 for roughly similar capability — Mini is dramatically cheaper.

## Specs

| | |
|---|---|
| **Provider** | xAI |
| **Input cost** | $0.30 / M tokens |
| **Output cost** | $0.50 / M tokens |
| **Context window** | 131K tokens |
| **Max output** | 131K tokens |
| **Parameters** | N/A |
| **Features** | function_calling, reasoning, web_search |

## What it's good at

#### Output capacity

Most small models cap output at 4K–8K tokens. Grok 3 Mini goes to 131K. For generating large code files or long technical documents, that matters. You stop breaking tasks into chunks.

#### Reasoning at low cost

The reasoning capability here is real, not just marketing. It handles logical branching in OpenClaw agent flows noticeably better than GPT-4o-mini. You're getting something that previously required a much more expensive model.

#### Price

$0.50/M output is extremely cheap. For high-frequency agent polling where the model is constantly responding to tool results, the cost difference between this and Haiku is substantial over time.

## Where it falls short

#### API stability

Same infrastructure caveat as all xAI models: latency spikes happen, and you need retry logic. This is more of an issue in OpenClaw than in one-off scripts because agents can get stuck waiting.

#### Refusal behavior

The safety filters are inconsistent. It occasionally refuses tasks in automated loops that a human would find completely benign. This can silently break an agent workflow if you're not monitoring for refusal responses.

## Best use cases with OpenClaw

- **Bulk log analysis** — The 131K context window lets you dump large log files into a single prompt for error pattern detection. The price makes it practical to do this at scale.
- **Sub-agent logic nodes** — Intermediate nodes in OpenClaw that need tool-calling and basic reasoning but don't need flagship-level capability. This is the right model for the job when $15/M is overkill.

## Not ideal for

- **Safety-sensitive automation** — The inconsistent guardrails mean you can't fully trust the refusal behavior in both directions. It might refuse something harmless or let something through.
- **Creative writing** — The prose is dry and repetitive. Claude 3.5 Haiku is meaningfully better here even at higher cost.

## Run it through Haimaker

Skip juggling API keys. One Haimaker key gives you access to every model on the platform. Tell OpenClaw:

```
Add Haimaker as a custom provider to my OpenClaw config. Use these details:

- Provider name: haimaker
- Base URL: https://api.haimaker.ai/v1
- API key: [PASTE YOUR HAIMAKER API KEY HERE]
- API type: openai-completions

Add the auto-router model:
- haimaker/auto (reasoning: false, context: 128000, max tokens: 32000)

Create an alias "auto" for easy switching. Apply the config when done.
```

Or skip model selection entirely — Haimaker's [auto-router](/blog/openclaw-auto-router-setup/) picks the best model for each task so you don't have to.

## OpenClaw setup

Set your provider to OpenAI-compatible and use the base URL https://api.x.ai/v1. Ensure your API key is correctly mapped to the xai/grok-3-mini model ID in your environment variables.

```json
{
  "models": {
    "mode": "merge",
    "providers": {
      "xai": {
        "baseUrl": "https://api.x.ai/v1",
        "apiKey": "YOUR-XAI-API-KEY",
        "api": "openai-completions",
        "models": [
          {
            "id": "grok-3-mini",
            "name": "Grok 3 Mini",
            "cost": {
              "input": 0.3,
              "output": 0.5
            },
            "contextWindow": 131072,
            "maxTokens": 131072
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}
```

## How it compares

- **vs GPT-4o-mini** — Grok 3 Mini is more expensive on input ($0.30 vs $0.15) but provides superior reasoning and a much larger output capacity.
- **vs Claude 3.5 Haiku** — Grok 3 Mini destroys Haiku on price, costing $0.30/$0.50 compared to Haiku's $0.80/$4.00, while offering similar logic performance.

## Bottom line

If you're running lots of agent nodes that need some reasoning ability, Grok 3 Mini is the cheapest way to get it. The xAI reliability caveats apply, but the cost-to-capability ratio is hard to match.

<a href="https://app.haimaker.ai/sign-up?utm_source=model_guide&utm_medium=cta&utm_campaign=grok-3-mini-openclaw" class="cta-button">TRY GROK 3 MINI ON HAIMAKER</a>

---

*For setup instructions, see our [API key guide](/blog/openclaw-api-key-setup). For all available models, see the [complete models guide](/blog/best-models-for-openclaw).*