GPT-3.5 Turbo vs Llama 3.1 8B
Performance benchmarks + pricing comparison — updated April 2026
GPT-3.5 Turbo
OpenAIBudget model for simple tasks. Being phased out but still widely used.
| Input | $0.500/M |
| Output | $1.50/M |
| Context | 16K tokens |
| Best For | Simple chatbots, basic text generation |
| Benchmark | 40/100 |
Llama 3.1 8B
MetaMeta's smallest Llama 3.1 model. Open weights, deploy anywhere. Great for self-hosted applications.
| Input | $0.050/M |
| Output | $0.100/M |
| Context | 128K tokens |
| Best For | Self-hosted AI, fine-tuning, budget applications |
Cost Comparison by Scenario
Estimated cost per project with 30% cache hit rate. Actual costs may vary based on usage patterns.
| Scenario | GPT-3.5 Turbo | Llama 3.1 8B | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Script (1K lines) | $0.06 | <$0.01 | Llama 3.1 8B saves $0.06 (92%) |
| Medium Feature (10K lines) | $0.48 | $0.04 | Llama 3.1 8B saves $0.44 (92%) |
| Large Project (50K lines) | $2.38 | $0.19 | Llama 3.1 8B saves $2.19 (92%) |
| Code Review (5K lines) | $0.13 | $0.01 | Llama 3.1 8B saves $0.11 (91%) |
Verdict
Llama 3.1 8B wins on both price and performance — $0.050/M input with a benchmark score of N/A/100.
For most developers, this is the clear choice between these two models.
Compare with Other Models
Claude Sonnet 4
AnthropicAnthropic's balanced model for coding and general tasks. Best price-performance ratio in the Claude family.
Claude Opus 4
AnthropicAnthropic's most powerful model. Best for complex reasoning and challenging coding tasks.
Claude 3.5 Sonnet
AnthropicPrevious generation Sonnet. Still excellent for coding tasks at the same price point.
Claude 3.5 Haiku
AnthropicFast, cost-effective model for high-volume tasks. Great for code review and simple queries.
Claude 3 Opus
AnthropicFirst generation Opus. Highest reasoning capability in the Claude 3 family.
Claude 3 Sonnet
AnthropicFirst generation Sonnet. Balanced performance for general tasks.