Amazon vs 
IBM
Verdict
- Their flagships are level: Nova 2.0 Pro Preview 50.1 vs Granite 4.2 30B 50.0.
- Amazon's fastest ranked model (Nova Micro, 263 tok/s) beats IBM's (Granite 4.2 3B, 214 tok/s).
- Amazon publishes more open-weights models (11 vs 10).
- Amazon ships more often: one model every 19 days against every 118.
Best model per price band
Each provider’s highest-index model below the price ceiling. Purple marks the winner of the band.
| Price band | Amazon | IBM |
|---|---|---|
| Under $0.50/M | Nova Micro 38.3$0.061/M | Granite 4.2 30B 50.0$0.283/M |
| Under $2/M | Nova 2.0 Lite (high) thinking 48.1$0.850/M | Granite 4.2 30B 50.0$0.283/M |
| Under $10/M | Nova 2.0 Pro Preview medium 50.1$3.44/M | Granite 4.2 30B 50.0$0.283/M |
| Any price | Nova 2.0 Pro Preview medium 50.1$3.44/M | Granite 4.2 30B 50.0$0.283/M |
Line-up
| Metric | Amazon | IBM |
|---|---|---|
| Flagship index | 50.1 | 50.0 |
| Ranked models | 6 | 7 |
| Open-weights models | 11 | 10 |
| Cheapest ranked, $/M | $0.061 | $0.053 |
| Fastest ranked, tok/s | 263 | 214 |
| Release cadence, days | 19 | 118 |
| Last release | 4 Sept 2026 | 25 Aug 2026 |
| Next expected | 15 Sept 2026 – 30 Sept 2026 | 3 Nov 2026 – 6 Feb 2027 |