API cost decision in 10 seconds

NewClaude Haiku 5.5 vs Qwen3.8 Omni Flash

Pick Claude Haiku 5.5 when budget is the priority.

Page updated:  Data confirmed:  Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output

Budget verdict

Pick Claude Haiku 5.5 when budget is the priority.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Claude Haiku 5.5 is estimated at $0.35 vs $0.39 for Qwen3.8 Omni Flash, saving $0.04 (9.1% lower).

Cost-first pickClaude Haiku 5.5
Context-first pickBoth models
Sample savings$0.049.1%
10x traffic gap$0.35

The reported context window is tied, so cost and provider fit carry more weight. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $0.35. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

Cost winner changes by workload shape: input-heavy / RAG favors Claude Haiku 5.5, balanced workload favors Claude Haiku 5.5, and output-heavy chatbot favors Qwen3.8 Omni Flash.

Workload shapeToken mixBetter pickClaude Haiku 5.5Qwen3.8 Omni Flash
Input-heavy / RAG5M input + 500K outputClaude Haiku 5.5$0.75$0.98
Balanced workload1M input + 1M outputClaude Haiku 5.5$0.6$0.62
Output-heavy chatbot1M input + 5M outputQwen3.8 Omni Flash$2.6$2.5
Cheaper input Claude Haiku 5.5 $0.1 vs $0.15 / 1M

Claude Haiku 5.5 is $0.05 cheaper per 1M input tokens (33.3% lower; 1.5x difference).

Cheaper output Qwen3.8 Omni Flash $0.5 vs $0.47 / 1M

Qwen3.8 Omni Flash is $0.03 cheaper per 1M output tokens (6% lower; 1.06x difference).

Larger context Tie 1M vs 1M

Both models report the same context window at 1M tokens.

Sample workload Claude Haiku 5.5 $0.35 vs $0.39

Claude Haiku 5.5 is $0.04 cheaper on the standard workload (9.1% lower).

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.
Claude Haiku 5.5 Calculating… Estimated API cost
Qwen3.8 Omni Flash Calculating… Estimated API cost
Cheaper for this workload Calculating… Difference: calculating…

This estimate uses normalized public API pricing per 1M tokens. It is a planning aid, not a billing quote. Verify provider pricing, limits, and terms before production use.

Quick Decision

Verdict

Claude Haiku 5.5 has the lower input price; Qwen3.8 Omni Flash has the lower output price; both models report the same context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Claude Haiku 5.5 is cheaper for the standard workload.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0.35 for Claude Haiku 5.5 and $0.39 for Qwen3.8 Omni Flash.

Best Fit

Choose Claude Haiku 5.5 when you care most about lower input-token price.

Choose Qwen3.8 Omni Flash when you care most about lower output-token price.

Decision Notes
  • On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Claude Haiku 5.5 is estimated at $0.35 vs $0.39 for Qwen3.8 Omni Flash, saving $0.04 (9.1% lower).
  • Claude Haiku 5.5 is $0.04 cheaper on the standard workload (9.1% lower).
  • Claude Haiku 5.5 is $0.05 cheaper per 1M input tokens (33.3% lower; 1.5x difference).
  • Qwen3.8 Omni Flash is $0.03 cheaper per 1M output tokens (6% lower; 1.06x difference).
  • Both models report the same context window at 1M tokens.
Head-to-Head Specs
FeatureNewClaude Haiku 5.5
(Anthropic)
Qwen3.8 Omni Flash
(Qwen)
Input Price
prompt tokens per 1M
$0.1$0.15
Completion Price
per 1M tokens
$0.5$0.47
Sample Workload Cost
1M input + 500K output
$0.35$0.39
Context Window1M1M
Release Date

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use caseBetter pickWhy
Budget-constrained productionClaude Haiku 5.5On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Claude Haiku 5.5 is estimated at $0.35 vs $0.39 for Qwen3.8 Omni Flash, saving $0.04 (9.1% lower).
High-volume input processingClaude Haiku 5.5Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbotsQwen3.8 Omni FlashLower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document workTieA larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files.

Related Alternatives

Larger context near this budget
  • Llama 4 Scout offers 1.31M context with $0.47 sample workload cost.
  • MiMo-V2.6-Flash offers 1.05M context with $0.28 sample workload cost.
  • GPT-6 Luna offers 1.05M context with $0.35 sample workload cost.
  • GPT-6 Luna Pro offers 1.05M context with $0.35 sample workload cost.

Cheaper alternatives

Review low-cost models sorted by a standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.

Open cheapest models

Larger context alternatives

Find models with larger context windows for RAG, long documents, and codebase review.

Open largest context models

Provider catalogs

Compare models within provider hubs before choosing a final API vendor.

Open provider hubs

Anthropic catalog

Review all tracked Anthropic models before deciding whether this matchup is the right shortlist.

Open Anthropic models

Qwen catalog

Check other Qwen models with comparable pricing, context, or release timing.

Open Qwen models
Claude Haiku 5.5

Claude Haiku 5.5 is Anthropic's small, fast model for high-volume, cost-sensitive work such as summarization, subagents, and browser use. It succeeds Claude Haiku 4.5 with stronger coding, computer use, and...

Qwen3.8 Omni Flash

Qwen3.8 Omni Flash is an omni-modal reasoning model from Alibaba, the first Qwen model built around agentic capabilities with native audio-video understanding. It is suited for audio-video analysis and summarization,...