Llama 4 Maverick vs Muse Spark Open
Meta · US | Meta · US · Updated June 2026
Quick verdict
Both are Meta models. Muse Spark Open is the newer, generally stronger default; reach for Llama 4 Maverick when a specific cost or latency profile matters more than the latest capabilities.
Llama 4 Maverick and Muse Spark Open are both Meta models, so the real question is not which lab to trust but which tier fits your workload and budget. Llama 4 Maverick is meta's open-weight 1M-context multimodal model for self-hosted deployments. Muse Spark Open is meta's October 15, 2026 open-weight Muse Spark - an 816B/42B-active multimodal MoE with a 1M context under a gated Muse Model License. Since both come from the same lab, the comparison below focuses on the tier-and-cost trade-offs that actually separate them.
Key differences at a glance
- ▸Context window: both advertise 1M (~1,500 pages). Tie on paper — test on your own long inputs, since usable recall varies by model.
- ▸Recency: Muse Spark Open is the newer model by about 19 months (released October 15, 2026), usually meaning fresher training data and capabilities.
Side-by-side specs
| Spec | Llama 4 Maverick | Muse Spark Open |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Meta (US) | Meta (US) |
| Released | April 2025 | October 15, 2026 |
| Context window | 1M (~1,500 pages) | 1M tokens (~1,500 pages) |
| Price (in/out) | Open weight (self-host / free) | Open weight (self-host / free) |
| Open weight? | Yes — self-hostable | Yes — self-hostable |
| Modalities | text, image, code | text, image, video, audio, code |
| SWE-Bench Verified | Not published | Not published |
| MRCR v2 @ 1M | Not published | Not published |
Who wins what
Open weights, 1M context
Llama 4 Maverick
Llama 4 Maverick lists open weights, 1M context among its strengths; Muse Spark Open does not.
Strong image + text understanding
Llama 4 Maverick
Llama 4 Maverick lists strong image + text understanding among its strengths; Muse Spark Open does not.
Self-hostable
Llama 4 Maverick
Llama 4 Maverick lists self-hostable among its strengths; Muse Spark Open does not.
Meta's first open-weight Muse model - 816B-parameter MoE with 42B active, accepting text, image, video and audio input
Muse Spark Open
Meta's October 15, 2026 open-weight Muse Spark - an 816B/42B-active multimodal MoE with a 1M context under a gated Muse Model License — and it is the newer of the two.
Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index of 39, first among US open-weight models
Muse Spark Open
Muse Spark Open lists artificial Analysis Intelligence Index of 39, first among US open-weight models among its strengths; Llama 4 Maverick does not.
About 143 output tokens/sec; up to 128K output tokens
Muse Spark Open
Muse Spark Open lists about 143 output tokens/sec; up to 128K output tokens among its strengths; Llama 4 Maverick does not.
Which should you pick?
Anyone whose priority is open weights, 1m context
→ Llama 4 Maverick
It is specifically built for that.
Anyone whose priority is meta's first open-weight muse model - 816b-parameter moe with 42b active, accepting text, image, video and audio input
→ Muse Spark Open
That is its strongest area.
Llama 4 Maverick: where it fits
Meta's open-weight 1M-context multimodal model for self-hosted deployments. Released April 2025 by Meta, it is built for open weights, 1M context, strong image + text understanding, self-hostable, and 400B MoE, 17B active.
Its trade-offs are real: needs serious hardware to self-host, and trails closed frontier on reasoning. As an open-weight model, its running cost is your own hardware rather than a per-token fee.
Muse Spark Open: where it fits
Meta's October 15, 2026 open-weight Muse Spark - an 816B/42B-active multimodal MoE with a 1M context under a gated Muse Model License. Released October 15, 2026 by Meta, it is built for meta's first open-weight Muse model - 816B-parameter MoE with 42B active, accepting text, image, video and audio input, artificial Analysis Intelligence Index of 39, first among US open-weight models, and about 143 output tokens/sec; up to 128K output tokens.
Its trade-offs: weakest of the three Muse models (Wonder Full scores 56, Wonder 52), muse Model License: attribution required and a revenue threshold (reported as about $20M; check the license text) before a separate license is needed, and needs about 1 TB of memory at 4-bit; no first-party per-token price confirmed. As an open-weight model, its running cost is your own hardware rather than a per-token fee.
The bottom line for this matchup
Because Llama 4 Maverick and Muse Spark Open come from the same lab (Meta), they share the same training philosophy and ecosystem — the decision is purely tier vs. cost. Muse Spark Open is the more capable, more recent option; the other earns its place only when its price or latency profile fits a specific job better. Most teams should default to Muse Spark Open and drop down only with a concrete reason.
Want both Llama 4 Maverick and Muse Spark Open 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.
See pricingFrequently asked questions
Is Llama 4 Maverick or Muse Spark Open 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, Llama 4 Maverick leans toward open weights, 1m context while Muse Spark Open leans toward meta's first open-weight muse model - 816b-parameter moe with 42b active, accepting text, image, video and audio input, and that positioning usually predicts which feels better on your codebase.
Which is cheaper, Llama 4 Maverick or Muse Spark Open?
They are priced almost identically, so cost will not decide between them.
Which has the bigger context window?
Both advertise 1M (~1,500 pages). Remember advertised ≠ usable: recall typically degrades before the ceiling.
Should I upgrade from Llama 4 Maverick to Muse Spark Open?
Since both are Meta models, the newer one (Muse Spark Open) is usually the better default unless you need a specific cost or latency profile from the other.
Which is newer, Llama 4 Maverick or Muse Spark Open?
Muse Spark Open — released October 15, 2026, about 19 months after Llama 4 Maverick.
Related comparisons
Specifications and benchmarks reflect publicly reported figures as of June 2026 and may change as providers release updates. Always verify on your own workload.