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
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.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
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
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.
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 Open Model License
Open weights
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.
Aug 22, 2024
1.9 years ago
Nov 20, 2024
1.7 years ago
3mo newerKnowledge 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.
Mar 2024
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Provider Availability
Jamba 1.5 Large is available from Bedrock, Google. Nova Micro is available from Bedrock.
Jamba 1.5 Large
Nova Micro
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Jamba 1.5 Large
View detailsAI21 Labs
Nova Micro
View detailsAmazon
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.
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FAQ
Common questions about Jamba 1.5 Large vs Nova Micro.