Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite vs Mistral Small 3
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite (2025) and Mistral Small 3 (2025) are compact production models from AI at Meta and MistralAI. Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite ships a 8k-token context window, while Mistral Small 3 ships a 33k-token context window. On pricing, both list $0.10/1M input tokens on the cheapest tracked route. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
Mistral Small 3 fits 4x 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 | Mistral Small 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | tool-calling agents | tool-calling agents and provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | Agents, Classification, and JSON / Tool use | Agents, Classification, and JSON / Tool use |
| Context window | 8k | 33k |
| Cheapest output | $0.10/1M tokens | $0.30/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 1 tracked | 2 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 shared | 0 shared |
Decision tradeoffs
- 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.
- Mistral Small 3 has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Mistral Small 3 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Local decision data tags Mistral Small 3 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.
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite
$105
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Together AI
Mistral Small 3
$155
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Together AI
Estimated monthly gap: $50.00. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on Together AI; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Mistral Small 3 is $0.20/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Provider overlap exists on Together AI; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite is $0.20/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-07-15 | 2025-01-01 |
| Context window | 8k | 33k |
| Parameters | 8B | 24B |
| Architecture | Decoder Only | Decoder Only |
| License | Llama 3 Community | Apache 2.0OSI-approved |
| Openness | Open weights | Open source |
| Commercial use | Commercial use: conditional | Commercial use: permitted |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2024-03 | 2023-10 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite | Mistral Small 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.10/1M tokens | $0.10/1M tokens |
| Output price | $0.10/1M tokens | $0.30/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite | Mistral Small 3 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 scores are currently available 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, Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite lists $0.10/1M input and $0.10/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while Mistral Small 3 lists $0.10/1M input and $0.30/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite lower by about $0.06 per million blended tokens. Availability is 1 providers versus 2, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite when provider fit are central to the workload. Choose Mistral Small 3 when long-context analysis, larger context windows, and broader provider choice are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship. This keeps the decision grounded in measurable tradeoffs instead of brand-level assumptions.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite or Mistral Small 3?
Mistral Small 3 supports 33k 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 Mistral Small 3?
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite costs $0.10/1M input and $0.10/1M output tokens. Mistral Small 3 costs $0.10/1M input and $0.30/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite or Mistral Small 3 open source?
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite is listed under Llama 3 Community. Mistral Small 3 is listed under Apache 2.0. 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 Mistral Small 3?
Both Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite and Mistral Small 3 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, Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite or Mistral Small 3?
Both Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite and Mistral Small 3 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 Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite and Mistral Small 3?
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite is available on Together AI. Mistral Small 3 is available on Together AI and Vercel AI Gateway. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-06-15. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.