Nova Micro 1.0 is $0.01 cheaper per 1M input tokens (30% lower; 1.43x difference).
API cost decision in 10 seconds
Qwen3 8B vs Nova Micro 1.0
Pick Nova Micro 1.0 for lower cost; pick Qwen3 8B 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 Nova Micro 1.0 for lower cost; pick Qwen3 8B only if the larger context window matters more.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Nova Micro 1.0 is estimated at $0.11 vs $0.25 for Qwen3 8B, saving $0.14 (58% lower).
Cost-first pickNova Micro 1.0
Context-first pickQwen3 8B
Sample savings$0.1458%
10x traffic gap$1.45
Qwen3 8B has more context, but Nova Micro 1.0 saves $0.14 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $1.45. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
Nova Micro 1.0 stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | Qwen3 8B | Nova Micro 1.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | Nova Micro 1.0 | $0.45 | $0.25 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | Nova Micro 1.0 | $0.45 | $0.18 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | Nova Micro 1.0 | $2.05 | $0.74 |
Nova Micro 1.0 is $0.26 cheaper per 1M output tokens (65% lower; 2.86x difference).
Qwen3 8B has 3.07K more context (1.02x larger).
Nova Micro 1.0 is $0.14 cheaper on the standard workload (58% 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
Nova Micro 1.0 has the lower input price; Nova Micro 1.0 has the lower output price; Qwen3 8B offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Nova Micro 1.0 is cheaper for the standard workload.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0.25 for Qwen3 8B and $0.11 for Nova Micro 1.0.
Choose Qwen3 8B when you care most about larger context window.
Choose Nova Micro 1.0 when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Nova Micro 1.0 is estimated at $0.11 vs $0.25 for Qwen3 8B, saving $0.14 (58% lower).
- Nova Micro 1.0 is $0.14 cheaper on the standard workload (58% lower).
- Nova Micro 1.0 is $0.01 cheaper per 1M input tokens (30% lower; 1.43x difference).
- Nova Micro 1.0 is $0.26 cheaper per 1M output tokens (65% lower; 2.86x difference).
- Qwen3 8B has 3.07K more context (1.02x larger).
| Feature | Qwen3 8B (Qwen) | Nova Micro 1.0 (Amazon) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0.05 | $0.035 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $0.4 | $0.14 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $0.25 | $0.11 |
| Context Window | 131.07K | 128K |
| Release Date | ||
| Popularity | #102 | #146 |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | Nova Micro 1.0 | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Nova Micro 1.0 is estimated at $0.11 vs $0.25 for Qwen3 8B, saving $0.14 (58% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | Nova Micro 1.0 | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | Nova Micro 1.0 | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | Qwen3 8B | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files. |
Related Alternatives
- Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct (free) can replace Qwen3 8B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Qwen3 Coder 480B A35B (free) can replace Qwen3 8B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Qwen2.5 7B Instruct can replace Qwen3 8B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.09.
- Qwen3.5-9B can replace Qwen3 8B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.11.
- 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.
- Gemini 2.5 Flash Lite offers 1.05M context with $0.3 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
Find models with larger context windows for RAG, long documents, and codebase review.
Open largest context modelsProvider catalogs
Compare models within provider hubs before choosing a final API vendor.
Open provider hubsQwen catalog
Review all tracked Qwen models before deciding whether this matchup is the right shortlist.
Open Qwen modelsAmazon catalog
Check other Amazon models with comparable pricing, context, or release timing.
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