Llama 3.1 405B vs Deepgram Nova 3

Compare Llama 3.1 405B and Deepgram Nova 3: 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 Llama 3.1 405B Deepgram Nova 3
CategoryOpen SourceSpeech
Parameters405B~1B
Context Window128KStreaming
Input Price$0.08/1M tokens$0.004/min/1M tokens
Output Price$0.14/1M tokensN/A/1M tokens
Latency~600ms~100ms

Choose Llama 3.1 405B when:

  • ✓ Premium tasks
  • ✓ Research
  • ✓ Fine-tuning base
Key Strengths:

Largest open model, Highest open-source quality

Choose Deepgram Nova 3 when:

  • ✓ Real-time transcription
  • ✓ Call centers
  • ✓ Meeting notes
Key Strengths:

Ultra-low latency, Streaming native, Very cheap

Verdict: Llama 3.1 405B vs Deepgram Nova 3

For cost efficiency, Deepgram Nova 3 wins at $0.004/min/1M input tokens. For speed, Deepgram Nova 3 is faster at ~100ms. Llama 3.1 405B excels at Premium tasks while Deepgram Nova 3 is better for Real-time transcription. Both are available on XALEN through a single API — try them in the Playground to see which fits your workload.

Detailed Analysis

Pricing Comparison

Llama 3.1 405B costs $0.08/1M input tokens and $0.14/1M output tokens. Deepgram Nova 3 costs $0.004/min input and N/A output. Deepgram Nova 3 is 20.0x cheaper on input tokens. XALEN offers batch processing at 50% discount on both models.

Performance & Context

Llama 3.1 405B has a 128K context window with ~600ms latency. Deepgram Nova 3 offers Streaming context at ~100ms. Both have identical context windows.

Best For

Llama 3.1 405B (Open Source) is optimized for: Premium tasks, Research, Fine-tuning base. Deepgram Nova 3 (Speech) works best for: Real-time transcription, Call centers, Meeting notes.

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 Llama 3.1 405B
response_a = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="llama-3-1-405b",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)

# Use Deepgram Nova 3
response_b = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="deepgram-nova-3",
    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, Llama 3.1 405B or Deepgram Nova 3?

Llama 3.1 405B (Open Source, 405B) offers Largest open model. Deepgram Nova 3 (Speech, ~1B) offers Ultra-low latency. Choose Llama 3.1 405B for Premium tasks or Deepgram Nova 3 for Real-time transcription.

How much does Llama 3.1 405B cost vs Deepgram Nova 3?

Llama 3.1 405B: $0.08/1M input, $0.14/1M output. Deepgram Nova 3: $0.004/min/1M input, N/A/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 Llama 3.1 405B and Deepgram Nova 3 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.