Llama 3.1 405B (Together AI) vs Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras): API Cost Comparison
Compare the API pricing, context windows, features, and real-world cost projections for Llama 3.1 405B (Together AI) (Together AI) and Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras) (Cerebras). Use the interactive calculator below to compute your exact monthly cost based on your token usage and request volume.
Prices verified Mar 10, 2026
Interactive Cost Calculator
Fills in typical token counts for a workload type
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Showing costs for 2 models. Cheapest: Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras) at $12.00/month.
| Alert | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BestQwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras) | Cerebras | $12.00 | $0.001200 | $6.00 | $6.00 | 77.1% | Alerts coming soon |
Llama 3.1 405B (Together AI) | Together AI | $52.50 | $0.005250 | $35.00 | $17.50 | — | Alerts coming soon |
Monthly Cost Comparison
Price Comparison at a Glance
All prices are in USD per 1 million tokens ($/M tokens). Lower is cheaper.
| Pricing Type | Llama 3.1 405B (Together AI) | Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras) | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Input (standard) | $3.50/M | $0.60/M | Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras) |
| Output | $3.50/M | $1.20/M | Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras) |
Prices last verified: 2026-03-06 – 2026-03-10
Cost Breakdown by Usage Volume
Estimated monthly costs at different request volumes, assuming 1,000 input tokens and 500 output tokens per request. Adjust in the calculator above for your specific use case.
| Volume | Llama 3.1 405B (Together AI)Monthly | Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras)Monthly | Llama 3.1 405B (Together AI)Per request | Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras)Per request |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1K requests/mo | $5.25 | $1.20 | $0.005250 | $0.001200 |
| 10K requests/mo | $52.50 | $12.00 | $0.005250 | $0.001200 |
| 100K requests/mo | $525.00 | $120.00 | $0.005250 | $0.001200 |
| 1M requests/mo | $5,250.00 | $1,200.00 | $0.005250 | $0.001200 |
Green values indicate the lower-cost option at each volume tier. Cost per request is calculated at 1,000 input + 500 output tokens using standard (non-batch, non-cached) pricing.
Price History
Input price per 1M tokensWhen to Choose Llama 3.1 405B (Together AI)
by Together AI
- Code generation
- Content & copywriting
- Document summarization
Input / 1M tokens
$3.50/M
Output / 1M tokens
$3.50/M
Context window
131,072
Tier
premium
When to Choose Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras)
by Cerebras
- Code generation
- Document summarization
- RAG / Semantic search
Input / 1M tokens
$0.60/M
Output / 1M tokens
$1.20/M
Context window
128,000
Tier
premium
Key Differences Beyond Price
Cost is only one factor in choosing an AI model. Context window size, rate limits, supported features, and latency all affect whether a model fits your use case.
| Capability | Llama 3.1 405B (Together AI) | Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras) |
|---|---|---|
| Context window | 131,072 tokens | 128,000 tokens |
| Max output tokens | 4,096 tokens | 32,768 tokens |
| Performance tier | Premium | Premium |
| Vision / image input | No | No |
| Function calling | Yes | Yes |
| JSON mode | Yes | Yes |
| Prompt caching | No | No |
| Batch API (50% discount) | No | No |
| Extended reasoning | No | Yes |
| Fine-tuning | No | No |
Llama 3.1 405B (Together AI) notes
Largest open-source model available via API. Meta license allows commercial use.
Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras) notes
Preview model on Cerebras: ~1,400 tokens/sec. May be discontinued without notice. Hybrid thinking/non-thinking modes supported.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Llama 3.1 405B (Together AI) cheaper than Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras)?
At standard usage (1,000 input tokens, 500 output tokens, 100,000 requests/month), Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras) costs $120.00/month versus $525.00/month for Llama 3.1 405B (Together AI) — a 77% saving. Your actual savings will vary based on your token profile; output-heavy workloads amplify differences in output pricing.
Which model has a larger context window, Llama 3.1 405B (Together AI) or Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras)?
Llama 3.1 405B (Together AI) has a larger context window at 131,072 tokens, compared to 128,000 tokens for Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras). A larger context window is important for processing long documents, multi-turn conversations, or large codebases without truncation.
Do Llama 3.1 405B (Together AI) and Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras) support the Batch API?
Neither Llama 3.1 405B (Together AI) nor Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras) currently supports a batch API with discounted pricing. For batch-eligible alternatives, consider models from OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google that include batch API support.
Which model offers better prompt caching?
Neither Llama 3.1 405B (Together AI) nor Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras) currently supports prompt caching. For prompt-caching capable alternatives, consider Claude models from Anthropic or GPT-4o from OpenAI.
What are the best use cases for Llama 3.1 405B (Together AI) vs Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras)?
Both models are well-suited for Code generation, Document summarization. Llama 3.1 405B (Together AI) is particularly strong for Content & copywriting. Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras) is favored for RAG / Semantic search. At the same quality level, the lower-cost model is usually preferable; use this page's calculator to compare total monthly spend at your volume.
What is the cost per request for Llama 3.1 405B (Together AI) vs Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras)?
At 1,000 input tokens and 500 output tokens per request — a typical conversational workload — Llama 3.1 405B (Together AI) costs $0.005250 per request and Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras) costs $0.001200 per request. At 100,000 requests/month, that translates to $525.00 and $120.00 respectively. Use the interactive calculator to adjust these parameters for your actual workload.
Llama 3.1 405B (Together AI) vs Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras): Summary
When comparing Llama 3.1 405B (Together AI) and Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras) for API cost, the right choice depends on your workload's token profile, required features, and tolerance for latency. Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras) offers lower total cost at standard usage volumes (1,000 input + 500 output tokens per request at 100,000 requests/month) at $120.00/month, compared to $525.00/month for Llama 3.1 405B (Together AI).
Both models are priced in USD per million tokens, the standard unit across all major AI API providers. Llama 3.1 405B (Together AI) charges $3.50/M for input tokens and $3.50/M for output tokens. Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras) charges $0.60/M input and $1.20/M output. If your workload is output-heavy (more tokens generated than consumed as input), the model with the lower output price compounds cost savings significantly at scale.
Context window capacity differs between the two: Llama 3.1 405B (Together AI) supports up to 131,072 tokens in a single request, versus 128,000 tokens for Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras). A larger context window is essential for document summarization, large codebase analysis, and multi-document retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) applications.
Use the interactive calculator at the top of this page to enter your actual token usage and monthly request volume for a precise cost comparison tailored to your workload. Adjust for batch API discounts and prompt caching to find the most cost-effective option for your specific deployment.
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See cost recommendations for workloads where Llama 3.1 405B (Together AI) or Qwen3 235B Instruct (Cerebras) is recommended.