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Comparison · 2 models · Updated Nov 2, 2026

Granite 4.2 8B vs Hy-MT2-1.8B

Granite 4.2 8B comes out ahead, 64 to 49 on our weighted score, though Hy-MT2-1.8B is 6% cheaper per token.

  1. Our pick

    IBM

    Granite 4.2 8B

    Released Aug 25, 2026

    64/100
    • ECI—
    • Price$0.06 / $0.15
    • Context131K
  2. Tencent

    Hy-MT2-1.8B

    Released May 21, 2026

    49/100
    • ECI—
    • Price$0.044 / $0.177
    • Context8K
  3. Add a model

    Make it a three-way comparison.

01 — Verdict

Granite 4.2 8B is our pick

Granite 4.2 8B is the better all-round choice, scoring 64/100 against Hy-MT2-1.8B (49). It leads on inputs & features and context window. 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 priceHy-MT2-1.8BHy-MT2-1.8B $0.077 · Granite 4.2 8B $0.083 per 1M tokens (3:1 blend)
  • Longest contextGranite 4.2 8BGranite 4.2 8B 131,072 · Hy-MT2-1.8B 8,192 tokens
  • Widest inputsSame inputsGranite 4.2 8B: Text · Hy-MT2-1.8B: Text
  • Self-hostingAll open weightsEvery model here can be downloaded and run on your own hardware
How the score is built
MeasureWeightGranite 4.2 8BHy-MT2-1.8B
Price50%9798
Inputs & features30%350
Context window20%250
Overall100%64/10049/100

Left out because at least one model lacks the data: capability. The remaining weights were rescaled.

02 — Side by side

Every spec in one table

Highlighted cells lead their row. Dashes mean the data is not published.

Granite 4.2 8B vs Hy-MT2-1.8B specifications side by side
SpecificationGranite 4.2 8BIBMHy-MT2-1.8BTencent
Capability
Capabilities Index (ECI)——
ECI rank——
Price per million tokens
Input$0.06$0.044 (best)
Output$0.15 (best)$0.177
Cached input——
Blended (3:1)$0.083$0.077 (best)
Long-context rateSame rateSame rate
Price sourceMedian of 7 providersMedian of 3 providers
Limits
Context window131,072 tokens (best)8,192 tokens
Max output117,964 tokens (best)4,096 tokens
Inputs and features
TextYesYes
ImagesNoNo
PDFsNoNo
AudioNoNo
VideoNoNo
ReasoningYesNo
Tool callingYesNo
Structured outputNoNo
Availability
WeightsOpenOpen
API model ID——
API providers7 (best)3
ReleasedAug 25, 2026May 21, 2026
Knowledge cutoff——
03 — Cost

What would a month cost?

Enter your expected volume in millions of tokens. List prices only; caching and batch discounts would lower these.

  • Granite 4.2 8B$0.90
  • Hy-MT2-1.8B$0.794
04 — Questions

Which should you choose?

Which is better: Granite 4.2 8B or Hy-MT2-1.8B?

Granite 4.2 8B is the better all-round choice, scoring 64/100 against Hy-MT2-1.8B (49). It leads on inputs & features and context window. 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 4.2 8B or Hy-MT2-1.8B?

Hy-MT2-1.8B is cheaper at $0.044 input / $0.177 output per million tokens (median across 3 API providers). Granite 4.2 8B costs $0.06 input / $0.15 output per million tokens (median across 7 API providers). At a typical mix of three input tokens to one output token, that is $0.077 per million tokens for Hy-MT2-1.8B versus $0.083 for Granite 4.2 8B (1.1× as much).

Which scores higher on benchmarks?

There is no independent benchmark that covers both models yet. Granite 4.2 8B has not been scored yet and Hy-MT2-1.8B has not been scored yet.

Which is better for coding?

There are no published SWE-bench Verified results for Granite 4.2 8B and Hy-MT2-1.8B yet, so there is no like-for-like coding score. Test both on a sample of your own tasks. Note that Hy-MT2-1.8B does not support tool calling, which most coding agents need.

Which has the bigger context window?

Granite 4.2 8B has the largest context window at 131,072 tokens, against 8,192 for Hy-MT2-1.8B. Maximum output per response: Granite 4.2 8B up to 117,964, Hy-MT2-1.8B up to 4,096 tokens.

Which can read images, PDFs, audio or video?

Granite 4.2 8B accepts text; Hy-MT2-1.8B accepts text. They handle the same number of input types.

Are any of these open source?

Yes, both publish their weights, so you can self-host them.

Which is newer?

Granite 4.2 8B is the newest, released Aug 25, 2026. Hy-MT2-1.8B came out May 21, 2026.

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.