GPT OSS 120B vs Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
GPT OSS 120B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is 6.0x cheaper per token.
OpenAI · Meta · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
GPT OSS 120B outperforms in 2 benchmarks (GPQA, MMLU), while Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is better at 0 benchmarks. GPT OSS 120B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is roughly 6.0x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Based on current benchmark, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose GPT OSS 120B
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 2 shared benchmarks
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2025
Choose Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
- cost matters — it's about 6.0x cheaper per token
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GPT OSS 120B outperforms in 2 benchmarks (GPQA, MMLU), while Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is better at 0 benchmarks.
GPT OSS 120B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Playground indexes and blind preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GPT OSS 120B ($0.09/1M tokens) is 3.0x more expensive than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct ($0.03/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT OSS 120B ($0.45/1M tokens) is 15.0x more expensive than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct ($0.03/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT OSS 120B is more expensive than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
GPT OSS 120B has 108.8B more parameters than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct, making it 1360.0% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Both models have the same input context window of 131,072 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 131,072 tokens.
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT OSS 120B is licensed under Apache 2.0, 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.
Apache 2.0
Open weights
Llama 3.1 Community License
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
GPT OSS 120B was released on 2025-08-05, while Llama 3.1 8B Instruct was released on 2024-07-23.
GPT OSS 120B is 13 months newer than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct.
Aug 5, 2025
1.1 years ago
1.0yr newerJul 23, 2024
2.1 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2023-12-31, while GPT OSS 120B's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Llama 3.1 8B Instruct's training data extends to 2023-12-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without GPT OSS 120B's cutoff date.
—
Dec 2023
Provider Availability
GPT OSS 120B is available from DeepInfra, Novita, OpenAI, Fireworks, Groq. Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is available from Lambda, DeepInfra, Groq, Sambanova, Cerebras, Hyperbolic, Together, Fireworks, Bedrock.
GPT OSS 120B
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT OSS 120B and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about GPT OSS 120B vs Llama 3.1 8B Instruct.