Model Comparison

GPT-3.5 Turbo vs Jamba 1.5 MiniWhich is better in 2026?

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks. Jamba 1.5 Mini is 3.0x cheaper per token.

Verdict: GPT-3.5 Turbo vs Jamba 1.5 Mini — which is better?

GPT-3.5 Turbo (by OpenAI) and Jamba 1.5 Mini (by AI21 Labs) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.

GPT-3.5 Turbo outperforms in 1 benchmarks (MMLU), while Jamba 1.5 Mini is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA). Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.

On price, Jamba 1.5 Mini is roughly 3.0x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Jamba 1.5 Mini also accepts a larger context window (256,144 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose GPT-3.5 Turbo if…

  • you want predictable pricing at $0.50/M input and $1.50/M output

Choose Jamba 1.5 Mini if…

  • cost matters — it's about 3.0x cheaper per token
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 256,144 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2024
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

2 benchmarks

GPT-3.5 Turbo outperforms in 1 benchmarks (MMLU), while Jamba 1.5 Mini is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA).

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.

Sun Jul 05 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Jamba 1.5 Mini costs less

For input processing, GPT-3.5 Turbo ($0.50/1M tokens) is 2.5x more expensive than Jamba 1.5 Mini ($0.20/1M tokens).

For output processing, GPT-3.5 Turbo ($1.50/1M tokens) is 3.8x more expensive than Jamba 1.5 Mini ($0.40/1M tokens).

In conclusion, GPT-3.5 Turbo is more expensive than Jamba 1.5 Mini.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Sun Jul 05 2026 • llm-stats.com
OpenAI
GPT-3.5 Turbo
Input tokens$0.50
Output tokens$1.50
Best providerAzure
AI21 Labs
Jamba 1.5 Mini
Input tokens$0.20
Output tokens$0.40
Best providerAWS Bedrock
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Jamba 1.5 Mini accepts 256,144 input tokens compared to GPT-3.5 Turbo's 16,385 tokens. Jamba 1.5 Mini can generate longer responses up to 256,144 tokens, while GPT-3.5 Turbo is limited to 4,096 tokens.

OpenAI
GPT-3.5 Turbo
Input16,385 tokens
Output4,096 tokens
AI21 Labs
Jamba 1.5 Mini
Input256,144 tokens
Output256,144 tokens
Sun Jul 05 2026 • llm-stats.com

License

Usage and distribution terms

GPT-3.5 Turbo is licensed under a proprietary license, while Jamba 1.5 Mini uses Jamba Open Model License.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

GPT-3.5 Turbo

Proprietary

Closed source

Jamba 1.5 Mini

Jamba Open Model License

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GPT-3.5 Turbo was released on 2023-03-21, while Jamba 1.5 Mini was released on 2024-08-22.

Jamba 1.5 Mini is 17 months newer than GPT-3.5 Turbo.

GPT-3.5 Turbo

Mar 21, 2023

3.3 years ago

Jamba 1.5 Mini

Aug 22, 2024

1.9 years ago

1.4yr newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

GPT-3.5 Turbo has a knowledge cutoff of 2021-09-30, while Jamba 1.5 Mini has a cutoff of 2024-03-05.

Jamba 1.5 Mini has more recent training data (up to 2024-03-05), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to GPT-3.5 Turbo (2021-09-30).

GPT-3.5 Turbo

Sep 2021

Jamba 1.5 Mini

Mar 2024

2.5 yr newer

Provider Availability

GPT-3.5 Turbo is available from Azure, OpenAI. Jamba 1.5 Mini is available from Bedrock, Google.

GPT-3.5 Turbo

azure logo
Azure
Input Price:Input: $0.50/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.50/1M
openai logo
OpenAI
Input Price:Input: $0.50/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.50/1M

Jamba 1.5 Mini

bedrock logo
AWS Bedrock
Input Price:Input: $0.20/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.40/1M
google logo
Google
Input Price:Input: $0.20/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.40/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

OpenAI
Higher MMLU score (69.8% vs 69.7%)
AI21 Labs
Larger context window (256,144 tokens)
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights
Higher GPQA score (32.3% vs 30.8%)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against GPT-3.5 Turbo and Jamba 1.5 Mini side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

GPT-3.5 Turbo
✓ Preferred
Jamba 1.5 Mini
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
OpenAI
GPT-3.5 Turbo
AI21 Labs
Jamba 1.5 Mini

FAQ

Common questions about GPT-3.5 Turbo vs Jamba 1.5 Mini.

Which is better, GPT-3.5 Turbo or Jamba 1.5 Mini?

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks. GPT-3.5 Turbo is made by OpenAI and Jamba 1.5 Mini is made by AI21 Labs. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does GPT-3.5 Turbo compare to Jamba 1.5 Mini in benchmarks?

GPT-3.5 Turbo scores DROP: 70.2%, MMLU: 69.8%, HumanEval: 68.0%, MGSM: 56.3%, MATH: 43.1%. Jamba 1.5 Mini scores ARC-C: 85.7%, GSM8k: 75.8%, MMLU: 69.7%, TruthfulQA: 54.1%, Arena Hard: 46.1%.

Is GPT-3.5 Turbo cheaper than Jamba 1.5 Mini?

Jamba 1.5 Mini is 2.5x cheaper for input tokens. GPT-3.5 Turbo costs $0.50/M input and $1.50/M output via azure. Jamba 1.5 Mini costs $0.20/M input and $0.40/M output via bedrock.

What are the context window sizes for GPT-3.5 Turbo and Jamba 1.5 Mini?

GPT-3.5 Turbo supports 16K tokens and Jamba 1.5 Mini supports 256K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between GPT-3.5 Turbo and Jamba 1.5 Mini?

Key differences include context window (16K vs 256K), input pricing ($0.50 vs $0.20/M), licensing (Proprietary vs Jamba Open Model License). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes GPT-3.5 Turbo and Jamba 1.5 Mini?

GPT-3.5 Turbo is developed by OpenAI and Jamba 1.5 Mini is developed by AI21 Labs.

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