Model Comparison

GPT-4.1 nano vs Llama 3.1 8B InstructWhich is better in 2026?

GPT-4.1 nano shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is 5.8x cheaper per token.

Verdict: GPT-4.1 nano vs Llama 3.1 8B Instruct — which is better?

GPT-4.1 nano (by OpenAI) and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct (by Meta) 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 2 benchmarks (GPQA, MMLU), while Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is better at 1 benchmark (IFEval). GPT-4.1 nano shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

On price, Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is roughly 5.8x 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…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 3 shared benchmarks
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 1,047,576 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Apr 2025

Choose Llama 3.1 8B Instruct if…

  • cost matters — it's about 5.8x cheaper per token
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

3 benchmarks

GPT-4.1 nano outperforms in 2 benchmarks (GPQA, MMLU), while Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is better at 1 benchmark (IFEval).

GPT-4.1 nano shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

Sat Jun 27 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Llama 3.1 8B Instruct costs less

For input processing, GPT-4.1 nano ($0.10/1M tokens) is 3.3x more expensive than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct ($0.03/1M tokens).

For output processing, GPT-4.1 nano ($0.40/1M tokens) is 13.3x more expensive than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct ($0.03/1M tokens).

In conclusion, GPT-4.1 nano is more expensive than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Sat Jun 27 2026 • llm-stats.com
OpenAI
GPT-4.1 nano
Input tokens$0.10
Output tokens$0.40
Best providerOpenAI
Meta
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
Input tokens$0.03
Output tokens$0.03
Best providerLambda
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

GPT-4.1 nano accepts 1,047,576 input tokens compared to Llama 3.1 8B Instruct's 131,072 tokens. Llama 3.1 8B Instruct can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while GPT-4.1 nano is limited to 32,768 tokens.

OpenAI
GPT-4.1 nano
Input1,047,576 tokens
Output32,768 tokens
Meta
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
Input131,072 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Sat Jun 27 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

GPT-4.1 nano supports multimodal inputs, whereas Llama 3.1 8B Instruct does not.

GPT-4.1 nano can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

GPT-4.1 nano

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Llama 3.1 8B Instruct

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

GPT-4.1 nano is licensed under a proprietary license, while Llama 3.1 8B Instruct uses Llama 3.1 Community License.

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

GPT-4.1 nano

Proprietary

Closed source

Llama 3.1 8B Instruct

Llama 3.1 Community License

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GPT-4.1 nano was released on 2025-04-14, while Llama 3.1 8B Instruct was released on 2024-07-23.

GPT-4.1 nano is 9 months newer than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct.

GPT-4.1 nano

Apr 14, 2025

1.2 years ago

8mo newer
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct

Jul 23, 2024

1.9 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

GPT-4.1 nano has a knowledge cutoff of 2024-05-31, while Llama 3.1 8B Instruct has a cutoff of 2023-12-31.

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 Llama 3.1 8B Instruct (2023-12-31).

GPT-4.1 nano

May 2024

5 mo newer
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct

Dec 2023

Provider Availability

GPT-4.1 nano is available from OpenAI. Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is available from Lambda, DeepInfra, Groq, Sambanova, Cerebras, Hyperbolic, Together, Fireworks, Bedrock.

GPT-4.1 nano

openai logo
OpenAI
Input Price:Input: $0.10/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.40/1M

Llama 3.1 8B Instruct

lambda logo
Lambda
Input Price:Input: $0.03/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.03/1M
deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.05/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.05/1M
groq logo
Groq
Input Price:Input: $0.05/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.08/1M
sambanova logo
Sambanova
Input Price:Input: $0.10/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.20/1M
cerebras logo
Cerebras
Input Price:Input: $0.10/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.10/1M
hyperbolic logo
Hyperbolic
Input Price:Input: $0.10/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.10/1M
together logo
Together
Input Price:Input: $0.20/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.20/1M
fireworks logo
Fireworks
Input Price:Input: $0.20/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.20/1M
bedrock logo
AWS Bedrock
Input Price:Input: $0.22/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.22/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

OpenAI
Larger context window (1,047,576 tokens)
Supports multimodal inputs
Higher GPQA score (50.3% vs 30.4%)
Higher MMLU score (80.1% vs 69.4%)
Meta
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights
Higher IFEval score (80.4% vs 74.5%)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against GPT-4.1 nano and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

GPT-4.1 nano
✓ Preferred
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
OpenAI
GPT-4.1 nano
Meta
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct

FAQ

Common questions about GPT-4.1 nano vs Llama 3.1 8B Instruct.

Which is better, GPT-4.1 nano or Llama 3.1 8B Instruct?

GPT-4.1 nano shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. GPT-4.1 nano is made by OpenAI and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is made by Meta. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does GPT-4.1 nano compare to Llama 3.1 8B Instruct in benchmarks?

GPT-4.1 nano scores MMLU: 80.1%, IFEval: 74.5%, CharXiv-D: 73.9%, MMMLU: 66.9%, Multi-IF: 57.2%. Llama 3.1 8B Instruct scores GSM-8K (CoT): 84.5%, ARC-C: 83.4%, API-Bank: 82.6%, IFEval: 80.4%, BFCL: 76.1%.

Is GPT-4.1 nano cheaper than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct?

Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is 3.3x cheaper for input tokens. GPT-4.1 nano costs $0.10/M input and $0.40/M output via openai. Llama 3.1 8B Instruct costs $0.03/M input and $0.03/M output via lambda.

What are the context window sizes for GPT-4.1 nano and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct?

GPT-4.1 nano supports 1.0M tokens and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct supports 131K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between GPT-4.1 nano and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct?

Key differences include context window (1.0M vs 131K), input pricing ($0.10 vs $0.03/M), multimodal support (yes vs no), licensing (Proprietary vs Llama 3.1 Community License). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes GPT-4.1 nano and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct?

GPT-4.1 nano is developed by OpenAI and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is developed by Meta.

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