Hermes 3 70B vs Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
Hermes 3 70B leads the LLM Stats Score 4.0 to -2.6. Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is 31.1x cheaper per token.
Nous Research · Meta · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Hermes 3 70B leads the overall LLM Stats Score 4.0 to -2.6, ranking #320 overall.
The models split the 4 individual benchmarks reported for both models evenly.
On price, Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is roughly 31.1x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Hermes 3 70B
- overall performance matters — it scores 4.0 and ranks #320 on LLM Stats
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2024
Choose Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
- cost matters — it's about 31.1x cheaper per token
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
17 reported for Hermes 3 70B · 18 for Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
Hermes 3 70B outperforms in 2 benchmarks (GPQA, MMLU), while Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is better at 2 benchmarks (ARC-C, MMLU-Pro).
Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Hermes 3 70B ($0.70/1M tokens) is 35.0x more expensive than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct ($0.02/1M tokens).
For output processing, Hermes 3 70B ($0.70/1M tokens) is 23.3x more expensive than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct ($0.03/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Hermes 3 70B is more expensive than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
Hermes 3 70B has 62.0B more parameters than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct, making it 775.0% 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
Hermes 3 70B 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
Hermes 3 70B was released on 2024-08-15, while Llama 3.1 8B Instruct was released on 2024-07-23.
Hermes 3 70B is 1 month newer than Llama 3.1 8B Instruct.
Aug 15, 2024
2.1 years ago
3w newerJul 23, 2024
2.2 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2023-12-31, while Hermes 3 70B'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 Hermes 3 70B's cutoff date.
—
Dec 2023
Provider Availability
Hermes 3 70B is available from DeepInfra. Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is available from DeepInfra, Lambda, Groq, Sambanova, Cerebras, Hyperbolic, Together, Fireworks, Bedrock.
Hermes 3 70B
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Hermes 3 70B and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Hermes 3 70B vs Llama 3.1 8B Instruct.