Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite vs Qwen3-9B
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite (2025) and Qwen3-9B (2026) are compact production models from AI at Meta and Alibaba. Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite ships a 8K-token context window, while Qwen3-9B ships a 256K-token context window. On pricing, Qwen3-9B costs $0.04/1M input tokens versus $0.1/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit.
Qwen3-9B is ~150% cheaper at $0.04/1M; pay for Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite only for provider fit.
Specs
| Released | 2025-07-15 | 2026-03-02 |
| Context window | 8K | 256K |
| Parameters | 8B | 9B |
| Architecture | decoder only | decoder only |
| License | Open Source | Apache 2.0 |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2024-03 | - |
Pricing and availability
| Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite | Qwen3-9B | |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.1/1M tokens | $0.04/1M tokens |
| Output price | $0.1/1M tokens | $0.2/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite | Qwen3-9B | |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | ||
| Multimodal | ||
| Reasoning | ||
| Function calling | ||
| Tool use | ||
| Structured outputs | ||
| Code execution |
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 and tool use: Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite. Both models share structured outputs, 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 $0.1/1M input and $0.1/1M output tokens, while Qwen3-9B lists $0.04/1M input and $0.2/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Qwen3-9B lower by about $0.01 per million blended tokens. 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 Qwen3-9B when long-context analysis, larger context windows, 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. This keeps the decision grounded in measurable tradeoffs instead of brand-level assumptions. It also helps separate model capability from provider packaging, which can change cost and latency.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite or Qwen3-9B?
Qwen3-9B supports 256K 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 Qwen3-9B?
Qwen3-9B is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite costs $0.1/1M input and $0.1/1M output tokens. Qwen3-9B costs $0.04/1M input and $0.2/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite or Qwen3-9B open source?
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite is listed under Open Source. Qwen3-9B 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 Qwen3-9B?
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 Qwen3-9B?
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 Qwen3-9B?
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite is available on Together AI. Qwen3-9B is available on DeepInfra. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
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Last reviewed: 2026-04-24. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.