Laguna XS.2 (free) is free for input tokens while Rnj 1 Instruct costs $0.15 per 1M tokens.
API cost decision in 10 seconds
NewLaguna XS.2 (free) vs Rnj 1 Instruct
Pick Laguna XS.2 (free) when budget and context both matter.
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Data confirmed:
Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens
Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output
Budget verdict
Pick Laguna XS.2 (free) when budget and context both matter.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Laguna XS.2 (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.22 for Rnj 1 Instruct, saving $0.22 (100% lower).
Cost-first pickLaguna XS.2 (free)
Context-first pickLaguna XS.2 (free)
Sample savings$0.22100%
10x traffic gap$2.25
Laguna XS.2 (free) is cheaper on the standard workload and also has the larger context window. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $2.25. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
Laguna XS.2 (free) stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | Laguna XS.2 (free) | Rnj 1 Instruct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | Laguna XS.2 (free) | $0 | $0.82 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | Laguna XS.2 (free) | $0 | $0.3 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | Laguna XS.2 (free) | $0 | $0.9 |
Laguna XS.2 (free) is free for output tokens while Rnj 1 Instruct costs $0.15 per 1M tokens.
Laguna XS.2 (free) has 98.3K more context (4x larger).
Laguna XS.2 (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $0.22.
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
Laguna XS.2 (free) has the lower input price; Laguna XS.2 (free) has the lower output price; Laguna XS.2 (free) offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Laguna XS.2 (free) is cheaper for the standard workload.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0 for Laguna XS.2 (free) and $0.22 for Rnj 1 Instruct.
Choose Laguna XS.2 (free) when you care most about lower input-token price, lower output-token price, and larger context window.
Choose Rnj 1 Instruct when its provider, model quality, latency, or availability is more important than the numeric price/context winner.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Laguna XS.2 (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.22 for Rnj 1 Instruct, saving $0.22 (100% lower).
- Laguna XS.2 (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $0.22.
- Laguna XS.2 (free) is free for input tokens while Rnj 1 Instruct costs $0.15 per 1M tokens.
- Laguna XS.2 (free) is free for output tokens while Rnj 1 Instruct costs $0.15 per 1M tokens.
- Laguna XS.2 (free) has 98.3K more context (4x larger).
| Feature | NewLaguna XS.2 (free) (Poolside) | Rnj 1 Instruct (EssentialAI) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0 | $0.15 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $0 | $0.15 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $0 | $0.22 |
| Context Window | 131.07K | 32.77K |
| Release Date |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | Laguna XS.2 (free) | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Laguna XS.2 (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.22 for Rnj 1 Instruct, saving $0.22 (100% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | Laguna XS.2 (free) | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | Laguna XS.2 (free) | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | Laguna XS.2 (free) | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files. |
Related Alternatives
- No lower-cost same-provider swap is currently tracked for this pair.
- 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.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash · DeepSeek · #1
- Hy3 preview · Tencent · #2
- Claude Opus 4.7 · Anthropic · #3
- Claude Sonnet 4.6 · Anthropic · #4
Cheaper alternatives
Review low-cost models sorted by a standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.
Open cheapest modelsLarger context alternatives
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Open provider hubsPoolside catalog
Review all tracked Poolside models before deciding whether this matchup is the right shortlist.
Open Poolside modelsEssentialAI catalog
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