Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free) is free for input tokens while Nemotron 3 Super costs $0.09 per 1M tokens.
API cost decision in 10 seconds
Nemotron 3 Super vs Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free)
Pick Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free) for lower cost; pick Nemotron 3 Super only if the larger context window matters more.
Pricing data updated:
Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens
Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output
Budget verdict
Pick Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free) for lower cost; pick Nemotron 3 Super only if the larger context window matters more.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.32 for Nemotron 3 Super, saving $0.32 (100% lower).
Cost-first pickNemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free)
Context-first pickNemotron 3 Super
Sample savings$0.32100%
10x traffic gap$3.15
Nemotron 3 Super has more context, but Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free) saves $0.32 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $3.15. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free) stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | Nemotron 3 Super | Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free) | $0.68 | $0 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free) | $0.54 | $0 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free) | $2.34 | $0 |
Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free) is free for output tokens while Nemotron 3 Super costs $0.45 per 1M tokens.
Nemotron 3 Super has 872K more context (7.81x larger).
Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $0.32.
Estimate your workload cost
Your Workload Cost
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
Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free) has the lower input price; Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free) has the lower output price; Nemotron 3 Super offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free) is cheaper for the standard workload.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0.32 for Nemotron 3 Super and $0 for Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free).
Choose Nemotron 3 Super when you care most about larger context window.
Choose Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free) when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.32 for Nemotron 3 Super, saving $0.32 (100% lower).
- Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $0.32.
- Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free) is free for input tokens while Nemotron 3 Super costs $0.09 per 1M tokens.
- Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free) is free for output tokens while Nemotron 3 Super costs $0.45 per 1M tokens.
- Nemotron 3 Super has 872K more context (7.81x larger).
| Feature | Nemotron 3 Super (NVIDIA) | Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free) (NVIDIA) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0.09 | $0 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $0.45 | $0 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $0.32 | $0 |
| Context Window | 1M | 128K |
| Release Date |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free) | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.32 for Nemotron 3 Super, saving $0.32 (100% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free) | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | Nemotron Nano 12B 2 VL (free) | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | Nemotron 3 Super | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files. |
Related Alternatives
- Nemotron 3 Nano Omni (free) can replace Nemotron 3 Super when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Nemotron 3 Super (free) can replace Nemotron 3 Super when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B (free) can replace Nemotron 3 Super when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Nemotron Nano 9B V2 (free) can replace Nemotron 3 Super when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Llama 4 Scout offers 10M context with $0.23 sample workload cost.
- Owl Alpha offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash offers 1.05M context with $0.2 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash (free) offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.
- No popular competitor is currently available.
Cheaper alternatives
Review low-cost models sorted by a standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.
Open cheapest modelsLarger context alternatives
Find models with larger context windows for RAG, long documents, and codebase review.
Open largest context modelsProvider catalogs
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Open provider hubsNVIDIA catalog
Review all tracked NVIDIA models before deciding whether this matchup is the right shortlist.
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