Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite vs Llama Guard 3 1B
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite (2025) and Llama Guard 3 1B (2024) are compact production models from AI at Meta. Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite ships a 8k-token context window, while Llama Guard 3 1B ships a 128k-token context window. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
Llama Guard 3 1B fits 16x more tokens; pick it for long-context work and Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite for tighter calls.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite | Llama Guard 3 1B |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | tool-calling agents | general production evaluation |
| Decision fit | Agents, Classification, and JSON / Tool use | Long context and Classification |
| Context window | 8k | 128k |
| Cheapest output | $0.10/1M tokens | $0.10/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 1 tracked | 1 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite uniquely exposes Function calling, Tool use, and Structured outputs in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite for Agents, Classification, and JSON / Tool use.
- Llama Guard 3 1B has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Local decision data tags Llama Guard 3 1B for Long context and Classification.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite
$105
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Together AI
Llama Guard 3 1B
$105
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Fireworks AI
Estimated monthly gap: $0.00. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite and Llama Guard 3 1B; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Cheapest tracked output pricing is tied, so migration risk shifts to quality, latency, and provider packaging.
- Check replacement coverage for Function calling, Tool use, and Structured outputs before moving production traffic.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Llama Guard 3 1B and Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Cheapest tracked output pricing is tied, so migration risk shifts to quality, latency, and provider packaging.
- Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite adds Function calling, Tool use, and Structured outputs in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-07-15 | 2024-09-25 |
| Context window | 8k | 128k |
| Parameters | 8B | 1B |
| Architecture | decoder only | decoder only |
| License | Llama 3 Community | Llama 2 Community |
| Openness | Open weights | Open weights |
| Commercial use | Commercial use with conditions | Commercial use with conditions |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2024-03 | 2023-12 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite | Llama Guard 3 1B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.10/1M tokens | $0.10/1M tokens |
| Output price | $0.10/1M tokens | $0.10/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite | Llama Guard 3 1B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | Yes | No |
| Tool use | Yes | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | No |
| 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 differs most on function calling: Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite, tool use: Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite, and structured outputs: Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite. Both models share the core language-model surface, so the practical split is not just feature count. Use those differences to decide whether the page is about raw model quality, agentic coding support, multimodal ingestion, or predictable structured API behavior.
For cost, Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite lists $0.10/1M input and $0.10/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while Llama Guard 3 1B lists $0.10/1M input and $0.10/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend is tied on the cheapest tracked routes. Availability is 1 providers versus 1, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite when provider fit are central to the workload. Choose Llama Guard 3 1B when long-context analysis and larger context windows 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, Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite or Llama Guard 3 1B?
Llama Guard 3 1B supports 128k 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, Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite or Llama Guard 3 1B?
Neither is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Both list $0.10/1M input and $0.10/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked route. Provider discounts, batch pricing, or route-specific tiers can still change the final bill.
Is Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite or Llama Guard 3 1B open source?
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite is listed under Llama 3 Community. Llama Guard 3 1B is listed under Llama 2 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, Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite or Llama Guard 3 1B?
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite has the clearer documented function calling signal in this comparison. If function calling is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Which is better for tool use, Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite or Llama Guard 3 1B?
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite has the clearer documented tool use signal in this comparison. If tool use is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite and Llama Guard 3 1B?
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite is available on Together AI. Llama Guard 3 1B is available on Fireworks AI. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-05-19. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.