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Llama 3.1 8B vs Llama 4 Scout

Compare Meta (via Together AI) and Meta (via Together AI) AI models

Meta (via Together AI)
Llama 3.1 8B
vs
Meta (via Together AI)
Llama 4 Scout

Cost Comparison (1000 input + 500 output tokens, 100 requests/day)

Llama 3.1 8B

Per Request:$0.000270
Daily:$0.027
Monthly:$0.81
Yearly:$9.855

Llama 4 Scout

Per Request:$0.000230
Daily:$0.023
Monthly:$0.69
Yearly:$8.395

Cost Differences

$0.000040
Per Request
$0.004000
Daily
$0.12
Monthly
$1.46
Yearly

Llama 4 Scout costs less than Llama 3.1 8B

Feature Comparison

FeatureLlama 3.1 8BLlama 4 Scout
ProviderMeta (via Together AI)Meta (via Together AI)
Input Price$0.18/1M tokens$0.08/1M tokens
Output Price$0.18/1M tokens$0.30/1M tokens
Context Window128,000 tokens10,000,000 tokens
Max Output32,768 tokens32,768 tokens
Categoryefficientefficient
Capabilities
textcode
textvisioncode
Release Date7/23/20244/5/2025

Llama 3.1 8B vs Llama 4 Scout: Which Should You Choose?

Choosing between Llama 3.1 8B and Llama 4 Scout depends on your priorities: cost efficiency, context length, or raw capability. Llama 3.1 8B is the more affordable option at $0.18/1M input tokens. Meanwhile, Llama 4 Scout offers a significantly larger context window at 10,000,000 tokens vs 128,000 for Llama 3.1 8B.

Both models are in the efficient category, making this a direct head-to-head comparison. At scale — say 10,000 requests per day — the cost difference adds up: Llama 3.1 8B would save you roughly $12.00/month compared to Llama 4 Scout. For startups and indie developers, that difference can be significant.

Output costs matter too. Llama 3.1 8B charges $0.18/1M output tokens vs $0.30 for Llama 4 Scout. For generation-heavy workloads (content creation, code generation, summarization), output pricing often dominates your bill. Llama 3.1 8B has the edge here at $0.18/1M output tokens.

Multimodal capabilities: Llama 4 Scout supports vision (image inputs) while Llama 3.1 8B is text-only. If your application needs image understanding, this narrows your choice.

Best Use Cases

Choose Llama 3.1 8B when:

  • • You're already using Meta (via Together AI)'s API ecosystem
  • • You're running high-volume, latency-sensitive workloads

Choose Llama 4 Scout when:

  • • Budget is a primary concern
  • • You need a larger context window (10,000,000 tokens)
  • • You need more capabilities (vision)
  • • You're already using Meta (via Together AI)'s API ecosystem
  • • You're running high-volume, latency-sensitive workloads

Try Different Scenarios

Use the calculator below to see how costs change with different usage patterns

Llama 3.1 8B (Meta (via Together AI))

Llama 4 Scout (Meta (via Together AI))

Start using Llama 3.1 8B today

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Start using Llama 4 Scout today

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is cheaper, Llama 3.1 8B or Llama 4 Scout?
Llama 3.1 8B is cheaper for input tokens at $0.18 per million tokens vs $0.08 for Llama 4 Scout.
What is the context window difference between Llama 3.1 8B and Llama 4 Scout?
Llama 3.1 8B supports 128,000 tokens while Llama 4 Scout supports 10,000,000 tokens — a difference of 9,872,000 tokens in favor of Llama 4 Scout.
Which model is better for AI Chatbot?
Both models support text. For ai chatbot, Llama 3.1 8B is the lower-cost option, while Llama 4 Scout offers a larger context window (10,000,000 vs 128,000 tokens). Choose Llama 3.1 8B for budget sensitivity or Llama 4 Scout for longer context tasks.
Which model has better overall pricing for heavy usage?
At 100 requests/day with 1,000 input and 500 output tokens each, Llama 3.1 8B costs about $0.81/month and Llama 4 Scout costs about $0.69/month. Overall, Llama 3.1 8B has lower combined input + output rates ($0.18 in, $0.18 out) vs Llama 4 Scout.

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