Qwen3.8 27B is $0.04 cheaper per 1M input tokens (51.2% lower; 2.05x difference).
API cost decision in 10 seconds
NewTernary Bonsai 2 9B vs Qwen3.8 27B
Pick Ternary Bonsai 2 9B for lower cost; pick Qwen3.8 27B only if the larger context window matters more.
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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 for lower cost; pick Qwen3.8 27B only if the larger context window matters more.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Ternary Bonsai 2 9B is estimated at $0.15 vs $0.66 for Qwen3.8 27B, saving $0.52 (78.2% lower).
Cost-first pickTernary Bonsai 2 9B
Context-first pickQwen3.8 27B
Sample savings$0.5278.2%
10x traffic gap$5.19
Qwen3.8 27B has more context, but Ternary Bonsai 2 9B saves $0.52 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $5.19. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
Ternary Bonsai 2 9B stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | Ternary Bonsai 2 9B | Qwen3.8 27B |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | Ternary Bonsai 2 9B | $0.47 | $0.82 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | Ternary Bonsai 2 9B | $0.21 | $1.29 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | Ternary Bonsai 2 9B | $0.73 | $6.29 |
Ternary Bonsai 2 9B is $1.12 cheaper per 1M output tokens (89.6% lower; 9.62x difference).
Qwen3.8 27B has 737.86K more context (3.81x larger).
Ternary Bonsai 2 9B is $0.52 cheaper on the standard workload (78.2% 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
Qwen3.8 27B has the lower input price; Ternary Bonsai 2 9B has the lower output price; Qwen3.8 27B offers the larger 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 $0.66 for Qwen3.8 27B.
Choose Ternary Bonsai 2 9B when you care most about lower output-token price.
Choose Qwen3.8 27B when you care most about lower input-token price, and larger context window.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Ternary Bonsai 2 9B is estimated at $0.15 vs $0.66 for Qwen3.8 27B, saving $0.52 (78.2% lower).
- Ternary Bonsai 2 9B is $0.52 cheaper on the standard workload (78.2% lower).
- Qwen3.8 27B is $0.04 cheaper per 1M input tokens (51.2% lower; 2.05x difference).
- Ternary Bonsai 2 9B is $1.12 cheaper per 1M output tokens (89.6% lower; 9.62x difference).
- Qwen3.8 27B has 737.86K more context (3.81x larger).
| Feature | NewTernary Bonsai 2 9B (PrismML) | Qwen3.8 27B (Qwen) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0.08 | $0.039 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $0.13 | $1.25 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $0.15 | $0.66 |
| Context Window | 262.14K | 1M |
| 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 $0.66 for Qwen3.8 27B, saving $0.52 (78.2% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | Qwen3.8 27B | 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 | Qwen3.8 27B | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files. |
Related Alternatives
- Qwen3.8 27B (free) can replace Qwen3.8 27B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct (free) can replace Qwen3.8 27B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Qwen3 Coder 480B A35B (free) can replace Qwen3.8 27B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Qwen3.7 Flash can replace Qwen3.8 27B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.1.
- Llama 4 Scout offers 1.31M context with $0.25 sample workload cost.
- GPT-6 Luna offers 1.05M context with $0.35 sample workload cost.
- MiMo-V2.6-Flash offers 1.05M context with $0.28 sample workload cost.
- GPT-6 Luna Pro offers 1.05M context with $0.35 sample workload cost.
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Cheaper alternatives
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