Llama 4 Scout vs Codestral

Compare Llama 4 Scout and Codestral: 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 4 Scout Codestral
CategoryOpen SourceCode
Parameters109B (17B active)22B
Context Window512K256K
Input Price$0.05/1M tokens$0.03/1M tokens
Output Price$0.08/1M tokens$0.05/1M tokens
Latency~350ms~200ms

Choose Llama 4 Scout when:

  • ✓ Classical text analysis
  • ✓ Long content
  • ✓ Multi-turn
Key Strengths:

512K context, MoE efficiency, Strong multilingual

Choose Codestral when:

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

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

Verdict: Llama 4 Scout vs Codestral

For cost efficiency, Codestral wins at $0.03/1M input tokens. For speed, Codestral is faster at ~200ms. Llama 4 Scout excels at Classical text analysis while Codestral is better for API integration code. 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 4 Scout costs $0.05/1M input tokens and $0.08/1M output tokens. Codestral costs $0.03 input and $0.05 output. Codestral is 1.7x cheaper on input tokens. XALEN offers batch processing at 50% discount on both models.

Performance & Context

Llama 4 Scout has a 512K context window with ~350ms latency. Codestral offers 256K context at ~200ms. Llama 4 Scout has the larger context window.

Best For

Llama 4 Scout (Open Source) is optimized for: Classical text analysis, Long content, Multi-turn. Codestral (Code) works best for: API integration code, SDK generation, Code review.

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 4 Scout
response_a = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="llama-4-scout",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)

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

Start Building with XALEN

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Llama 4 Scout or Codestral?

Llama 4 Scout (Open Source, 109B (17B active)) offers 512K context. Codestral (Code, 22B) offers 256K context for code. Choose Llama 4 Scout for Classical text analysis or Codestral for API integration code.

How much does Llama 4 Scout cost vs Codestral?

Llama 4 Scout: $0.05/1M input, $0.08/1M output. Codestral: $0.03/1M input, $0.05/1M 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 4 Scout and Codestral 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.