IBM Granite 4.2 3B vs Nova Lite
IBM Granite 4.2 3B leads the LLM Stats Score 15.6 to 7.8.
IBM · Amazon · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
IBM Granite 4.2 3B leads the overall LLM Stats Score 15.6 to 7.8, ranking #213 overall.
In the 1 individual benchmarks reported for both models, IBM Granite 4.2 3B wins 1; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose IBM Granite 4.2 3B
- overall performance matters — it scores 15.6 and ranks #213 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 1 of 1 exact shared results
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2026
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose Nova Lite
- you want predictable pricing at $0.06/M input and $0.24/M output
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
13 reported for IBM Granite 4.2 3B · 27 for Nova Lite
IBM Granite 4.2 3B outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Nova Lite is better at 0 benchmarks.
IBM Granite 4.2 3B significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Only Nova Lite specifies input context (300,000 tokens). Only Nova Lite specifies output context (2,048 tokens).
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Nova Lite supports multimodal inputs, whereas IBM Granite 4.2 3B does not.
Nova Lite can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
IBM Granite 4.2 3B
Nova Lite
License
Usage and distribution terms
IBM Granite 4.2 3B is licensed under Apache 2.0, while Nova Lite uses a proprietary license.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Apache 2.0
Open weights
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
IBM Granite 4.2 3B was released on 2026-08-25, while Nova Lite was released on 2024-11-20.
IBM Granite 4.2 3B is 21 months newer than Nova Lite.
Aug 25, 2026
6 days ago
1.8yr newerNov 20, 2024
1.8 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against IBM Granite 4.2 3B and Nova Lite side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about IBM Granite 4.2 3B vs Nova Lite.