Both models report the same input price at $0.05 per 1M tokens.
API cost decision in 10 seconds
NewGranite 4.1 8B vs Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B
Pick Granite 4.1 8B for lower cost; pick Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B only if the larger context window matters more.
Pricing data updated:
Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens
Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output
Budget verdict
Pick Granite 4.1 8B for lower cost; pick Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B only if the larger context window matters more.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Granite 4.1 8B is estimated at $0.1 vs $0.15 for Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B, saving $0.05 (33.3% lower).
Cost-first pickGranite 4.1 8B
Context-first pickNemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B
Sample savings$0.0533.3%
10x traffic gap$0.5
Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B has more context, but Granite 4.1 8B saves $0.05 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $0.5. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
Granite 4.1 8B stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | Granite 4.1 8B | Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | Granite 4.1 8B | $0.3 | $0.35 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | Granite 4.1 8B | $0.15 | $0.25 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | Granite 4.1 8B | $0.55 | $1.05 |
Granite 4.1 8B is $0.1 cheaper per 1M output tokens (50% lower; 2x difference).
Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B has 131.07K more context (2x larger).
Granite 4.1 8B is $0.05 cheaper on the standard workload (33.3% lower).
Estimate your workload cost
Your Workload Cost
This estimate uses normalized public API pricing per 1M tokens. It is a planning aid, not a billing quote. Verify provider pricing, limits, and terms before production use.
Quick Decision
both models tie on input price; Granite 4.1 8B has the lower output price; Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Granite 4.1 8B is cheaper for the standard workload.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0.1 for Granite 4.1 8B and $0.15 for Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B.
Choose Granite 4.1 8B when you care most about lower output-token price.
Choose Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B when you care most about larger context window.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Granite 4.1 8B is estimated at $0.1 vs $0.15 for Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B, saving $0.05 (33.3% lower).
- Granite 4.1 8B is $0.05 cheaper on the standard workload (33.3% lower).
- Both models report the same input price at $0.05 per 1M tokens.
- Granite 4.1 8B is $0.1 cheaper per 1M output tokens (50% lower; 2x difference).
- Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B has 131.07K more context (2x larger).
| Feature | NewGranite 4.1 8B (IBM) | Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (NVIDIA) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0.05 | $0.05 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $0.1 | $0.2 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $0.1 | $0.15 |
| Context Window | 131.07K | 262.14K |
| Release Date |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | Granite 4.1 8B | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Granite 4.1 8B is estimated at $0.1 vs $0.15 for Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B, saving $0.05 (33.3% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | Tie | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | Granite 4.1 8B | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files. |
Related Alternatives
- Granite 4.0 Micro can replace Granite 4.1 8B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.07.
- Nemotron 3 Nano Omni (free) can replace Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Nemotron 3 Super (free) can replace Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free) can replace Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Owl Alpha offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.
- Lyria 3 Pro Preview offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.
- Lyria 3 Clip Preview offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.
- No popular competitor is currently available.
Cheaper alternatives
Review low-cost models sorted by a standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.
Open cheapest modelsLarger context alternatives
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Open provider hubsIBM catalog
Review all tracked IBM models before deciding whether this matchup is the right shortlist.
Open IBM modelsNVIDIA catalog
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