Granite-4.0-H-Micro vs Laguna XS 2.1 vs North Mini Code
Too close to call on our weighted score (Laguna XS 2.1 68, North Mini Code 68, Granite-4.0-H-Micro 62). The right pick depends on what you value most.
IBMGranite-4.0-H-Micro
62/100- ECI—
- Price$0.018 / $0.115
- Context131K
PoolsideLaguna XS 2.1
68/100- ECI—
- PriceFree / Free
- Context262K
CohereNorth Mini Code
68/100- ECI—
- PriceFree / Free
- Context256K
Too close to call
It is close. Our weighted score puts them within a point (Laguna XS 2.1 68/100, North Mini Code 68/100, Granite-4.0-H-Micro 62/100), so choose by what matters most for your work: Laguna XS 2.1 on price and Laguna XS 2.1 for long inputs. The score weighs price 50%, inputs & features 30%, context window 20%. None of the shared benchmarks cover every model here yet, so capability is left out of this verdict.
- CapabilityNot enough dataNo independent benchmark covers every model here yet
- Lowest priceLaguna XS 2.1 and North Mini CodeLaguna XS 2.1 Free · North Mini Code Free · Granite-4.0-H-Micro $0.042 per 1M tokens (3:1 blend)
- Longest contextLaguna XS 2.1Laguna XS 2.1 262,144 · North Mini Code 256,000 · Granite-4.0-H-Micro 131,072 tokens
- Widest inputsSame inputsGranite-4.0-H-Micro: Text · Laguna XS 2.1: Text · North Mini Code: Text
- Self-hostingAll open weightsEvery model here can be downloaded and run on your own hardware
| Measure | Weight | Granite-4.0-H-Micro | Laguna XS 2.1 | North Mini Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 50% | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Inputs & features | 30% | 25 | 35 | 35 |
| Context window | 20% | 25 | 37 | 36 |
| Overall | 100% | 62/100 | 68/100 | 68/100 |
Left out because at least one model lacks the data: capability. The remaining weights were rescaled.
Every spec in one table
Highlighted cells lead their row. Dashes mean the data is not published.
| Specification | Granite-4.0-H-MicroIBM | Laguna XS 2.1Poolside | North Mini CodeCohere |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | |||
| Capabilities Index (ECI) | — | — | — |
| ECI rank | — | — | — |
| Price per million tokens | |||
| Input | $0.018 | Free (best) | Free (best) |
| Output | $0.115 | Free (best) | Free (best) |
| Cached input | — | — | — |
| Blended (3:1) | $0.042 | Free (best) | Free (best) |
| Long-context rate | Same rate | Same rate | Same rate |
| Price source | Median of 2 providers | Official Poolside API | Official Cohere API |
| Limits | |||
| Context window | 131,072 tokens | 262,144 tokens (best) | 256,000 tokens |
| Max output | 131,072 tokens (best) | 32,768 tokens | 64,000 tokens |
| Inputs and features | |||
| Text | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Images | No | No | No |
| PDFs | No | No | No |
| Audio | No | No | No |
| Video | No | No | No |
| Reasoning | No | Yes | Yeshigh |
| Tool calling | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Structured output | No | No | No |
| Availability | |||
| Weights | Open | Open | Open |
| API model ID | — | poolside/laguna-xs-2.1 | north-mini-code-1-0 |
| API providers | 2 | 3 | 4 (best) |
| Released | Oct 2, 2025 | Jul 2, 2026 | Jun 9, 2026 |
| Knowledge cutoff | — | — | Sep 23, 2025 |
What would a month cost?
Enter your expected volume in millions of tokens. List prices only; caching and batch discounts would lower these.
- Granite-4.0-H-Micro$0.405
- Laguna XS 2.1Free
- North Mini CodeFree
Which should you choose?
Which is better: Granite-4.0-H-Micro, Laguna XS 2.1 or North Mini Code?
It is close. Our weighted score puts them within a point (Laguna XS 2.1 68/100, North Mini Code 68/100, Granite-4.0-H-Micro 62/100), so choose by what matters most for your work: Laguna XS 2.1 on price and Laguna XS 2.1 for long inputs. The score weighs price 50%, inputs & features 30%, context window 20%. None of the shared benchmarks cover every model here yet, so capability is left out of this verdict.
Which is cheaper, Granite-4.0-H-Micro, Laguna XS 2.1 or North Mini Code?
Laguna XS 2.1 is cheaper at Free input / Free output per million tokens (official Poolside API price). North Mini Code costs Free input / Free output per million tokens (official Cohere API price); Granite-4.0-H-Micro costs $0.018 input / $0.115 output per million tokens (median across 2 API providers). Laguna XS 2.1 is listed as free.
Which scores higher on benchmarks?
There is no independent benchmark that covers all three models yet. Granite-4.0-H-Micro has not been scored yet, Laguna XS 2.1 has not been scored yet and North Mini Code has not been scored yet.
Which is better for coding?
There are no published SWE-bench Verified results for Granite-4.0-H-Micro, Laguna XS 2.1 and North Mini Code yet, so there is no like-for-like coding score. Test both on a sample of your own tasks. All three support tool calling for agent workflows.
Which has the bigger context window?
Laguna XS 2.1 has the largest context window at 262,144 tokens, against 256,000 for North Mini Code and 131,072 for Granite-4.0-H-Micro. Maximum output per response: Granite-4.0-H-Micro up to 131,072, Laguna XS 2.1 up to 32,768, North Mini Code up to 64,000 tokens.
Which can read images, PDFs, audio or video?
Granite-4.0-H-Micro accepts text; Laguna XS 2.1 accepts text; North Mini Code accepts text. They handle the same number of input types.
Are any of these open source?
Yes, all three publish their weights, so you can self-host them.
Which is newer?
Laguna XS 2.1 is the newest, released Jul 2, 2026. North Mini Code came out Jun 9, 2026; Granite-4.0-H-Micro came out Oct 2, 2025. Knowledge cutoff: North Mini Code Sep 23, 2025.
How do you decide the winner?
Each model gets a 0–100 score on capability (50%, independent benchmark results); price (25%, blended price per million tokens (3 input : 1 output), log scale); inputs & features (15%, image, PDF, audio and video input, tool calling, structured output and reasoning); context window (10%, maximum tokens per request, log scale). Dimensions missing for any model are dropped and the remaining weights rescaled, so every model is judged on the same evidence. Specs and prices come from public model listings and the labs’ own API pages; capability scores come from independent benchmark runs. Data updated Nov 2, 2026.
