Which API is cheaper: GPT-4o or Llama 3.1 8B Instant (Groq)?

For a standard B2B workload of 5,000 requests/day (2,500 input tokens, 400 output tokens, 50% cache hit), Llama 3.1 8B Instant (Groq) costs $18.86/month compared to $1303.12/month for GPT-4o—saving 98.6%.

How fast is GPT-4o compared to Llama 3.1 8B Instant (Groq)?

Llama 3.1 8B Instant (Groq) delivers higher throughput at ~750 tokens/sec (GPT-4o: 85 tok/s vs Llama 3.1 8B Instant (Groq): 750 tok/s).

GPT-4o vs Llama 3.1 8B Instant (Groq) API Pricing & Speed Benchmark (2026)

Side-by-Side Specification & Billing Matrix

Metric	GPT-4o (OpenAI)	Llama 3.1 8B Instant (Groq) (GroqCloud)	Advantage
Standard Input / 1M Tokens	$2.500	$0.050	Llama 3.1 8B Instant (Groq)
Cached Input / 1M Tokens	$1.250	$0.025	Llama 3.1 8B Instant (Groq)
Output Generation / 1M Tokens	$10.00	$0.08	Llama 3.1 8B Instant (Groq)
Intelligence / Benchmark Quality	1286 LMSYS Elo	1180 LMSYS Elo	GPT-4o
Monthly Spend (5k req/day, 50% cache)	$1303.12 / mo	$18.86 / mo	Llama 3.1 8B Instant (Groq) (-98.6%)
Context Window	128,000 tokens	128,000 tokens	GPT-4o
Output Speed (Throughput)	85 tokens/sec	750 tokens/sec	Llama 3.1 8B Instant (Groq)
Batch API Discount	-50% (OpenAI)	-25% (GroqCloud)	OpenAI
Primary Workload Fit	Complex multi-step customer facing workflows, vision + JSON structured outputs	Instant keyword tagging, sentiment scoring, routing prompts at 750+ tokens/sec	Workload Dependent
Deploy / Console Access	Try GPT-4o →	Try Llama 3.1 8B Instant (Groq) →	Open Full Simulator

GPT-4o vs Llama 3.1 8B Instant (Groq): API Price & Latency Comparison

Side-by-Side Specification & Billing Matrix