Amazon Nova Micro vs Llama Guard 3 8B
Compare Amazon Nova Micro and Llama Guard 3 8B: 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 Micro | Llama Guard 3 8B |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Compact | Safety |
| Parameters | ~8B | 8B |
| Context Window | 128K | 128K |
| Input Price | $0.001/1M tokens | $0.01/1M tokens |
| Output Price | $0.004/1M tokens | $0.02/1M tokens |
| Latency | ~50ms | ~60ms |
Choose Amazon Nova Micro when:
- ✓ Classification
- ✓ Intent detection
- ✓ Preprocessing
Cheapest inference, Ultra-fast, Text-only
Choose Llama Guard 3 8B when:
- ✓ Content moderation
- ✓ Safety filtering
- ✓ Input validation
Safety classification, Fast, Open weights
Verdict: Amazon Nova Micro vs Llama Guard 3 8B
For cost efficiency, Amazon Nova Micro wins at $0.001/1M input tokens. For speed, Amazon Nova Micro is faster at ~50ms. Amazon Nova Micro excels at Classification while Llama Guard 3 8B is better for Content moderation. 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 Micro costs $0.001/1M input tokens and $0.004/1M output tokens. Llama Guard 3 8B costs $0.01 input and $0.02 output. Amazon Nova Micro is 10.0x cheaper on input tokens. XALEN offers batch processing at 50% discount on both models.
Performance & Context
Amazon Nova Micro has a 128K context window with ~50ms latency. Llama Guard 3 8B offers 128K context at ~60ms. Both have identical context windows.
Best For
Amazon Nova Micro (Compact) is optimized for: Classification, Intent detection, Preprocessing. Llama Guard 3 8B (Safety) works best for: Content moderation, Safety filtering, Input validation.
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 Micro
response_a = client.chat.completions.create(
model="amazon-nova-micro",
messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)
# Use Llama Guard 3 8B
response_b = client.chat.completions.create(
model="llama-guard-3-8b",
messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Amazon Nova Micro or Llama Guard 3 8B?
Amazon Nova Micro (Compact, ~8B) offers Cheapest inference. Llama Guard 3 8B (Safety, 8B) offers Safety classification. Choose Amazon Nova Micro for Classification or Llama Guard 3 8B for Content moderation.
How much does Amazon Nova Micro cost vs Llama Guard 3 8B?
Amazon Nova Micro: $0.001/1M input, $0.004/1M output. Llama Guard 3 8B: $0.01/1M input, $0.02/1M 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 Micro and Llama Guard 3 8B by changing the model parameter. No code changes needed.
Related Comparisons
Last updated: 2026-05-21. Pricing and specifications may change. Check pricing page for latest rates.