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Head-to-head comparison

granite 4.2 3b vs Granite 4.2 8B

granite 4.2 3b (IBM Granite) and Granite 4.2 8B (IBM Granite) 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 3 September 2026

As of 3 September 2026, Granite 4.2 8B holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#176 vs #178).

Which should you choose?

Choose granite 4.2 3b if…

  • Arena coding is your yardstick — 1380 against 1363.

Choose Granite 4.2 8B if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #176 against #178 (19.3 vs 18.5 points).
  • you want provider choice — 1 listed API providers against 0.
  • AA Intelligence Index is your yardstick — 19.6 against 14.3.
  • AA Terminal-Bench 2.1 is your yardstick — 18.4% against 13.9%.
  • AA Humanity's Last Exam is your yardstick — 9.7% against 6.6%.
  • you want the more recently listed model — Granite 4.2 8B was listed 31 August 2026, granite 4.2 3b 7 August 2026.

granite 4.2 3b vs Granite 4.2 8B: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of granite 4.2 3b and Granite 4.2 8B
Fieldgranite 4.2 3bIBM GraniteGranite 4.2 8BIBM Granite
ModelCap Index position#178#176
Index score18.519.3
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokensUnlisted$0.10
Output price / 1M tokensUnlisted$0.15
Context window131K tokens131K tokens
Max output tokens—118K
API providers listed01
Weight accessOpen weightsOpen weights
Input modalitiesTextText
First listed7 August 202631 August 2026
PublisherIBM GraniteIBM Granite

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

Benchmark scores: granite 4.2 3b vs Granite 4.2 8B

Public benchmark boards where granite 4.2 3b or Granite 4.2 8B has a published result
Boardgranite 4.2 3bGranite 4.2 8BLeads
Arena codingArena (LMArena)13801357–140213631342–1385granite 4.2 3b
AA Intelligence IndexArtificial Analysis14.3intelligence-index19.6intelligence-indexGranite 4.2 8B
AA Terminal-Bench 2.1Artificial Analysis13.9%terminal-bench-2.118.4%terminal-bench-2.1Granite 4.2 8B
AA Humanity's Last ExamArtificial Analysis6.6%humanitys-last-exam9.7%humanitys-last-examGranite 4.2 8B

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 4.2 3b vs Granite 4.2 8B: common questions

Is granite 4.2 3b better than Granite 4.2 8B?

Granite 4.2 8B ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 3 September 2026: #176 against #178. 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 4.2 3b cheaper than Granite 4.2 8B?

At least one of the two has no listed API price on ModelCap right now, so no price comparison is made.

Which has the bigger context window, granite 4.2 3b or Granite 4.2 8B?

Both publish a 131K-token context window.

Which is better for coding, granite 4.2 3b or Granite 4.2 8B?

Arena coding: granite 4.2 3b 1380, Granite 4.2 8B 1363 — granite 4.2 3b leads. AA Terminal-Bench 2.1: granite 4.2 3b 13.9%, Granite 4.2 8B 18.4% — Granite 4.2 8B leads.

Are granite 4.2 3b and Granite 4.2 8B open-weight models?

granite 4.2 3b: Open weights. Granite 4.2 8B: Open weights. 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 4.2 3b and Granite 4.2 8B?

ModelCap currently lists 0 API providers for granite 4.2 3b and 1 for Granite 4.2 8B, from the OpenRouter catalogue snapshot the site serves; each model page lists the providers and their prices.

How current is this granite 4.2 3b vs Granite 4.2 8B comparison?

Every figure comes from the sealed ModelCap dataset published 3 September 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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