Amazon Nova Lite vs Amazon Nova Micro
Compare Amazon Nova Lite and Amazon Nova Micro: pricing, performance, context window, latency, and best use cases. Side-by-side comparison on XALEN.
Updated 2026-05-21 · By Abhishek Raj · Our methodology
| Feature | Amazon Nova Lite | Amazon Nova Micro |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Compact | Compact |
| Parameters | ~40B | ~8B |
| Context Window | 300K | 128K |
| Input Price | $0.003/1M tokens | $0.001/1M tokens |
| Output Price | $0.012/1M tokens | $0.004/1M tokens |
| Latency | ~150ms | ~50ms |
Choose Amazon Nova Lite when:
- ✓ Budget multimodal
- ✓ High-volume
- ✓ Simple tasks
Ultra-low cost, 300K context, Fast
Choose Amazon Nova Micro when:
- ✓ Classification
- ✓ Intent detection
- ✓ Preprocessing
Cheapest inference, Ultra-fast, Text-only
Verdict: Amazon Nova Lite vs Amazon Nova Micro
For cost efficiency, Amazon Nova Micro wins at $0.001/1M input tokens. For speed, Amazon Nova Lite is faster at ~150ms. Amazon Nova Lite excels at Budget multimodal while Amazon Nova Micro is better for Classification. Both are available on XALEN through a single API — try them in the Playground to see which fits your workload.
Detailed Analysis
Pricing Comparison
Amazon Nova Lite costs $0.003/1M input tokens and $0.012/1M output tokens. Amazon Nova Micro costs $0.001 input and $0.004 output. Amazon Nova Micro is 3.0x cheaper on input tokens. XALEN offers batch processing at 50% discount on both models.
Performance & Context
Amazon Nova Lite has a 300K context window with ~150ms latency. Amazon Nova Micro offers 128K context at ~50ms. Amazon Nova Lite has the larger context window.
Best For
Amazon Nova Lite (Compact) is optimized for: Budget multimodal, High-volume, Simple tasks. Amazon Nova Micro (Compact) works best for: Classification, Intent detection, Preprocessing.
Try Both on XALEN
Both models are available through XALEN's OpenAI-compatible API. Switch between them by changing the model parameter:
from xalen import XALEN
client = XALEN(api_key="xln_test_YOUR_KEY")
# Use Amazon Nova Lite
response_a = client.chat.completions.create(
model="amazon-nova-lite",
messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)
# Use Amazon Nova Micro
response_b = client.chat.completions.create(
model="amazon-nova-micro",
messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Amazon Nova Lite or Amazon Nova Micro?
Amazon Nova Lite (Compact, ~40B) offers Ultra-low cost. Amazon Nova Micro (Compact, ~8B) offers Cheapest inference. Choose Amazon Nova Lite for Budget multimodal or Amazon Nova Micro for Classification.
How much does Amazon Nova Lite cost vs Amazon Nova Micro?
Amazon Nova Lite: $0.003/1M input, $0.012/1M output. Amazon Nova Micro: $0.001/1M input, $0.004/1M output. Both available on XALEN with batch processing at 50% discount.
Can I use both models on XALEN?
Yes. XALEN provides 200+ models through a single OpenAI-compatible API. Switch between Amazon Nova Lite and Amazon Nova Micro by changing the model parameter. No code changes needed.
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Last updated: 2026-05-21. Pricing and specifications may change. Check pricing page for latest rates.