Meta: Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
Analysis Summary
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is Meta's small open-weight model with a 131K context window, tool use, and function calling support at $0.02 per million input tokens. Its intelligence index of 6.1 is reasonable for an 8B model, and the large context window is a meaningful advantage over its predecessor.
For businesses, it suits lightweight automation, structured output generation, and simple agentic pipelines where cost is the primary constraint. Tool use and function calling support make it more versatile than most models at this price point. Reasoning and coding performance are limited, so it is not appropriate for complex analysis or software engineering tasks.
At effectively negligible cost, it is the default recommendation for teams needing a cheap, open-weight model for high-volume, low-complexity workflows. Self-hosting is also viable given its open-weight status, adding flexibility for teams with data privacy requirements.
Assessed June 17, 2026
Editorial notes
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct from Meta offers tool use and function calling with a 131K context window at near-zero cost, making it the best-value small model for lightweight agentic or structured tasks.
Rankings consider pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, and real-world applicability and are refreshed as new models launch. Feedback?
Performance Profile
How Meta: Llama 3.1 8B Instruct compares
Meta: Llama 3.1 8B Instruct ranks #300 of 380 AI models we track for overall intelligence, #278 of 317 for coding, #267 of 292 for agentic tasks. Its 131K-token context window is larger than 59% of the models we list. At $0.02 per million input tokens it is cheaper than 77% of comparable models.
About Meta: Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
Meta's latest class of model (Llama 3.1) launched with a variety of sizes & flavors. This 8B instruct-tuned version is fast and efficient. It has demonstrated strong performance compared to..
Capabilities
Architecture Detail
| Instruct Type | llama3 |
Performance Indices
Source: Artificial Analysis
Benchmark Scores
Intelligence
Technical
Content
Benchmark data from Artificial Analysis and Hugging Face
How does Meta: Llama 3.1 8B Instruct stack up?
Compare side-by-side with other professional models.
Model Information
| OpenRouter ID |
meta-llama/llama-3.1-8b-instruct
|
| Provider | meta-llama |
| Model Family | Llama 3 |
| Release Date | July 23, 2024 |
| Context Length | 131,072 tokens |
| Max Completion | 16,384 tokens |
| Status | Active |
Pricing
| Token Type | Cost per 1M tokens | Cost per 1K tokens |
|---|---|---|
| Input | $0.02 | $0.000020 |
| Output | $0.03 | $0.000030 |
Live Performance
Live endpoint metrics, refreshed every 30 minutes.
Leaderboard Categories
External Resources
Frequently asked questions about Meta: Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
How much does Meta: Llama 3.1 8B Instruct cost?
Meta: Llama 3.1 8B Instruct costs $0.02 per million input tokens and $0.03 per million output tokens.
What is the context window of Meta: Llama 3.1 8B Instruct?
Meta: Llama 3.1 8B Instruct has a context window of 131,072 tokens (131K).
Is Meta: Llama 3.1 8B Instruct good for coding?
On our coding benchmark index, Meta: Llama 3.1 8B Instruct ranks #278 of 317 models, placing it in the broader range of the field for code generation and debugging.
What can Meta: Llama 3.1 8B Instruct do?
Meta: Llama 3.1 8B Instruct supports tool use and function calling.
Who created Meta: Llama 3.1 8B Instruct?
Meta: Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is developed by Meta and was released on July 23, 2024.
