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Head-to-head comparison

Granite 4.1 8B vs LFM2.5-2.6B

Granite 4.1 8B (IBM Granite) and LFM2.5-2.6B (Liquid) compared on the ModelCap Index, API price, context window, provider availability, weight access and every public benchmark board they share. Figures are the same ones shown on the live rankings; nothing here is a hidden score.

Snapshot as of 22 August 2026

As of 22 August 2026, LFM2.5-2.6B holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#190 vs #193); LFM2.5-2.6B is cheaper per output token (Free/1M vs $0.10/1M); Granite 4.1 8B offers the longer context window (131K vs 66K tokens); and Granite 4.1 8B ships open weights.

Which should you choose?

Choose Granite 4.1 8B if…

  • you need the longer context window — 131K tokens against 66K.
  • you want to self-host: Granite 4.1 8B ships open weights while LFM2.5-2.6B is restricted license.

Choose LFM2.5-2.6B if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #190 against #193 (16.1 vs 15.2 points).
  • API cost matters — Free/1M output tokens against $0.10/1M.
  • your workload is prompt-heavy — input tokens cost Free/1M against $0.05/1M.
  • Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index is your yardstick — 11.0 against 6.4.
  • you want the more recently listed model — LFM2.5-2.6B was listed 11 August 2026, Granite 4.1 8B 30 April 2026.

Granite 4.1 8B vs LFM2.5-2.6B: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of Granite 4.1 8B and LFM2.5-2.6B
FieldGranite 4.1 8BIBM GraniteLFM2.5-2.6BLiquid
ModelCap Index position#193#190
Index score15.216.1
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokens$0.05Free
Output price / 1M tokens$0.10Free
Context window131K tokens66K tokens
Max output tokens131K8K
API providers listed11
Weight accessOpen weightsRestricted license
Input modalitiesTextText
First listed30 April 202611 August 2026
PublisherIBM GraniteLiquid

Evidence: 3 public benchmark observations across 3 boards · 1 public benchmark observation across 1 board. Prices are the lowest listed API offer per million tokens observed on the OpenRouter catalogue.

Benchmark scores: Granite 4.1 8B vs LFM2.5-2.6B

Public benchmark boards where Granite 4.1 8B or LFM2.5-2.6B has a published result
BoardGranite 4.1 8BLFM2.5-2.6BLeads
Arena codingArena (LMArena)13531333–1373—Only one result
Artificial Analysis Intelligence IndexArtificial Analysis6.4intelligence-index11.0intelligence-indexLFM2.5-2.6B

Scores are the sources' own published figures for each model's best evaluated configuration; ModelCap never re-runs a benchmark.

Want a different pairing? Open the interactive comparison tool to swap either model for any current ranked language model.

Granite 4.1 8B vs LFM2.5-2.6B: common questions

Is Granite 4.1 8B better than LFM2.5-2.6B?

LFM2.5-2.6B ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 22 August 2026: #190 against #193. That is a capability ranking built from public benchmark evidence with published uncertainty; whether it is "better" for you also depends on price, context and where you can run it.

Is Granite 4.1 8B cheaper than LFM2.5-2.6B?

LFM2.5-2.6B is cheaper on output tokens: Free/1M against $0.10/1M. Input tokens are $0.05/1M for Granite 4.1 8B and Free/1M for LFM2.5-2.6B. Prices are the lowest listed API offer ModelCap observed, in USD per million tokens.

Which has the bigger context window, Granite 4.1 8B or LFM2.5-2.6B?

Granite 4.1 8B has the larger context window: 131K tokens against 66K.

Which is better for coding, Granite 4.1 8B or LFM2.5-2.6B?

The two models do not share a coding benchmark board on ModelCap yet, so no head-to-head coding score is published; the ModelCap Index position is the closest overall signal.

Are Granite 4.1 8B and LFM2.5-2.6B open-weight models?

Granite 4.1 8B: Open weights. LFM2.5-2.6B: Restricted license. Open weights mean the checkpoint can be downloaded and self-hosted under its licence; API-only models are available solely through hosted endpoints.

Where can I run Granite 4.1 8B and LFM2.5-2.6B?

ModelCap currently lists 1 API provider for Granite 4.1 8B and 1 for LFM2.5-2.6B, from the OpenRouter catalogue snapshot the site serves; each model page lists the providers and their prices.

How current is this Granite 4.1 8B vs LFM2.5-2.6B comparison?

Every figure comes from the sealed ModelCap dataset published 22 August 2026; the page re-renders within a minute of each data refresh, and the ModelCap Index positions are the same ones shown on the live rankings.

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