Codestral vs IBM Granite 3.1 8B

Compare Codestral and IBM Granite 3.1 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

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Feature Codestral IBM Granite 3.1 8B
CategoryCodeEnterprise
Parameters22B8B
Context Window256K128K
Input Price$0.03/1M tokens$0.01/1M tokens
Output Price$0.05/1M tokens$0.02/1M tokens
Latency~200ms~80ms

Choose Codestral when:

  • ✓ API integration code
  • ✓ SDK generation
  • ✓ Code review
Key Strengths:

256K context for code, Strong code generation, Good APIs

Choose IBM Granite 3.1 8B when:

  • ✓ Regulated industries
  • ✓ Enterprise compliance
  • ✓ IBM ecosystem
Key Strengths:

Enterprise compliance, IP indemnification, 128K context

Verdict: Codestral vs IBM Granite 3.1 8B

For cost efficiency, IBM Granite 3.1 8B wins at $0.01/1M input tokens. For speed, Codestral is faster at ~200ms. Codestral excels at API integration code while IBM Granite 3.1 8B is better for Regulated industries. Both are available on XALEN through a single API — try them in the Playground to see which fits your workload.

Detailed Analysis

Pricing Comparison

Codestral costs $0.03/1M input tokens and $0.05/1M output tokens. IBM Granite 3.1 8B costs $0.01 input and $0.02 output. IBM Granite 3.1 8B is 3.0x cheaper on input tokens. XALEN offers batch processing at 50% discount on both models.

Performance & Context

Codestral has a 256K context window with ~200ms latency. IBM Granite 3.1 8B offers 128K context at ~80ms. Codestral has the larger context window.

Best For

Codestral (Code) is optimized for: API integration code, SDK generation, Code review. IBM Granite 3.1 8B (Enterprise) works best for: Regulated industries, Enterprise compliance, IBM ecosystem.

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 Codestral
response_a = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="codestral",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)

# Use IBM Granite 3.1 8B
response_b = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="granite-3-1-8b",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)

Start Building with XALEN

200+ AI models. One API. Pay-as-you-go.

Get API Key Try in Playground

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Codestral or IBM Granite 3.1 8B?

Codestral (Code, 22B) offers 256K context for code. IBM Granite 3.1 8B (Enterprise, 8B) offers Enterprise compliance. Choose Codestral for API integration code or IBM Granite 3.1 8B for Regulated industries.

How much does Codestral cost vs IBM Granite 3.1 8B?

Codestral: $0.03/1M input, $0.05/1M output. IBM Granite 3.1 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 Codestral and IBM Granite 3.1 8B 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.