Pick Command A for enterprise rag and retrieval or strong long-context retrieval accuracy. Pick Reka Flash 3.1 for a 21b-parameter reasoning model, small enough for local/on-device deployment (a 3.5-bit quantized build exists) or strong base for fine-tuning agentic tasks - notably improved coding since the original flash 3. On a tight budget at scale, Reka Flash 3.1 is the value pick.
Command A (Cohere) and Reka Flash 3.1 (Reka AI) are two of the models people most often weigh against each other in 2026. Command A is cohere's enterprise-focused model built for retrieval-augmented and grounded workloads. Reka Flash 3.1 is reka AI's compact 21B open-weight reasoning model - small enough to run locally, from a team of DeepMind and Meta alumni. They diverge most on price and context window — each quantified below from the models' real specs.
Key differences
Context window: Command A holds 7.8× more — 256K (~384 pages) vs 32K (~49 pages). But effective recall usually fades long before the advertised ceiling, so the bigger number only helps if the model reasons over it.
Recency: Reka Flash 3.1 is the newer model by about 4 months (released July 2025), usually meaning fresher training data and capabilities.
Specifications
Spec
Command A
Reka Flash 3.1
Provider
Cohere (Global)
Reka AI (US)
Released
March 2025
July 2025
Context window
256K (~384 pages)
32K (~49 pages)
Price (in/out)
$2.5/$10 per 1M tokens
Open weight (self-host / free)
Open weight?
Yes — self-hostable
Yes — self-hostable
Modalities
text, code
text, code
SWE-Bench Verified
Not published
Not published
MRCR v2 @ 1M
Not published
Not published
Who wins what
Enterprise RAG and retrieval: Command A — Cohere's enterprise-focused model built for retrieval-augmented and grounded workloads — and it carries the larger 256K context.
Strong long-context retrieval accuracy: Command A — Its 256K window holds about 7.8× more than Reka Flash 3.1's 32K in a single prompt.
Multilingual: Command A — Command A lists multilingual among its strengths; Reka Flash 3.1 does not.
A 21B-parameter reasoning model, small enough for local/on-device deployment (a 3.5-bit quantized build exists): Reka Flash 3.1 — Reka AI's compact 21B open-weight reasoning model - small enough to run locally, from a team of DeepMind and Meta alumni — and it is the newer of the two.
Strong base for fine-tuning agentic tasks - notably improved coding since the original Flash 3: Reka Flash 3.1 — Reka Flash 3.1 lists strong base for fine-tuning agentic tasks - notably improved coding since the original Flash 3 among its strengths; Command A does not.
Fully open weights (Apache 2.0) from a frontier-caliber research team: Reka Flash 3.1 — Reka Flash 3.1 lists fully open weights (Apache 2.0) from a frontier-caliber research team among its strengths; Command A does not.
Lowest cost at scale: Reka Flash 3.1 — Its weights are open, so at volume you pay for your own hardware instead of Command A's $2.5/$10 per 1M tokens.
Largest single-prompt input: Command A — Its 256K window is about 7.8× larger than Reka Flash 3.1's 32K, fitting roughly 384 pages in one prompt.
Which should you pick?
A cost-sensitive startup shipping high volume: Reka Flash 3.1 — At Open weight (self-host / free) it undercuts Command A, and on millions of tokens that margin decides the monthly bill.
Someone analysing very long documents or codebases: Command A — Larger 256K window fits more in one prompt.
Anyone whose priority is enterprise rag and retrieval: Command A — It is specifically built for that.
Anyone whose priority is a 21b-parameter reasoning model, small enough for local/on-device deployment (a 3.5-bit quantized build exists): Reka Flash 3.1 — That is its strongest area.
Command A: where it fits
Cohere's enterprise-focused model built for retrieval-augmented and grounded workloads. Released March 2025 by Cohere, it is built for enterprise RAG and retrieval, strong long-context retrieval accuracy, multilingual, and tool use.
Its trade-offs are real: less consumer presence, and narrower modality support. At $2.5 in / $10 out per million tokens, it sits in the mid price band.
Reka Flash 3.1: where it fits
Reka AI's compact 21B open-weight reasoning model - small enough to run locally, from a team of DeepMind and Meta alumni. Released July 2025 by Reka AI, it is built for a 21B-parameter reasoning model, small enough for local/on-device deployment (a 3.5-bit quantized build exists), strong base for fine-tuning agentic tasks - notably improved coding since the original Flash 3, fully open weights (Apache 2.0) from a frontier-caliber research team, and built by alumni from Google DeepMind and Meta's AI labs.
Its trade-offs: a relatively small 32K context window next to million-token frontier models, smaller and less capable overall than flagship frontier models from major labs, and reka's broader roadmap has shifted toward robotics/world models after merging with Moonvalley in June 2026, raising questions about ongoing LLM investment. As an open-weight model, its running cost is your own hardware rather than a per-token fee.
The bottom line for this matchup
Command A and Reka Flash 3.1 overlap enough that the right pick depends on your specific job. Reka Flash 3.1 costs less per token; Command A holds the larger context; and each leads in its own area — Command A for enterprise rag and retrieval, Reka Flash 3.1 for a 21b-parameter reasoning model, small enough for local/on-device deployment (a 3.5-bit quantized build exists). Rather than crowning one, run the same hard task through both once and let the results decide.
Frequently asked questions
Is Command A or Reka Flash 3.1 better for coding?
Public SWE-Bench figures are not available for either model, so the honest test is your own repository — run an identical real bug through both. By design, Command A leans toward enterprise rag and retrieval while Reka Flash 3.1 leans toward a 21b-parameter reasoning model, small enough for local/on-device deployment (a 3.5-bit quantized build exists), and that positioning usually predicts which feels better on your codebase.
Which is cheaper, Command A or Reka Flash 3.1?
Reka Flash 3.1 is cheaper — $2.5/$10 per 1M tokens vs Open weight (self-host / free).
Which has the bigger context window?
Command A — 256K vs 32K, about 7.8× larger. Useful only if the model actually reasons over the full window, which not all do.
Can I use both Command A and Reka Flash 3.1 together?
Yes — a multi-model platform like LumiChats gives you Command A, Reka Flash 3.1 and 40+ others under one ₹69/day pass (about $1/day), so you can draft with one and cross-check with the other instead of buying two subscriptions.
Which is newer, Command A or Reka Flash 3.1?
Reka Flash 3.1 — released July 2025, about 4 months after Command A.
Command A vs Reka Flash 3.1
Cohere · Global | Reka AI · US · Updated June 2026
Quick verdict
Pick Command A for enterprise rag and retrieval or strong long-context retrieval accuracy. Pick Reka Flash 3.1 for a 21b-parameter reasoning model, small enough for local/on-device deployment (a 3.5-bit quantized build exists) or strong base for fine-tuning agentic tasks - notably improved coding since the original flash 3. On a tight budget at scale, Reka Flash 3.1 is the value pick.
Command A (Cohere) and Reka Flash 3.1 (Reka AI) are two of the models people most often weigh against each other in 2026. Command A is cohere's enterprise-focused model built for retrieval-augmented and grounded workloads. Reka Flash 3.1 is reka AI's compact 21B open-weight reasoning model - small enough to run locally, from a team of DeepMind and Meta alumni. They diverge most on price and context window — each quantified below from the models' real specs.
Key differences at a glance
▸Context window: Command A holds 7.8× more — 256K (~384 pages) vs 32K (~49 pages). But effective recall usually fades long before the advertised ceiling, so the bigger number only helps if the model reasons over it.
▸Recency: Reka Flash 3.1 is the newer model by about 4 months (released July 2025), usually meaning fresher training data and capabilities.
Side-by-side specs
Spec
Command A
Reka Flash 3.1
Provider
Cohere (Global)
Reka AI (US)
Released
March 2025
July 2025
Context window
256K (~384 pages)
32K (~49 pages)
Price (in/out)
$2.5/$10 per 1M tokens
Open weight (self-host / free)
Open weight?
Yes — self-hostable
Yes — self-hostable
Modalities
text, code
text, code
SWE-Bench Verified
Not published
Not published
MRCR v2 @ 1M
Not published
Not published
Who wins what
Enterprise RAG and retrieval
Command A
Cohere's enterprise-focused model built for retrieval-augmented and grounded workloads — and it carries the larger 256K context.
Strong long-context retrieval accuracy
Command A
Its 256K window holds about 7.8× more than Reka Flash 3.1's 32K in a single prompt.
Multilingual
Command A
Command A lists multilingual among its strengths; Reka Flash 3.1 does not.
A 21B-parameter reasoning model, small enough for local/on-device deployment (a 3.5-bit quantized build exists)
Reka Flash 3.1
Reka AI's compact 21B open-weight reasoning model - small enough to run locally, from a team of DeepMind and Meta alumni — and it is the newer of the two.
Strong base for fine-tuning agentic tasks - notably improved coding since the original Flash 3
Reka Flash 3.1
Reka Flash 3.1 lists strong base for fine-tuning agentic tasks - notably improved coding since the original Flash 3 among its strengths; Command A does not.
Fully open weights (Apache 2.0) from a frontier-caliber research team
Reka Flash 3.1
Reka Flash 3.1 lists fully open weights (Apache 2.0) from a frontier-caliber research team among its strengths; Command A does not.
Lowest cost at scale
Reka Flash 3.1
Its weights are open, so at volume you pay for your own hardware instead of Command A's $2.5/$10 per 1M tokens.
Largest single-prompt input
Command A
Its 256K window is about 7.8× larger than Reka Flash 3.1's 32K, fitting roughly 384 pages in one prompt.
Which should you pick?
A cost-sensitive startup shipping high volume
→ Reka Flash 3.1
At Open weight (self-host / free) it undercuts Command A, and on millions of tokens that margin decides the monthly bill.
Someone analysing very long documents or codebases
→ Command A
Larger 256K window fits more in one prompt.
Anyone whose priority is enterprise rag and retrieval
→ Command A
It is specifically built for that.
Anyone whose priority is a 21b-parameter reasoning model, small enough for local/on-device deployment (a 3.5-bit quantized build exists)
→ Reka Flash 3.1
That is its strongest area.
Command A: where it fits
Cohere's enterprise-focused model built for retrieval-augmented and grounded workloads. Released March 2025 by Cohere, it is built for enterprise RAG and retrieval, strong long-context retrieval accuracy, multilingual, and tool use.
Its trade-offs are real: less consumer presence, and narrower modality support. At $2.5 in / $10 out per million tokens, it sits in the mid price band.
Reka Flash 3.1: where it fits
Reka AI's compact 21B open-weight reasoning model - small enough to run locally, from a team of DeepMind and Meta alumni. Released July 2025 by Reka AI, it is built for a 21B-parameter reasoning model, small enough for local/on-device deployment (a 3.5-bit quantized build exists), strong base for fine-tuning agentic tasks - notably improved coding since the original Flash 3, fully open weights (Apache 2.0) from a frontier-caliber research team, and built by alumni from Google DeepMind and Meta's AI labs.
Its trade-offs: a relatively small 32K context window next to million-token frontier models, smaller and less capable overall than flagship frontier models from major labs, and reka's broader roadmap has shifted toward robotics/world models after merging with Moonvalley in June 2026, raising questions about ongoing LLM investment. As an open-weight model, its running cost is your own hardware rather than a per-token fee.
The bottom line for this matchup
Command A and Reka Flash 3.1 overlap enough that the right pick depends on your specific job. Reka Flash 3.1 costs less per token; Command A holds the larger context; and each leads in its own area — Command A for enterprise rag and retrieval, Reka Flash 3.1 for a 21b-parameter reasoning model, small enough for local/on-device deployment (a 3.5-bit quantized build exists). Rather than crowning one, run the same hard task through both once and let the results decide.
Want both Command A and Reka Flash 3.1 without two subscriptions? LumiChats gives you these plus 40+ models under one ₹69/day pass (about $1/day) — draft with one, cross-check with the other.
Public SWE-Bench figures are not available for either model, so the honest test is your own repository — run an identical real bug through both. By design, Command A leans toward enterprise rag and retrieval while Reka Flash 3.1 leans toward a 21b-parameter reasoning model, small enough for local/on-device deployment (a 3.5-bit quantized build exists), and that positioning usually predicts which feels better on your codebase.
Which is cheaper, Command A or Reka Flash 3.1?
Reka Flash 3.1 is cheaper — $2.5/$10 per 1M tokens vs Open weight (self-host / free).
Which has the bigger context window?
Command A — 256K vs 32K, about 7.8× larger. Useful only if the model actually reasons over the full window, which not all do.
Can I use both Command A and Reka Flash 3.1 together?
Yes — a multi-model platform like LumiChats gives you Command A, Reka Flash 3.1 and 40+ others under one ₹69/day pass (about $1/day), so you can draft with one and cross-check with the other instead of buying two subscriptions.
Which is newer, Command A or Reka Flash 3.1?
Reka Flash 3.1 — released July 2025, about 4 months after Command A.
Specifications and benchmarks reflect publicly reported figures as of June 2026 and may change as providers release updates. Always verify on your own workload.