Nemotron 3.5 Lightning is $0.01 cheaper per 1M input tokens (12.5% lower; 1.14x difference).
API cost decision in 10 seconds
NewTernary Bonsai 2 9B vs Nemotron 3.5 Lightning
Pick Ternary Bonsai 2 9B when budget is the priority.
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Data confirmed:
Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens
Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output
Budget verdict
Pick Ternary Bonsai 2 9B when budget is the priority.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Ternary Bonsai 2 9B is estimated at $0.15 vs $0.17 for Nemotron 3.5 Lightning, saving $0.02 (14.7% lower).
Cost-first pickTernary Bonsai 2 9B
Context-first pickBoth models
Sample savings$0.0214.7%
10x traffic gap$0.25
The reported context window is tied, so cost and provider fit carry more weight. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $0.25. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
Cost winner changes by workload shape: input-heavy / RAG favors Nemotron 3.5 Lightning, balanced workload favors Ternary Bonsai 2 9B, and output-heavy chatbot favors Ternary Bonsai 2 9B.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | Ternary Bonsai 2 9B | Nemotron 3.5 Lightning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | Nemotron 3.5 Lightning | $0.47 | $0.45 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | Ternary Bonsai 2 9B | $0.21 | $0.27 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | Ternary Bonsai 2 9B | $0.73 | $1.07 |
Ternary Bonsai 2 9B is $0.07 cheaper per 1M output tokens (35% lower; 1.54x difference).
Both models report the same context window at 262.14K tokens.
Ternary Bonsai 2 9B is $0.02 cheaper on the standard workload (14.7% lower).
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 3.5 Lightning has the lower input price; Ternary Bonsai 2 9B has the lower output price; both models report the same context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Ternary Bonsai 2 9B is cheaper for the standard workload.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0.15 for Ternary Bonsai 2 9B and $0.17 for Nemotron 3.5 Lightning.
Choose Ternary Bonsai 2 9B when you care most about lower output-token price.
Choose Nemotron 3.5 Lightning when you care most about lower input-token price.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Ternary Bonsai 2 9B is estimated at $0.15 vs $0.17 for Nemotron 3.5 Lightning, saving $0.02 (14.7% lower).
- Ternary Bonsai 2 9B is $0.02 cheaper on the standard workload (14.7% lower).
- Nemotron 3.5 Lightning is $0.01 cheaper per 1M input tokens (12.5% lower; 1.14x difference).
- Ternary Bonsai 2 9B is $0.07 cheaper per 1M output tokens (35% lower; 1.54x difference).
- Both models report the same context window at 262.14K tokens.
| Feature | NewTernary Bonsai 2 9B (PrismML) | Nemotron 3.5 Lightning (NVIDIA) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0.08 | $0.07 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $0.13 | $0.2 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $0.15 | $0.17 |
| Context Window | 262.14K | 262.14K |
| Release Date |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | Ternary Bonsai 2 9B | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Ternary Bonsai 2 9B is estimated at $0.15 vs $0.17 for Nemotron 3.5 Lightning, saving $0.02 (14.7% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | Nemotron 3.5 Lightning | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | Ternary Bonsai 2 9B | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | Tie | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files. |
Related Alternatives
- Nemotron 3 Ultra (free) can replace Nemotron 3.5 Lightning when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Nemotron 3.5 Super VL (free) can replace Nemotron 3.5 Lightning when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Nemotron 3.5 Lightning (free) can replace Nemotron 3.5 Lightning when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Nemotron 3.5 Content Safety (free) can replace Nemotron 3.5 Lightning when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
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- Owl Alpha offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.
- GLM 5.3 Flash offers 1.05M context with $0.08 sample workload cost.
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Cheaper alternatives
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Open provider hubsPrismML catalog
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Open PrismML modelsNVIDIA catalog
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