ZMIME
Comparison · 2 models · Updated Oct 4, 2026

Jamba Large vs Jamba Mini

Jamba Mini comes out ahead, 57 to 30 on our weighted score, and it is the cheaper option too.

  1. AI21 Labs

    Jamba Large

    Released Jul 1, 2025

    30/100
    • ECI—
    • Price$2.00 / $8.00
    • Context256K
  2. Our pick

    AI21 Labs

    Jamba Mini

    Released Jan 1, 2026

    57/100
    • ECI—
    • Price$0.20 / $0.40
    • Context256K
  3. Add a model

    Make it a three-way comparison.

01 — Verdict

Jamba Mini is our pick

Jamba Mini is the better all-round choice, scoring 57/100 against Jamba Large (30). It leads on price. 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 priceJamba MiniJamba Mini $0.25 · Jamba Large $3.50 per 1M tokens (3:1 blend)
  • Longest contextAbout the sameJamba Large 256,000 · Jamba Mini 256,000 tokens
  • Widest inputsSame inputsJamba Large: Text · Jamba Mini: Text
  • Self-hostingAll open weightsEvery model here can be downloaded and run on your own hardware
How the score is built
MeasureWeightJamba LargeJamba Mini
Price50%2478
Inputs & features30%3535
Context window20%3636
Overall100%30/10057/100

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.

Jamba Large vs Jamba Mini specifications side by side
SpecificationJamba LargeAI21 LabsJamba MiniAI21 Labs
Capability
Capabilities Index (ECI)——
ECI rank——
Price per million tokens
Input$2.00$0.20 (best)
Output$8.00$0.40 (best)
Cached input——
Blended (3:1)$3.50$0.25 (best)
Long-context rateSame rateSame rate
Price sourceOfficial AI21 Labs APIOfficial AI21 Labs API
Limits
Context window256,000 tokens256,000 tokens
Max output4,096 tokens4,096 tokens
Inputs and features
TextYesYes
ImagesNoNo
PDFsNoNo
AudioNoNo
VideoNoNo
ReasoningNoNo
Tool callingYesYes
Structured outputYesYes
Availability
WeightsOpenOpen
API model IDjamba-largejamba-mini
API providers11
ReleasedJul 1, 2025Jan 1, 2026
Knowledge cutoffAug 22, 2024Aug 22, 2024
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.

  • Jamba Large$36.00
  • Jamba Mini$2.80
04 — Questions

Which should you choose?

Which is better: Jamba Large or Jamba Mini?

Jamba Mini is the better all-round choice, scoring 57/100 against Jamba Large (30). It leads on price. 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, Jamba Large or Jamba Mini?

Jamba Mini is cheaper at $0.20 input / $0.40 output per million tokens (official AI21 Labs API price). Jamba Large costs $2.00 input / $8.00 output per million tokens (official AI21 Labs API price). At a typical mix of three input tokens to one output token, that is $0.25 per million tokens for Jamba Mini versus $3.50 for Jamba Large (14× as much).

Which scores higher on benchmarks?

There is no independent benchmark that covers both models yet. Jamba Large has not been scored yet and Jamba Mini has not been scored yet.

Which is better for coding?

There are no published SWE-bench Verified results for Jamba Large and Jamba Mini yet, so there is no like-for-like coding score. Test both on a sample of your own tasks. Both support tool calling for agent workflows.

Which has the bigger context window?

Jamba Large and Jamba Mini share the same 256,000-token context window. Maximum output per response: Jamba Large up to 4,096, Jamba Mini up to 4,096 tokens.

Which can read images, PDFs, audio or video?

Jamba Large accepts text; Jamba Mini 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?

Jamba Mini is the newest, released Jan 1, 2026. Jamba Large came out Jul 1, 2025. Knowledge cutoff: Jamba Large Aug 22, 2024, Jamba Mini Aug 22, 2024.

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 Oct 4, 2026.