AI Model Watch
Deprecations / Migrate

Migrate off Command Light (legacy)

Deprecated

Command Light (legacy) is deprecated. Cohere's official replacement is Command R (08-2024). The cheapest comparable model we track is Llama 3.1 8B Instruct (Meta) at $0.022 per 1M tokens blended.

Last verified: 26 Sep 2026 · sourced from official provider documentation

StatusDeprecatedCohere
Shutdown dateUnannounceddeprecated 15 Sep 2025
Official replacementCommand R (08-2024)$0.262 /M blendedCheapest alternativeLlama 3.1 8B Instruct$0.022 /M blended
What changes

Command Light (legacy) → Command R (08-2024)

Moving to Command R (08-2024) means 1.4× cheaper ($0.375 → $0.262 /1M blended) and a larger context window (4K → 128K).

SpecCommand Light (legacy)Command R (08-2024)
StatusDeprecatedGA
Blended price /1M$0.375$0.262
Input / output /1M$0.3 / $0.6$0.15 / $0.6
Context window4K128K
Max output40004000
Modalitytexttext
Knowledge cutoff——

API string was command-light → switch to command-r-08-2024. See Command R (08-2024)'s full spec sheet →

Cheapest alternatives

Budget-friendly replacements for Command Light (legacy)

Generally-available models that match Command Light (legacy)'s capabilities (and at least half its 4K context), ranked by blended price. Every number is computed from official catalog prices.

ModelBlended /1MInput / outputContext
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
Meta
$0.022$0.02 / $0.03128K
Amazon Nova Micro
Amazon
$0.061$0.035 / $0.14128K
Command R7B
Cohere
$0.066$0.037 / $0.15128K
FAQ

Migrating off Command Light (legacy)

What replaces Command Light (legacy)?

Cohere's recommended migration for Command Light (legacy) is Command R (08-2024). The cheapest comparable model in our catalog is Llama 3.1 8B Instruct (Meta) at $0.022/1M blended.

When is Command Light (legacy) shut down?

Command Light (legacy) is deprecated; Cohere has not yet published a firm shutdown date. Plan your migration now.

What is the cheapest alternative to Command Light (legacy)?

Llama 3.1 8B Instruct (Meta) is the cheapest generally-available alternative we track that matches Command Light (legacy)'s capabilities, at $0.02 per 1M input and $0.03 per 1M output tokens ($0.022/1M blended).

Browse the full deprecation watch → or see Command Light (legacy)'s full spec sheet →