---
title: "granite-3-8b-instruct - Model Details & Comparison"
description: "granite-3-8b-instruct from Watsonx: capabilities, context limits, pricing, and side-by-side comparisons with alternative models."
url: "https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/watsonx/granite-3-8b-instruct"
markdown: "https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/watsonx/granite-3-8b-instruct.md"
---

# granite-3-8b-instruct - Model Details & Comparison

> granite-3-8b-instruct from Watsonx: capabilities, context limits, pricing, and side-by-side comparisons with alternative models.

## Important Links

- [View MCP Gateway](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/resources/mcp-gateway.md)
- [Features](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/#features)
- [Enterprise](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/enterprise)
- [Pricing](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/pricing.md)
- [Docs](https://docs.getbifrost.ai)
- [GitHub](https://github.com/maximhq/bifrost)
- [Book a Demo](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/book-a-demo)

## About granite-3-8b-instruct

granite-3-8b-instruct is a chat model from IBM watsonx, one of 28 chat models they offer. It is priced at $0.20 per 1M input tokens and $0.20 per 1M output tokens, ranking 702 out of 2669 chat models by cost and cheaper than 70% of models in this category. granite-3-8b-instruct supports function calling, prompt caching, structured output. It accepts up to 8K input tokens.

## Specifications

- **Watsonx Provider.**
- **Chat Mode.**
- **8,192 Max Input Tokens.**
- **1,024 Max Output Tokens.**
- **1,024 Max Tokens.**
- **$0.20 / 1M tokens Input Price.**
- **$0.20 / 1M tokens Output Price.**

## Capabilities

granite-3-8b-instruct supports: Function Calling, Prompt Caching, System Messages, Response Schema, Tool Choice.

## granite-3-8b-instruct Pricing Overview

At $0.20 per 1M input tokens and $0.20 per 1M output tokens, granite-3-8b-instruct ranks 702 out of 2669 chat models by input cost. It is more affordable compared to the median of $0.50 for chat models, and is cheaper than 70% of models in this category.

granite-3-8b-instruct is one of 28 IBM watsonx chat models, with support for function calling, prompt caching, structured output.

## Models to Compare

Alternatives to granite-3-8b-instruct with comparable capabilities.

| Model | Provider | Input $/1M | Output $/1M |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| gpt-5.4-nano | Azure | $0.20 | $1.25 |
| gpt-5.4-nano-2026-03-17 | Azure | $0.20 | $1.25 |
| gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18 | Azure | $0.17 | $0.66 |
| gpt-5-mini | Azure | $0.25 | $2.00 |
| claude-3-haiku-20240307 | Anthropic | $0.25 | $1.25 |

- [Compare gpt-5.4-nano](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/azure/gpt-5.4-nano.md)
- [Compare gpt-5.4-nano-2026-03-17](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/azure/gpt-5.4-nano-2026-03-17.md)
- [Compare gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/azure/gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18.md)
- [Compare gpt-5-mini](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/azure/gpt-5-mini.md)
- [Compare claude-3-haiku-20240307](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/anthropic/claude-3-haiku-20240307.md)

## Related Resources

- [Calculate granite-3-8b-instruct costs](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/llm-cost-calculator/provider/watsonx/model/granite-3-8b-instruct.md)
- [All IBM watsonx pricing](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/llm-cost-calculator/provider/watsonx.md)

## FAQ

### Is granite-3-8b-instruct cheaper than gpt-5.4-nano?

No. granite-3-8b-instruct costs $0.20 per 1M input tokens while gpt-5.4-nano costs $0.20 per 1M input tokens, making gpt-5.4-nano 0% more affordable for input. However, granite-3-8b-instruct may offer different capabilities or performance characteristics that justify the price difference.

### How does granite-3-8b-instruct pricing compare to the average chat model?

granite-3-8b-instruct input pricing is $0.20 per 1M tokens, which is 60% below the median of $0.50 for chat models. It ranks 702 out of 2669 chat models by input cost, making it cheaper than 70% of models in this category. For output, it costs $0.20 per 1M tokens compared to the median of $1.44.

### What makes granite-3-8b-instruct different from other IBM watsonx models?

Among IBM watsonx's 28 chat models, granite-3-8b-instruct ranks 9 by input cost.

### What are the best alternatives to granite-3-8b-instruct?

The most comparable chat models to granite-3-8b-instruct are: gpt-5.4-nano from Azure ($0.20/1M input tokens); gpt-5.4-nano-2026-03-17 from Azure ($0.20/1M input tokens); gpt-4o-mini-2024-07-18 from Azure ($0.17/1M input tokens); gpt-5-mini from Azure ($0.25/1M input tokens). These alternatives were selected based on similar capabilities, pricing, and provider diversity. You can compare any of these models in detail using the Bifrost Model Library.

### How do I calculate granite-3-8b-instruct costs?

granite-3-8b-instruct is priced based on input and output tokens. Use the interactive calculator at the top of this page to estimate costs for your specific workload. Enter your expected input and output tokens volume and the calculator will show the total cost breakdown. For reference, processing 1M input tokens costs $0.20 and generating 1M output tokens costs $0.20.

## Related Resources

- [Watsonx models](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/provider/watsonx.md)
- [Model library](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library.md)
- [LLM cost calculator](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/llm-cost-calculator.md)
- [Docs: Bifrost docs](https://docs.getbifrost.ai)
- [GitHub: maximhq/bifrost](https://github.com/maximhq/bifrost)
- [Pricing: Bifrost pricing](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/pricing.md)
- [Enterprise: Bifrost enterprise](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/enterprise)
- [Book a Demo: Bifrost demo](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/book-a-demo)
- [Resources: Bifrost resources](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/resources.md)

---

*This is a markdown version of [https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/watsonx/granite-3-8b-instruct](https://maxim-root-proxy-preview.getmaxim.workers.dev/bifrost/model-library/compare/watsonx/granite-3-8b-instruct) for AI/LLM consumption.*