Model Comparison
Llama 4 Maverick vs Nova LiteWhich is better in 2026?
Llama 4 Maverick significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Nova Lite is 2.6x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Llama 4 Maverick vs Nova Lite — which is better?
Llama 4 Maverick (by Meta) and Nova Lite (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.
Llama 4 Maverick outperforms in 5 benchmarks (ChartQA, DocVQA, GPQA, MMLU, MMMU), while Nova Lite is better at 1 benchmark (MATH). Llama 4 Maverick significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Nova Lite is roughly 2.6x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Llama 4 Maverick also accepts a larger context window (1,000,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose Llama 4 Maverick if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 5 of 6 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,000,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Apr 2025
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose Nova Lite if…
- cost matters — it's about 2.6x cheaper per token
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Llama 4 Maverick outperforms in 5 benchmarks (ChartQA, DocVQA, GPQA, MMLU, MMMU), while Nova Lite is better at 1 benchmark (MATH).
Llama 4 Maverick significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Llama 4 Maverick ($0.17/1M tokens) is 2.8x more expensive than Nova Lite ($0.06/1M tokens).
For output processing, Llama 4 Maverick ($0.60/1M tokens) is 2.5x more expensive than Nova Lite ($0.24/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Llama 4 Maverick is more expensive than Nova Lite.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Llama 4 Maverick accepts 1,000,000 input tokens compared to Nova Lite's 300,000 tokens. Llama 4 Maverick can generate longer responses up to 1,000,000 tokens, while Nova Lite is limited to 2,048 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Llama 4 Maverick and Nova Lite support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Llama 4 Maverick
Nova Lite
License
Usage and distribution terms
Llama 4 Maverick is licensed under Llama 4 Community License Agreement, while Nova Lite uses a proprietary license.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Llama 4 Community License Agreement
Open weights
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Llama 4 Maverick was released on 2025-04-05, while Nova Lite was released on 2024-11-20.
Llama 4 Maverick is 5 months newer than Nova Lite.
Apr 5, 2025
1.2 years ago
4mo newerNov 20, 2024
1.5 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
Llama 4 Maverick is available from DeepInfra, Novita, Lambda, Groq, Fireworks, Together, Sambanova. Nova Lite is available from Bedrock.
Llama 4 Maverick
Nova Lite
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Nova Lite
View detailsAmazon
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about Llama 4 Maverick vs Nova Lite.