Model Comparison
GPT-4.1 nano vs Granite 3.3 8B InstructWhich is better in 2026?
Granite 3.3 8B Instruct shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. GPT-4.1 nano is 2.9x cheaper per token.
Verdict: GPT-4.1 nano vs Granite 3.3 8B Instruct — which is better?
GPT-4.1 nano (by OpenAI) and Granite 3.3 8B Instruct (by IBM) 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-4.1 nano outperforms in 1 benchmarks (MMLU), while Granite 3.3 8B Instruct is better at 2 benchmarks (AIME 2024, IFEval). Granite 3.3 8B Instruct shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
On price, GPT-4.1 nano is roughly 2.9x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-4.1 nano also accepts a larger context window (1,047,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose GPT-4.1 nano if…
- cost matters — it's about 2.9x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,047,576 token context window
Choose Granite 3.3 8B Instruct if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 3 shared benchmarks
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Apr 2025
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GPT-4.1 nano outperforms in 1 benchmarks (MMLU), while Granite 3.3 8B Instruct is better at 2 benchmarks (AIME 2024, IFEval).
Granite 3.3 8B Instruct shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GPT-4.1 nano ($0.10/1M tokens) is 5.0x cheaper than Granite 3.3 8B Instruct ($0.50/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-4.1 nano ($0.40/1M tokens) is 1.3x cheaper than Granite 3.3 8B Instruct ($0.50/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Granite 3.3 8B Instruct is more expensive than GPT-4.1 nano.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GPT-4.1 nano accepts 1,047,576 input tokens compared to Granite 3.3 8B Instruct's 128,000 tokens. GPT-4.1 nano can generate longer responses up to 32,768 tokens, while Granite 3.3 8B Instruct is limited to 8,192 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both GPT-4.1 nano and Granite 3.3 8B Instruct support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
GPT-4.1 nano
Granite 3.3 8B Instruct
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT-4.1 nano is licensed under a proprietary license, while Granite 3.3 8B Instruct uses Apache 2.0.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Proprietary
Closed source
Apache 2.0
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
GPT-4.1 nano was released on 2025-04-14, while Granite 3.3 8B Instruct was released on 2025-04-16.
Granite 3.3 8B Instruct is 0 month newer than GPT-4.1 nano.
Apr 14, 2025
1.3 years ago
Apr 16, 2025
1.3 years ago
2d newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-4.1 nano has a knowledge cutoff of 2024-05-31, while Granite 3.3 8B Instruct has a cutoff of 2024-04-01.
GPT-4.1 nano has more recent training data (up to 2024-05-31), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to Granite 3.3 8B Instruct (2024-04-01).
May 2024
1 mo newerApr 2024
Provider Availability
GPT-4.1 nano is available from OpenAI. Granite 3.3 8B Instruct is available from Replicate.
GPT-4.1 nano
Granite 3.3 8B Instruct
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GPT-4.1 nano
View detailsOpenAI
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT-4.1 nano and Granite 3.3 8B Instruct side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about GPT-4.1 nano vs Granite 3.3 8B Instruct.