Alternatives · 15 models compared · checked 17 Aug 2026
Llama 3.1 70B Instruct alternatives: 15 models in or near grid D3
The closest model to Llama 3.1 70B Instruct on the atlas is Codestral 2508, in the same square, at $0.30 per 1M input tokens against Llama 3.1 70B Instruct’s . 11 of the 15 nearest models are cheaper on input; the cheapest is Ministral 3 3B 2512 at $0.10. We rank by position on the atlas, not by capability, because we hold no capability data.
$0.40
observed We measured
- Source
- Our catalogue
- Retrieved
- 17 Aug 2026
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Cite this page
ModelsAtlas. “Llama 3.1 70B Instruct alternatives: 15 models in or near grid D3”. Retrieved 17 Aug 2026. https://modelsatlas.com/models/meta/llama-3-1-70b-instruct/alternatives
Where the alternatives sit
Each square is a price band (A–H) × a context band (1–6). How the grid works
Same squareGRIDD310 modelsCodestral 2508, Command A+, DeepSeek V3 and 7 more
Llama 3.1 70B InstructIts 15 nearest modelsOther modelsOpen weights
View the map as a table (2 squares)
| Square | Price band | Context band | Models |
|---|---|---|---|
| GRIDC3 | $0.10–0.30 | 128–256K | Ministral 3 3B 2512, Llama Guard 4 12B, Nemotron 3.5 Content Safety, MiniMax M2.7, Llama 3.3 70B Instruct |
| GRIDD3 | $0.30–1 | 128–256K | Llama 3.1 70B Instruct, Codestral 2508, Command A+, MiniMax M2, MiniMax M2.1, Muse Glimmer 30B, DeepSeek V3, Mistral Medium 3, Mistral Medium 3.1, Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image), R1 0528 |
Top 15 alternatives
Ranked by steps away on the atlas, then cheaper before pricier, then input price
| # | Model | Grid | Why it fits | Input / 1M | vs Llama 3.1 70B Instruct | Output / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Llama 3.1 70B InstructMeta · the model you’re replacing | GRIDD3 | Baseline | $0.40 | — | $0.40 | 131K | |
| 1 | Codestral 2508Mistral AI | GRIDD3 | Same square, 25% cheaper input, 2× the context | $0.30 | −25% | $0.90 | 256K | Compare → |
| 2 | Command A+Cohere | GRIDD3 | Same square, 25% cheaper input, 1.5× the context | $0.30 | −25% | $1.50 | 192K | Compare → |
| 3 | MiniMax M2MiniMax | GRIDD3 | Same square, 25% cheaper input, 1.6× the context | $0.30 | −25% | $1.20 | 205K | Compare → |
| 4 | MiniMax M2.1MiniMax | GRIDD3 | Same square, 25% cheaper input, 1.6× the context | $0.30 | −25% | $1.20 | 205K | Compare → |
| 5 | Muse Glimmer 30BMeta | GRIDD3 | Same maker, same square, 25% cheaper input | $0.30 | −25% | $1.20 | 131K | Compare → |
| 6 | DeepSeek V3DeepSeek | GRIDD3 | Same square, 20% cheaper input, 1.3× the context | $0.32 | −20% | $0.89 | 164K | Compare → |
| 7 | Mistral Medium 3Mistral AI | GRIDD3 | Same square, same input price | $0.40 | same | $2.00 | 131K | Compare → |
| 8 | Mistral Medium 3.1Mistral AI | GRIDD3 | Same square, same input price | $0.40 | same | $2.00 | 131K | Compare → |
| 9 | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image)Google | GRIDD3 | Same square, 25% pricier input | $0.50 | +25% | $3.00 | 131K | Compare → |
| 10 | R1 0528DeepSeek | GRIDD3 | Same square, 75% pricier input, 1.3× the context | $0.70 | +75% | $2.50 | 164K | Compare → |
| 11 | Ministral 3 3B 2512Mistral AI | GRIDC3 | Neighbouring square C3, 75% cheaper input | $0.10 | −75% | $0.10 | 131K | |
| 12 | Llama Guard 4 12BMeta | GRIDC3 | Same maker, neighbouring square C3, 55% cheaper input, 1.3× the context | $0.18 | −55% | $0.18 | 164K | |
| 13 | Nemotron 3.5 Content SafetyNVIDIA | GRIDC3 | Neighbouring square C3, 50% cheaper input | $0.20 | −50% | $0.20 | 131K | |
| 14 | MiniMax M2.7MiniMax | GRIDC3 | Neighbouring square C3, 48% cheaper input, 1.6× the context | $0.21 | −47% | $0.84 | 205K | |
| 15 | Llama 3.3 70B InstructMeta | GRIDC3 | Same maker, neighbouring square C3, 45% cheaper input | $0.22 | −45% | $0.50 | 131K |
What switching saves
3,000 input + 800 output tokens × 1,000 requests a day
Σ Derived from standard-tier prices; excludes caching and batch discounts. Use your own numbers →
Larger-context alternatives
| Model | Input / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Codestral 2508Mistral AI | $0.30 | 256K | Compare |
| Command A+Cohere | $0.30 | 192K | Compare |
| MiniMax M2MiniMax | $0.30 | 205K | Compare |
| MiniMax M2.1MiniMax | $0.30 | 205K | Compare |
| DeepSeek V3DeepSeek | $0.32 | 164K | Compare |
Free alternatives
| Model | Input / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyria 3 Clip PreviewGoogle | Free | 1.05M | |
| Lyria 3 Pro PreviewGoogle | Free | 1.05M |
Compare Llama 3.1 70B Instruct head to head
Questions
What is the best alternative to Llama 3.1 70B Instruct?
Codestral 2508 ranks first: same square, 25% cheaper input, 2× the context. Input is $0.30 per 1M tokens against $0.40 for Llama 3.1 70B Instruct. Ranking is by position on the atlas, not by quality.
What is the cheapest alternative to Llama 3.1 70B Instruct?
Ministral 3 3B 2512 at $0.10 per 1M input tokens, 75% less than Llama 3.1 70B Instruct, among the 15 closest.
Is there an open-weight alternative to Llama 3.1 70B Instruct?
None of the 15 closest is marked open-weight in our records.
Which alternative has a larger context window?
Codestral 2508, MiniMax M2, MiniMax M2.1, MiniMax M2.7 and 4 more hold more than Llama 3.1 70B Instruct's 131K; the largest is Codestral 2508 at 256K.
How are alternatives ranked?
By distance on the atlas grid from Llama 3.1 70B Instruct's square D3: the same square first, then neighbouring squares. Within the same distance, cheaper models come before pricier ones, then the lowest input price wins. We hold no capability data, so we do not claim a model can do what Llama 3.1 70B Instruct does, only that it costs and holds about the same. No vendor pays for position.
More alternatives
Keep going in your AI
Opens with this page as the source. We add nothing else to the prompt.
- What is the best alternative to Llama 3.1 70B Instruct?
- What is the cheapest alternative to Llama 3.1 70B Instruct?
- Is there an open-weight alternative to Llama 3.1 70B Instruct?