Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite vs Step 3.5 Flash
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite (2025) and Step 3.5 Flash (2026) are frontier reasoning models from AI at Meta and StepFun. Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite ships a 8k-token context window, while Step 3.5 Flash ships a 256k-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.
Step 3.5 Flash fits 31x 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 | Step 3.5 Flash |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | tool-calling agents | reasoning-heavy apps |
| Decision fit | Agents, Classification, and JSON / Tool use | Coding, Agents, and Long context |
| Context window | 8k | 256k |
| Cheapest output | $0.10/1M tokens | $0.30/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 1 tracked | 1 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.10/1M tokens.
- 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.
- Step 3.5 Flash has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Step 3.5 Flash uniquely exposes Reasoning in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Step 3.5 Flash for Coding, Agents, and Long context.
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
Step 3.5 Flash
$155
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Estimated monthly gap: $50.00. 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 Step 3.5 Flash; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Step 3.5 Flash is $0.20/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Check replacement coverage for Function calling, Tool use, and Structured outputs before moving production traffic.
- Step 3.5 Flash adds Reasoning in local capability data.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Step 3.5 Flash and Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite is $0.20/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Reasoning before moving production traffic.
- Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite adds Function calling, Tool use, and Structured outputs in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-07-15 | 2026-01-29 |
| Context window | 8k | 256k |
| Parameters | 8B | 196B (11B active) |
| Architecture | decoder only | mixture of experts |
| License | Llama 3 Community | Proprietary |
| Openness | Open weights | Proprietary |
| Commercial use | Commercial use with conditions | Commercial use with conditions |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2024-03 | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite | Step 3.5 Flash |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Step 3.5 Flash |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | No | Yes |
| 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 reasoning mode: Step 3.5 Flash, 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 Step 3.5 Flash 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 1, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite when provider fit are central to the workload. Choose Step 3.5 Flash when reasoning depth 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 Step 3.5 Flash?
Step 3.5 Flash 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 Step 3.5 Flash?
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. Step 3.5 Flash 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 Step 3.5 Flash open source?
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite is listed under Llama 3 Community. Step 3.5 Flash is listed under Proprietary. 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 reasoning mode, Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite or Step 3.5 Flash?
Step 3.5 Flash has the clearer documented reasoning mode signal in this comparison. If reasoning mode is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Which is better for function calling, Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite or Step 3.5 Flash?
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.
Where can I run Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite and Step 3.5 Flash?
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite is available on Together AI. Step 3.5 Flash is available on OpenRouter. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-05-29. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.