Alternatives · 15 models compared · checked 17 Aug 2026
Phi 4 alternatives: 15 models in or near grid B1
The closest model to Phi 4 on the atlas is Llama 3.2 1B Instruct, in a neighbouring square, at $0.03 per 1M input tokens against Phi 4’s . 10 of the 15 nearest models are cheaper on input; the cheapest is gpt-oss-20b at $0.02. We rank by position on the atlas, not by capability, because we hold no capability data.
$0.07
observed We measured
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- Retrieved
- 17 Aug 2026
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ModelsAtlas. “Phi 4 alternatives: 15 models in or near grid B1”. Retrieved 17 Aug 2026. https://modelsatlas.com/models/microsoft/phi-4/alternatives
Where the alternatives sit
Each square is a price band (A–H) × a context band (1–6). How the grid works
Same squareGRIDB1No other modelPhi 4 is alone in B1.
Neighbouring squaresGRIDB23 modelsCommand R7B (12-2024), Llama 3.2 1B Instruct and Mistral Small 3
Phi 4Its 15 nearest modelsOther modelsOpen weights
View the map as a table (4 squares)
| Square | Price band | Context band | Models |
|---|---|---|---|
| GRIDB1 | <$0.10 | <32K | Phi 4 |
| GRIDB2 | <$0.10 | 32–128K | Llama 3.2 1B Instruct, Command R7B (12-2024), Mistral Small 3 |
| GRIDB3 | <$0.10 | 128–256K | gpt-oss-20b, Mistral Nemo, gpt-oss-120b, Gemma 3 12B, Gemma 3 4B, Llama 3.1 8B Instruct, Llama 3.2 3B Instruct, gpt-oss-safeguard-20b, Gemma 3 27B, Qwen3 32B, Mistral Small 3.2 24B |
| GRIDC2 | $0.10–0.30 | 32–128K | Qwen2.5 7B Instruct |
Top 15 alternatives
Ranked by steps away on the atlas, then cheaper before pricier, then input price
| # | Model | Grid | Why it fits | Input / 1M | vs Phi 4 | Output / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Phi 4Microsoft · the model you’re replacing | GRIDB1 | Baseline | $0.07 | — | $0.14 | 16K | |
| 1 | Llama 3.2 1B InstructMeta | GRIDB2 | Neighbouring square B2, 61% cheaper input, 3.7× the context | $0.03 | −61% | $0.20 | 60K | Compare → |
| 2 | Command R7B (12-2024)Cohere | GRIDB2 | Neighbouring square B2, 46% cheaper input, 7.8× the context | $0.04 | −46% | $0.15 | 128K | Compare → |
| 3 | Mistral Small 3Mistral AI | GRIDB2 | Neighbouring square B2, 29% cheaper input, 2× the context | $0.05 | −29% | $0.08 | 33K | Compare → |
| 4 | gpt-oss-20bOpenAI | GRIDB3 | 2 squares away (B3), 74% cheaper input, 8× the context | $0.02 | −74% | $0.09 | 131K | |
| 5 | Mistral NemoMistral AI | GRIDB3 | 2 squares away (B3), 59% cheaper input, 8× the context | $0.03 | −59% | $0.03 | 131K | |
| 6 | gpt-oss-120bOpenAI | GRIDB3 | 2 squares away (B3), 57% cheaper input, 8× the context | $0.03 | −57% | $0.15 | 131K | |
| 7 | Gemma 3 12BGoogle | GRIDB3 | 2 squares away (B3), 29% cheaper input, 8× the context | $0.05 | −29% | $0.15 | 131K | |
| 8 | Gemma 3 4BGoogle | GRIDB3 | 2 squares away (B3), 29% cheaper input, 8× the context | $0.05 | −29% | $0.10 | 131K | |
| 9 | Llama 3.1 8B InstructMeta | GRIDB3 | 2 squares away (B3), 29% cheaper input, 8× the context | $0.05 | −29% | $0.08 | 131K | |
| 10 | Llama 3.2 3B InstructMeta | GRIDB3 | 2 squares away (B3), 29% cheaper input, 8× the context | $0.05 | −29% | $0.33 | 131K | |
| 11 | gpt-oss-safeguard-20bOpenAI | GRIDB3 | 2 squares away (B3), 7% pricier input, 8× the context | $0.08 | +7% | $0.30 | 131K | Compare → |
| 12 | Gemma 3 27BGoogle | GRIDB3 | 2 squares away (B3), 14% pricier input, 8× the context | $0.08 | +14% | $0.45 | 131K | Compare → |
| 13 | Qwen3 32BQwen (Alibaba) | GRIDB3 | 2 squares away (B3), 14% pricier input, 8× the context | $0.08 | +14% | $0.28 | 131K | Compare → |
| 14 | Mistral Small 3.2 24BMistral AI | GRIDB3 | 2 squares away (B3), 34% pricier input, 15.6× the context | $0.09 | +34% | $0.25 | 256K | |
| 15 | Qwen2.5 7B InstructQwen (Alibaba) · open weights | GRIDC2 | 2 squares away (C2), 43% pricier input, 2× the context, open weights | $0.10 | +43% | $0.20 | 33K |
What switching saves
3,000 input + 800 output tokens × 1,000 requests a day
Σ Derived from standard-tier prices; excludes caching and batch discounts. Use your own numbers →
Larger-context alternatives
| Model | Input / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Llama 3.2 1B InstructMeta | $0.03 | 60K | Compare |
| Command R7B (12-2024)Cohere | $0.04 | 128K | Compare |
| Mistral Small 3Mistral AI | $0.05 | 33K | Compare |
| gpt-oss-20bOpenAI | $0.02 | 131K | |
| Mistral NemoMistral AI | $0.03 | 131K |
Free alternatives
| Model | Input / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyria 3 Clip PreviewGoogle | Free | 1.05M | |
| Lyria 3 Pro PreviewGoogle | Free | 1.05M |
Compare Phi 4 head to head
Questions
What is the best alternative to Phi 4?
Llama 3.2 1B Instruct ranks first: neighbouring square b2, 61% cheaper input, 3.7× the context. Input is $0.03 per 1M tokens against $0.07 for Phi 4. Ranking is by position on the atlas, not by quality.
What is the cheapest alternative to Phi 4?
gpt-oss-20b at $0.02 per 1M input tokens, 74% less than Phi 4, among the 15 closest.
Is there an open-weight alternative to Phi 4?
Yes, 1 of the 15: Qwen2.5 7B Instruct.
Which alternative has a larger context window?
Mistral Small 3.2 24B, gpt-oss-20b, Mistral Nemo, gpt-oss-120b and 11 more hold more than Phi 4's 16K; the largest is Mistral Small 3.2 24B at 256K.
How are alternatives ranked?
By distance on the atlas grid from Phi 4's square B1: the same square first, then neighbouring squares. Within the same distance, cheaper models come before pricier ones, then the lowest input price wins. We hold no capability data, so we do not claim a model can do what Phi 4 does, only that it costs and holds about the same. No vendor pays for position.
More alternatives
Keep going in your AI
Opens with this page as the source. We add nothing else to the prompt.
- What is the best alternative to Phi 4?
- What is the cheapest alternative to Phi 4?
- Is there an open-weight alternative to Phi 4?