AI Model Watch
Deprecations / Migrate

Migrate off Command Light (legacy)

Deprecated

Command Light (legacy) is deprecated and shuts down on 15 Sep 2025. 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: 13 Aug 2026 · sourced from official provider documentation

StatusDeprecatedCohere
Shutdown date15 Sep 2025deprecated 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 and scheduled to shut down on 15 Sep 2025 (deprecated 15 Sep 2025). Migrate before that date to avoid a 404.

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 →