API cost decision in 10 seconds

NewDots3-Note Preview (free) vs Solar Pro 4

Pick Dots3-Note Preview (free) for lower cost; pick Solar Pro 4 only if the larger context window matters more.

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

Budget verdict

Pick Dots3-Note Preview (free) for lower cost; pick Solar Pro 4 only if the larger context window matters more.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Dots3-Note Preview (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.09 for Solar Pro 4, saving $0.09 (100% lower).

Cost-first pickDots3-Note Preview (free)
Context-first pickSolar Pro 4
Sample savings$0.09100%
10x traffic gap$0.9

Solar Pro 4 has more context, but Dots3-Note Preview (free) saves $0.09 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $0.9. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

Dots3-Note Preview (free) stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.

Workload shapeToken mixBetter pickDots3-Note Preview (free)Solar Pro 4
Input-heavy / RAG5M input + 500K outputDots3-Note Preview (free)$0$0.21
Balanced workload1M input + 1M outputDots3-Note Preview (free)$0$0.15
Output-heavy chatbot1M input + 5M outputDots3-Note Preview (free)$0$0.63
Cheaper input Dots3-Note Preview (free) $0 vs $0.03 / 1M

Dots3-Note Preview (free) is free for input tokens while Solar Pro 4 costs $0.03 per 1M tokens.

Cheaper output Dots3-Note Preview (free) $0 vs $0.12 / 1M

Dots3-Note Preview (free) is free for output tokens while Solar Pro 4 costs $0.12 per 1M tokens.

Larger context Solar Pro 4 512K vs 524.29K

Solar Pro 4 has 12.29K more context (1.02x larger).

Sample workload Dots3-Note Preview (free) $0 vs $0.09

Dots3-Note Preview (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $0.09.

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.
Dots3-Note Preview (free) Calculating… Estimated API cost
Solar Pro 4 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

Dots3-Note Preview (free) has the lower input price; Dots3-Note Preview (free) has the lower output price; Solar Pro 4 offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Dots3-Note Preview (free) is cheaper for the standard workload.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0 for Dots3-Note Preview (free) and $0.09 for Solar Pro 4.

Best Fit

Choose Dots3-Note Preview (free) when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.

Choose Solar Pro 4 when you care most about larger context window.

Decision Notes
  • On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Dots3-Note Preview (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.09 for Solar Pro 4, saving $0.09 (100% lower).
  • Dots3-Note Preview (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $0.09.
  • Dots3-Note Preview (free) is free for input tokens while Solar Pro 4 costs $0.03 per 1M tokens.
  • Dots3-Note Preview (free) is free for output tokens while Solar Pro 4 costs $0.12 per 1M tokens.
  • Solar Pro 4 has 12.29K more context (1.02x larger).
Head-to-Head Specs
FeatureNewDots3-Note Preview (free)
(Dots Studio)
Solar Pro 4
(Upstage)
Input Price
prompt tokens per 1M
$0$0.03
Completion Price
per 1M tokens
$0$0.12
Sample Workload Cost
1M input + 500K output
$0$0.09
Context Window512K524.29K
Release Date

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use caseBetter pickWhy
Budget-constrained productionDots3-Note Preview (free)On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Dots3-Note Preview (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.09 for Solar Pro 4, saving $0.09 (100% lower).
High-volume input processingDots3-Note Preview (free)Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbotsDots3-Note Preview (free)Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document workSolar Pro 4A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files.

Related Alternatives

Same-provider lower-cost swaps
  • No lower-cost same-provider swap is currently tracked for this pair.

Cheaper alternatives

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

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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

Dots Studio catalog

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

Open Dots Studio models

Upstage catalog

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

Open Upstage models
Dots3-Note Preview (free)

Dots3-Note Preview is an open-weight mixture-of-experts model from Dots Studio, with 16B active parameters out of 280B total. It is the lightest model in the Dots 3 family and is...

Solar Pro 4

Solar Pro 4 is Upstage's cost-efficient large language model, featuring a 524K context window. It is built for long-horizon tasks and agentic workflows, with strong capabilities in office productivity, document-intensive...