Jamba Mini vs Jamba Large
Jamba Mini comes out ahead, 57 to 30 on our weighted score, and it is the cheaper option too.
- Our pick
AI21 LabsJamba Mini
57/100- ECI—
- Price$0.20 / $0.40
- Context256K
- AI21 Labs
Jamba Large
30/100- ECI—
- Price$2.00 / $8.00
- Context256K
Add a model
Make it a three-way comparison.
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 Mini 256,000 · Jamba Large 256,000 tokens
- Widest inputsSame inputsJamba Mini: Text · Jamba Large: Text
- Self-hostingAll open weightsEvery model here can be downloaded and run on your own hardware
| Measure | Weight | Jamba Mini | Jamba Large |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 50% | 78 | 24 |
| Inputs & features | 30% | 35 | 35 |
| Context window | 20% | 36 | 36 |
| Overall | 100% | 57/100 | 30/100 |
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 | Jamba MiniAI21 Labs | Jamba LargeAI21 Labs |
|---|---|---|
| Capability | ||
| Capabilities Index (ECI) | — | — |
| ECI rank | — | — |
| Price per million tokens | ||
| Input | $0.20 (best) | $2.00 |
| Output | $0.40 (best) | $8.00 |
| Cached input | — | — |
| Blended (3:1) | $0.25 (best) | $3.50 |
| Long-context rate | Same rate | Same rate |
| Price source | Official AI21 Labs API | Official AI21 Labs API |
| Limits | ||
| Context window | 256,000 tokens | 256,000 tokens |
| Max output | 4,096 tokens | 4,096 tokens |
| Inputs and features | ||
| Text | Yes | Yes |
| Images | No | No |
| PDFs | No | No |
| Audio | No | No |
| Video | No | No |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Tool calling | Yes | Yes |
| Structured output | Yes | Yes |
| Availability | ||
| Weights | Open | Open |
| API model ID | jamba-mini | jamba-large |
| API providers | 1 | 1 |
| Released | Jan 1, 2026 | Jul 1, 2025 |
| Knowledge cutoff | Aug 22, 2024 | Aug 22, 2024 |
What would a month cost?
Enter your expected volume in millions of tokens. List prices only; caching and batch discounts would lower these.
- Jamba Mini$2.80
- Jamba Large$36.00
Which should you choose?
Which is better: Jamba Mini or Jamba Large?
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 Mini or Jamba Large?
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 Mini has not been scored yet and Jamba Large has not been scored yet.
Which is better for coding?
There are no published SWE-bench Verified results for Jamba Mini and Jamba Large 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 Mini and Jamba Large share the same 256,000-token context window. Maximum output per response: Jamba Mini up to 4,096, Jamba Large up to 4,096 tokens.
Which can read images, PDFs, audio or video?
Jamba Mini accepts text; Jamba Large 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 Mini Aug 22, 2024, Jamba Large 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.
