Grok Code Fast 1 vs Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite

Name: Grok Code Fast 1
Author: xAI

Grok Code Fast 1 (2025) and Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite (2025) compare a coding-specialized model against a standalone API model. Grok Code Fast 1 ships a 262k-token context window, while Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite ships a 8k-token context window. On pricing, Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite costs $0.10/1M input tokens versus $0.20/1M for the alternative. This page treats the result as workflow and deployment fit, not a universal model winner.

Treat this as a product-type comparison: Grok Code Fast 1 is coding-specialized model, while Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite is standalone API model. Choose based on workflow fit before reading any benchmark or price row as decisive.

Decision scorecard

Local evidence first

Signal	Grok Code Fast 1	Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite	How to read it
Product type	Coding-specialized model	Standalone API model	Read downstream rows through the product-type lens before comparing benchmarks, prices, or provider availability.
Best for	custom coding agents, code generation, and tool loops	tool-calling agents	Use-case synthesis from product type, capability flags, context, and provider data.
Decision fit	Coding, RAG, and Agents	Agents, Classification, and JSON / Tool use	Primary workload tags from local decision data.
Context window	262k	8k	Higher is better when prompts, retrieval chunks, or transcripts are large.
Cheapest output	$1.50/1M tokens	$0.10/1M tokens	Cheapest tracked provider route; verify your exact region and tier.
Provider routes	3 tracked	1 tracked	Broader coverage can reduce vendor lock-in and fallback risk.
Shared benchmarks	0 rows	0 rows	No shared benchmark rows are sourced for this pair yet.

Decision tradeoffs

Choose Grok Code Fast 1 when...

Grok Code Fast 1 has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
Grok Code Fast 1 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
Local decision data tags Grok Code Fast 1 for Coding, RAG, and Agents.

Choose Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite when...

Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.10/1M tokens.
Local decision data tags Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite for Agents, Classification, and JSON / Tool use.

Monthly cost at traffic

Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.

Lower estimate Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite

Requests / monthInput tokens / requestOutput tokens / request

Grok Code Fast 1

$535

Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter

Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite

$105

Cheapest tracked route/tier: Together AI

Estimated monthly gap: $430. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.

Switch friction

Grok Code Fast 1 -> Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite

No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Grok Code Fast 1 and Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite is $1.40/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.

Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite -> Grok Code Fast 1

No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite and Grok Code Fast 1; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
Grok Code Fast 1 is $1.40/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.

Specs

Specification	Grok Code Fast 1 xAI	Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite AI at Meta
Released	2025-08-27	2025-07-15
Context window	262k	8k
Parameters	314B	8B
Architecture	mixture of experts	decoder only
License	Proprietary	Llama 3 Community
Openness	Proprietary	Open weights
Commercial use	Commercial use with conditions	Commercial use with conditions
Knowledge cutoff	-	2024-03

Pricing and availability

Pricing attribute	Grok Code Fast 1	Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite
Input price	$0.20/1M tokens	$0.10/1M tokens
Output price	$1.50/1M tokens	$0.10/1M tokens
Providers	OpenRouter Microsoft Foundry xAI Console	Together AI

Capabilities

Capability	Grok Code Fast 1	Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite
Vision	No	No
Multimodal	No	No
Reasoning	No	No
Function calling	Yes	Yes
Tool use	Yes	Yes
Structured outputs	Yes	Yes
Code execution	No	No
IDE integration	No	No
Computer use	No	No
Parallel agents	No	No

Benchmarks

No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.

Deep dive

The capability footprint is close: both models cover function calling, tool use, and structured outputs. That makes context budget, benchmark fit, and provider maturity more important than a simple checklist. If your application depends on one integration detail, verify it against the provider route you plan to use, not just the base model listing.

For cost, Grok Code Fast 1 lists $0.20/1M input and $1.50/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite lists $0.10/1M input and $0.10/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite lower by about $0.49 per million blended tokens. Availability is 3 providers versus 1, so concentration risk also matters.

Choose Grok Code Fast 1 when coding workflow support, larger context windows, and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite when provider fit and lower input-token cost are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship.

FAQ

Which has a larger context window, Grok Code Fast 1 or Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite?

Grok Code Fast 1 supports 262k tokens, while Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite supports 8k tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.

Which is cheaper, Grok Code Fast 1 or Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite?

Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Grok Code Fast 1 costs $0.20/1M input and $1.50/1M output tokens. Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite costs $0.10/1M input and $0.10/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.

Is Grok Code Fast 1 or Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite open source?

Grok Code Fast 1 is listed under Proprietary. Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite is listed under Llama 3 Community. License labels affect whether you can self-host, redistribute weights, or rely only on hosted APIs, so confirm the upstream license before deployment.

Which is better for function calling, Grok Code Fast 1 or Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite?

Both Grok Code Fast 1 and Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite expose function calling. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface.

Which is better for tool use, Grok Code Fast 1 or Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite?

Both Grok Code Fast 1 and Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite expose tool use. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface.

Where can I run Grok Code Fast 1 and Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite?

Grok Code Fast 1 is available on OpenRouter, Microsoft Foundry, and xAI Console. Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite is available on Together AI. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.

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Last reviewed: 2026-05-20. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.

Both models

Grok Code Fast 1 Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite