Amazon Nova Lite vs Amazon Nova Pro
A complete head-to-head: pricing, context window, benchmarks, modality coverage, and openness, with a programmatic verdict synthesized from the underlying data.
- PriceAmazon Nova Lite
Amazon Nova Lite is roughly 13.3× cheaper on output tokens ($0.24 vs $3.20 per 1M).
- Context windowTie
Both ship a 300K-token context window.
- BenchmarksTie
No directly comparable public benchmarks are available for both models, check the spec sheets for individual scores.
- ModalitiesAmazon Nova Pro
Amazon Nova Pro supports 3 modalities (text, vision, video) vs 2 for Amazon Nova Lite.
- OpennessTie
Both are closed-weight, API-only.
It's a genuine coin-flip between Amazon Nova Lite and Amazon Nova Pro: 1 category wins each, with the rest tied. Amazon Nova Lite is roughly 13.3× cheaper on output tokens ($0.24 vs $3.20 per 1M). Both ship a 300K-token context window.
No directly comparable public benchmarks are available for both models, check the spec sheets for individual scores. They differ in modality coverage, Amazon Nova Lite handles text, vision while Amazon Nova Pro handles text, vision, video, which can be the deciding factor before you even look at benchmarks. Both are closed-weight, API-only.
Both shipped within roughly a month of each other in 2024, so they share the same generation of training data and tooling. Amazon Nova Lite is usually picked for customer support and cheapest llm workloads, while Amazon Nova Pro sees more deployments in enterprise llm and rag. If pricing matters more than every last benchmark point, run the numbers in the calculator below before committing.
Side-by-side specs
| Spec | Amazon Nova Lite | Amazon Nova Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Other | Other |
| Released | Dec 2024 | Dec 2024 |
| Modalities | text, vision | text, vision, video |
| Context window | 300K tokens | 300K tokens |
| Max output | , | , |
| Input · 1M | $0.060 / 1M tokens | $0.80 / 1M tokens |
| Output · 1M | $0.24 / 1M tokens | $3.20 / 1M tokens |
| Knowledge cutoff | , | , |
| Open weights | No | No |
| API available | Yes | Yes |
Pricing at scale
What you'd actually pay at typical workloads. Numbers come from each model's published per-million-token rates.
- Light usage, 100k in / 50k out per day$0.540 vs $7.20
- Heavy usage, 1M in / 500k out per day$5.40 vs $72.00
- RAG workload, 5M in / 200k out per day$10.44 vs $139
Light usage, 100k in / 50k out per day: $0.540 vs $7.20 per month, model A comes out ahead. Heavy usage, 1M in / 500k out per day: $5.40 vs $72.00 per month, model A comes out ahead. RAG workload, 5M in / 200k out per day: $10.44 vs $139 per month, model A comes out ahead.
Estimated spend for the listed models at your usage. Numbers are derived from each model's published per-million-token rates.
- Amazon Nova Lite$0.018
- Amazon Nova Pro$0.240
Benchmarks compared
Only sourced numbers. Where a benchmark is missing for one model we show the available value rather than fabricating the other.
Amazon Nova Lite fits when…
- Very cheap
- AWS-native
- Multimodal
- Cost-sensitive workloads, 13.3× cheaper than Amazon Nova Pro on output tokens.
Amazon Nova Pro fits when…
- AWS-native
- Long context
- Multimodal incl. video
- Multimodal needs covering video.
Consider DBRX
Databricks' 132B MoE, a notable 2024 open-weight release tuned for enterprise.
Frequently asked
Is Amazon Nova Lite or Amazon Nova Pro cheaper?
Amazon Nova Lite is cheaper at $0.24 / 1M tokens per million output tokens, vs $3.20 / 1M tokens for Amazon Nova Pro.Which has the larger context window?
Both Amazon Nova Lite and Amazon Nova Pro ship a 300K-token context window.Is Amazon Nova Lite or Amazon Nova Pro better for coding?
Both Amazon Nova Lite and Amazon Nova Pro are competitive on coding benchmarks. See each model's individual spec page for HumanEval and SWE-bench scores where published. For an opinionated pick, consult our Best LLM for Coding ranking.Are either of these models open source?
Neither model ships open weights, both are accessible only via their respective providers' APIs.When were Amazon Nova Lite and Amazon Nova Pro released?
Amazon Nova Lite was released by Other on 2024-12-03. Amazon Nova Pro was released by Other on 2024-12-03.
The week's AI launches, in your inbox.
One short email every Friday, new models, leaks, and quietly-shipped APIs you missed.