Alternatives · 15 models compared · checked 17 Aug 2026
Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Instruct alternatives: 15 models in or near grid C4
The closest model to Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Instruct on the atlas is Qwen3 30B A3B Instruct 2507, in the same square, at $0.10 per 1M input tokens against Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Instruct’s . 12 of the 15 nearest models are cheaper on input; the cheapest is Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B at $0.06. We rank by position on the atlas, not by capability, because we hold no capability data.
$0.21
observed We measured
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- Retrieved
- 17 Aug 2026
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ModelsAtlas. “Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Instruct alternatives: 15 models in or near grid C4”. Retrieved 17 Aug 2026. https://modelsatlas.com/models/qwen/3-vl-235b-a22b-instruct/alternatives
Where the alternatives sit
Each square is a price band (A–H) × a context band (1–6). How the grid works
Same squareGRIDC412 modelsMinistral 3 14B 2512, Ministral 3 8B 2512, Mistral Small 4 and 9 more
Qwen3 VL 235B A22B InstructIts 15 nearest modelsOther modelsOpen weights
View the map as a table (2 squares)
| Square | Price band | Context band | Models |
|---|---|---|---|
| GRIDB4 | <$0.10 | 256K–1M | Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B, Gemma 4 26B A4B, Qwen3 Coder 30B A3B Instruct |
| GRIDC4 | $0.10–0.30 | 256K–1M | Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Instruct, Qwen3 30B A3B Instruct 2507, Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct, Qwen3.5-9B, Qwen3.6 35B A3B, Qwen3 Coder Next, Ministral 3 8B 2512, Mistral Small 4, Qwen3 VL 30B A3B Instruct, Ministral 3 14B 2512, Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct, Qwen3.5-122B-A10B, Qwen3.5-27B |
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 Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Instruct | Output / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Qwen3 VL 235B A22B InstructQwen (Alibaba) · the model you’re replacing | GRIDC4 | Baseline | $0.21 | — | $1.90 | 262K | |
| 1 | Qwen3 30B A3B Instruct 2507Qwen (Alibaba) | GRIDC4 | Same maker, same square, 52% cheaper input | $0.10 | −52% | $0.30 | 262K | |
| 2 | Qwen3 Next 80B A3B InstructQwen (Alibaba) | GRIDC4 | Same maker, same square, 52% cheaper input | $0.10 | −52% | $1.10 | 262K | |
| 3 | Qwen3.5-9BQwen (Alibaba) | GRIDC4 | Same maker, same square, 52% cheaper input | $0.10 | −52% | $0.15 | 262K | |
| 4 | Qwen3.6 35B A3BQwen (Alibaba) · open weights | GRIDC4 | Same maker, same square, 52% cheaper input, open weights | $0.10 | −52% | $0.95 | 262K | |
| 5 | Qwen3 Coder NextQwen (Alibaba) | GRIDC4 | Same maker, same square, 43% cheaper input | $0.12 | −43% | $0.80 | 262K | |
| 6 | Ministral 3 8B 2512Mistral AI | GRIDC4 | Same square, 29% cheaper input | $0.15 | −29% | $0.15 | 262K | Compare → |
| 7 | Mistral Small 4Mistral AI | GRIDC4 | Same square, 29% cheaper input | $0.15 | −29% | $0.60 | 262K | Compare → |
| 8 | Qwen3 VL 30B A3B InstructQwen (Alibaba) | GRIDC4 | Same maker, same square, 29% cheaper input | $0.15 | −29% | $0.60 | 262K | Compare → |
| 9 | Ministral 3 14B 2512Mistral AI | GRIDC4 | Same square, 5% cheaper input | $0.20 | −5% | $0.20 | 262K | Compare → |
| 10 | Qwen3 VL 8B InstructQwen (Alibaba) · open weights | GRIDC4 | Same maker, same square, 19% pricier input, open weights | $0.25 | +19% | $0.75 | 262K | Compare → |
| 11 | Qwen3.5-122B-A10BQwen (Alibaba) | GRIDC4 | Same maker, same square, 24% pricier input | $0.26 | +24% | $2.08 | 262K | Compare → |
| 12 | Qwen3.5-27BQwen (Alibaba) | GRIDC4 | Same maker, same square, 24% pricier input | $0.26 | +24% | $2.60 | 262K | Compare → |
| 13 | Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3BNVIDIA | GRIDB4 | Neighbouring square B4, 71% cheaper input | $0.06 | −71% | $0.24 | 262K | |
| 14 | Gemma 4 26B A4BGoogle | GRIDB4 | Neighbouring square B4, 68% cheaper input | $0.07 | −68% | $0.23 | 262K | |
| 15 | Qwen3 Coder 30B A3B InstructQwen (Alibaba) | GRIDB4 | Same maker, neighbouring square B4, 67% cheaper input | $0.07 | −67% | $0.28 | 262K |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 5.5Anthropic | $0.10 | 1M | |
| Muse Spark 1.2 ContributorMeta | $0.10 | 1.05M | |
| Muse Spark 1.3 ContributorMeta | $0.10 | 1.05M | |
| Qwen3.8 FlashQwen (Alibaba) | $0.15 | 1M | |
| Qwen3.8 Omni FlashQwen (Alibaba) | $0.15 | 1M |
Free alternatives
| Model | Input / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyria 3 Clip PreviewGoogle | Free | 1.05M | |
| Lyria 3 Pro PreviewGoogle | Free | 1.05M |
Compare Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Instruct head to head
Questions
What is the best alternative to Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Instruct?
Qwen3 30B A3B Instruct 2507 ranks first: same maker, same square, 52% cheaper input. Input is $0.10 per 1M tokens against $0.21 for Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Instruct. Ranking is by position on the atlas, not by quality.
What is the cheapest alternative to Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Instruct?
Nemotron 3 Nano 30B A3B at $0.06 per 1M input tokens, 71% less than Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Instruct, among the 15 closest.
Is there an open-weight alternative to Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Instruct?
Yes, 2 of the 15: Qwen3.6 35B A3B and Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct.
Which alternative has a larger context window?
None of the 15 closest holds more than Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Instruct's 262K.
How are alternatives ranked?
By distance on the atlas grid from Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Instruct's square C4: 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 Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Instruct 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 Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Instruct?
- What is the cheapest alternative to Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Instruct?
- Is there an open-weight alternative to Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Instruct?