Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite vs Step 3.7 Flash
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite (2025) and Step 3.7 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 3.7 Flash ships a 256k-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.
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite is ~100% cheaper at $0.10/1M; pay for Step 3.7 Flash only for reasoning depth.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite | Step 3.7 Flash |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | tool-calling agents | reasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agents |
| Decision fit | Agents, Classification, and JSON / Tool use | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 8k | 256k |
| Cheapest output | $0.10/1M tokens | $1.15/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 1 tracked | 3 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.
- Local decision data tags Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite for Agents, Classification, and JSON / Tool use.
- Step 3.7 Flash has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Step 3.7 Flash has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Step 3.7 Flash uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Step 3.7 Flash for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
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 3.7 Flash
$448
Cheapest tracked route/tier: StepFun
Estimated monthly gap: $343. 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 3.7 Flash; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Step 3.7 Flash is $1.05/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Step 3.7 Flash adds Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning in local capability data.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Step 3.7 Flash and Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite is $1.05/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning before moving production traffic.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-07-15 | 2026-05-29 |
| Context window | 8k | 256k |
| Parameters | 8B | 198B (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 3.7 Flash |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.10/1M tokens | $0.20/1M tokens |
| Output price | $0.10/1M tokens | $1.15/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite | Step 3.7 Flash |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | Yes |
| Multimodal | No | Yes |
| Reasoning | No | Yes |
| 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 differs most on vision: Step 3.7 Flash, multimodal input: Step 3.7 Flash, and reasoning mode: Step 3.7 Flash. Both models share function calling, tool use, and 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 $0.10/1M input and $0.10/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while Step 3.7 Flash lists $0.20/1M input and $1.15/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite lower by about $0.39 per million blended tokens. Availability is 1 providers versus 3, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite when provider fit and lower input-token cost are central to the workload. Choose Step 3.7 Flash when reasoning depth, 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.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite or Step 3.7 Flash?
Step 3.7 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 3.7 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 3.7 Flash costs $0.20/1M input and $1.15/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite or Step 3.7 Flash open source?
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite is listed under Llama 3 Community. Step 3.7 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 vision, Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite or Step 3.7 Flash?
Step 3.7 Flash has the clearer documented vision signal in this comparison. If vision is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Which is better for multimodal input, Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite or Step 3.7 Flash?
Step 3.7 Flash has the clearer documented multimodal input signal in this comparison. If multimodal input 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 3.7 Flash?
Together AI - Llama 3 8B Lite is available on Together AI. Step 3.7 Flash is available on StepFun, OpenRouter, and NVIDIA NIM. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-29. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.