Model Comparison

Jamba 1.5 Large vs Nova MicroWhich is better in 2026?

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks. Nova Micro is 60.9x cheaper per token.

Verdict: Jamba 1.5 Large vs Nova Micro — which is better?

Jamba 1.5 Large (by AI21 Labs) and Nova Micro (by Amazon) 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.

Jamba 1.5 Large outperforms in 2 benchmarks (ARC-C, MMLU), while Nova Micro is better at 2 benchmarks (GPQA, GSM8k). Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.

On price, Nova Micro is roughly 60.9x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Jamba 1.5 Large also accepts a larger context window (256,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose Jamba 1.5 Large if…

  • you process long inputs — it offers a 256,000 token context window
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Choose Nova Micro if…

  • cost matters — it's about 60.9x cheaper per token
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Nov 2024

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

4 benchmarks

Jamba 1.5 Large outperforms in 2 benchmarks (ARC-C, MMLU), while Nova Micro is better at 2 benchmarks (GPQA, GSM8k).

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.

Mon Jul 27 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Nova Micro costs less

For input processing, Jamba 1.5 Large ($2.00/1M tokens) is 66.7x more expensive than Nova Micro ($0.03/1M tokens).

For output processing, Jamba 1.5 Large ($8.00/1M tokens) is 57.1x more expensive than Nova Micro ($0.14/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Jamba 1.5 Large is more expensive than Nova Micro.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Mon Jul 27 2026 • llm-stats.com
AI21 Labs
Jamba 1.5 Large
Input tokens$2.00
Output tokens$8.00
Best providerAWS Bedrock
Amazon
Nova Micro
Input tokens$0.03
Output tokens$0.14
Best providerAWS Bedrock
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Jamba 1.5 Large accepts 256,000 input tokens compared to Nova Micro's 128,000 tokens. Jamba 1.5 Large can generate longer responses up to 256,000 tokens, while Nova Micro is limited to 128,000 tokens.

AI21 Labs
Jamba 1.5 Large
Input256,000 tokens
Output256,000 tokens
Amazon
Nova Micro
Input128,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
Mon Jul 27 2026 • llm-stats.com

License

Usage and distribution terms

Jamba 1.5 Large is licensed under Jamba Open Model License, while Nova Micro uses a proprietary license.

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

Jamba 1.5 Large

Jamba Open Model License

Open weights

Nova Micro

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Jamba 1.5 Large was released on 2024-08-22, while Nova Micro was released on 2024-11-20.

Nova Micro is 3 months newer than Jamba 1.5 Large.

Jamba 1.5 Large

Aug 22, 2024

1.9 years ago

Nova Micro

Nov 20, 2024

1.7 years ago

3mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Jamba 1.5 Large has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-03-05, while Nova Micro's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Jamba 1.5 Large's training data extends to 2024-03-05, but cannot make a direct comparison without Nova Micro's cutoff date.

Jamba 1.5 Large

Mar 2024

Nova Micro

Provider Availability

Jamba 1.5 Large is available from Bedrock, Google. Nova Micro is available from Bedrock.

Jamba 1.5 Large

bedrock logo
AWS Bedrock
Input Price:Input: $2.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $8.00/1M
google logo
Google
Input Price:Input: $2.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $8.00/1M

Nova Micro

bedrock logo
AWS Bedrock
Input Price:Input: $0.03/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.14/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion

Key Takeaways

Larger context window (256,000 tokens)
Has open weights
Higher ARC-C score (93.0% vs 90.2%)
Higher MMLU score (81.2% vs 77.6%)
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Higher GPQA score (40.0% vs 36.9%)
Higher GSM8k score (92.3% vs 87.0%)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Jamba 1.5 Large and Nova Micro side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Jamba 1.5 Large
✓ Preferred
Nova Micro
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
AI21 Labs
Jamba 1.5 Large
Amazon
Nova Micro

FAQ

Common questions about Jamba 1.5 Large vs Nova Micro.

Which is better, Jamba 1.5 Large or Nova Micro?

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks. Jamba 1.5 Large is made by AI21 Labs and Nova Micro is made by Amazon. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Jamba 1.5 Large compare to Nova Micro in benchmarks?

Jamba 1.5 Large scores ARC-C: 93.0%, GSM8k: 87.0%, MMLU: 81.2%, Arena Hard: 65.4%, TruthfulQA: 58.3%. Nova Micro scores GSM8k: 92.3%, ARC-C: 90.2%, Translation Set1→en COMET22: 88.7%, Translation en→Set1 COMET22: 88.5%, IFEval: 87.2%.

Is Jamba 1.5 Large cheaper than Nova Micro?

Nova Micro is 66.7x cheaper for input tokens. Jamba 1.5 Large costs $2.00/M input and $8.00/M output via bedrock. Nova Micro costs $0.03/M input and $0.14/M output via bedrock.

What are the context window sizes for Jamba 1.5 Large and Nova Micro?

Jamba 1.5 Large supports 256K tokens and Nova Micro supports 128K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between Jamba 1.5 Large and Nova Micro?

Key differences include context window (256K vs 128K), input pricing ($2.00 vs $0.03/M), licensing (Jamba Open Model License vs Proprietary). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Jamba 1.5 Large and Nova Micro?

Jamba 1.5 Large is developed by AI21 Labs and Nova Micro is developed by Amazon.