API cost decision in 10 seconds

NewGrok Build 0.1 vs Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking

Pick Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking for lower cost; pick Grok Build 0.1 only if the larger context window matters more.

Page updated:  Data confirmed:  Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output

Budget verdict

Pick Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking for lower cost; pick Grok Build 0.1 only if the larger context window matters more.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is estimated at $1.56 vs $2 for Grok Build 0.1, saving $0.44 (22% lower).

Cost-first pickQwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking
Context-first pickGrok Build 0.1
Sample savings$0.4422%
10x traffic gap$4.4

Grok Build 0.1 has more context, but Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking saves $0.44 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $4.4. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

Cost winner changes by workload shape: input-heavy / RAG favors Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking, balanced workload favors Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking, and output-heavy chatbot favors Grok Build 0.1.

Workload shapeToken mixBetter pickGrok Build 0.1Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking
Input-heavy / RAG5M input + 500K outputQwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking$6$2.6
Balanced workload1M input + 1M outputQwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking$3$2.86
Output-heavy chatbot1M input + 5M outputGrok Build 0.1$11$13.26
Cheaper input Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking $1 vs $0.26 / 1M

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is $0.74 cheaper per 1M input tokens (74% lower; 3.85x difference).

Cheaper output Grok Build 0.1 $2 vs $2.6 / 1M

Grok Build 0.1 is $0.6 cheaper per 1M output tokens (23.1% lower; 1.3x difference).

Larger context Grok Build 0.1 256K vs 131.07K

Grok Build 0.1 has 124.93K more context (1.95x larger).

Sample workload Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking $2 vs $1.56

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is $0.44 cheaper on the standard workload (22% lower).

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.
Grok Build 0.1 Calculating… Estimated API cost
Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking Calculating… Estimated API cost
Cheaper for this workload Calculating… Difference: calculating…

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

Verdict

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking has the lower input price; Grok Build 0.1 has the lower output price; Grok Build 0.1 offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is cheaper for the standard workload.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $2 for Grok Build 0.1 and $1.56 for Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking.

Best Fit

Choose Grok Build 0.1 when you care most about lower output-token price, and larger context window.

Choose Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking when you care most about lower input-token price.

Decision Notes
  • On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is estimated at $1.56 vs $2 for Grok Build 0.1, saving $0.44 (22% lower).
  • Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is $0.44 cheaper on the standard workload (22% lower).
  • Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is $0.74 cheaper per 1M input tokens (74% lower; 3.85x difference).
  • Grok Build 0.1 is $0.6 cheaper per 1M output tokens (23.1% lower; 1.3x difference).
  • Grok Build 0.1 has 124.93K more context (1.95x larger).
Head-to-Head Specs
FeatureNewGrok Build 0.1
(xAI)		Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking
(Qwen)
Input Price
prompt tokens per 1M		$1$0.26
Completion Price
per 1M tokens		$2$2.6
Sample Workload Cost
1M input + 500K output		$2$1.56
Context Window256K131.07K
Release Date
Popularity#87#103

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use caseBetter pickWhy
Budget-constrained productionQwen3 VL 235B A22B ThinkingOn the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is estimated at $1.56 vs $2 for Grok Build 0.1, saving $0.44 (22% lower).
High-volume input processingQwen3 VL 235B A22B ThinkingLower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbotsGrok Build 0.1Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document workGrok Build 0.1A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files.

Related Alternatives

Same-provider lower-cost swaps
  • Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct (free) can replace Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
  • Qwen3 Coder 480B A35B (free) can replace Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
  • Qwen2.5 7B Instruct can replace Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.09.
  • Qwen3.5-9B can replace Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.11.
Larger context near this budget
  • Llama 4 Scout offers 10M context with $0.23 sample workload cost.
  • Grok 4.20 offers 2M context with $2.5 sample workload cost.
  • Owl Alpha offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.
  • MiMo-V2.5 offers 1.05M context with $0.28 sample workload cost.

Cheaper alternatives

Review low-cost models sorted by a standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.

Open cheapest models

Larger context alternatives

Find models with larger context windows for RAG, long documents, and codebase review.

Open largest context models

Provider catalogs

Compare models within provider hubs before choosing a final API vendor.

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xAI catalog

Review all tracked xAI models before deciding whether this matchup is the right shortlist.

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Qwen catalog

Check other Qwen models with comparable pricing, context, or release timing.

Open Qwen models
Grok Build 0.1

Grok Build 0.1 is xAI’s fast coding model trained specifically for agentic software engineering workflows. It supports text and image inputs with text output, and is optimized for interactive coding...

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking

Qwen3-VL-235B-A22B Thinking is a multimodal model that unifies strong text generation with visual understanding across images and video. The Thinking model is optimized for multimodal reasoning in STEM and math....