Llama 3.2 1B vs Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B
Llama 3.2 1B (2024) and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B (2025) are compact production models from AI at Meta and Alibaba. Llama 3.2 1B ships a 128K-token context window, while Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B ships a not-yet-sourced context window. On pricing, Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B costs $0.10/1M input tokens versus $0.10/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit. It focuses on practical selection signals rather than broad model-family marketing.
Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B is safer overall; choose Llama 3.2 1B when provider fit matters.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Llama 3.2 1B | Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | general production evaluation | provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | Coding, Long context, and Classification | Classification and JSON / Tool use |
| Context window | 128K | — |
| Cheapest output | $0.10/1M tokens | $0.78/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 1 tracked | 5 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Llama 3.2 1B has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Llama 3.2 1B has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.10/1M tokens.
- Local decision data tags Llama 3.2 1B for Coding, Long context, and Classification.
- Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B uniquely exposes Structured outputs in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B for Classification and JSON / Tool use.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
Llama 3.2 1B
$105
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Fireworks AI
Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B
$273
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Estimated monthly gap: $168. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Llama 3.2 1B and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B is $0.68/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B adds Structured outputs in local capability data.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B and Llama 3.2 1B; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Llama 3.2 1B is $0.68/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Structured outputs before moving production traffic.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024-09-25 | 2025-12-01 |
| Context window | 128K | — |
| Parameters | 1.23B | 80B (3B active) |
| Architecture | decoder only | - |
| License | Open Source | Proprietary |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2023-12 | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Llama 3.2 1B | Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.10/1M tokens | $0.10/1M tokens |
| Output price | $0.10/1M tokens | $0.78/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Llama 3.2 1B | Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | No | No |
| Tool use | No | No |
| Structured outputs | No | Yes |
| Code execution | No | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on structured outputs: Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B. Both models share the core language-model surface, so the practical split is not just feature count. Use those differences to decide whether the page is about raw model quality, agentic coding support, multimodal ingestion, or predictable structured API behavior.
For cost, Llama 3.2 1B lists $0.10/1M input and $0.10/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B lists $0.10/1M input and $0.78/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Llama 3.2 1B lower by about $0.20 per million blended tokens. Availability is 1 providers versus 5, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Llama 3.2 1B when provider fit are central to the workload. Choose Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B when provider fit, lower input-token cost, and broader provider choice are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship. This keeps the decision grounded in measurable tradeoffs instead of brand-level assumptions. It also helps separate model capability from provider packaging, which can change cost and latency. For teams standardizing a stack, that distinction is often the difference between a benchmark win and a reliable deployment.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Llama 3.2 1B or Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B?
Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Llama 3.2 1B costs $0.10/1M input and $0.10/1M output tokens. Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B costs $0.10/1M input and $0.78/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Llama 3.2 1B or Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B open source?
Llama 3.2 1B is listed under Open Source. Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B is listed under Proprietary. License labels affect whether you can self-host, redistribute weights, or rely only on hosted APIs, so confirm the upstream license before deployment.
Which is better for structured outputs, Llama 3.2 1B or Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B?
Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B has the clearer documented structured outputs signal in this comparison. If structured outputs is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run Llama 3.2 1B and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B?
Llama 3.2 1B is available on Fireworks AI. Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B is available on AWS Bedrock, OpenRouter, Venice AI, Novita AI, and Novita AI. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
When should I pick Llama 3.2 1B over Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B?
Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B is safer overall; choose Llama 3.2 1B when provider fit matters. If your workload also depends on provider fit, start with Llama 3.2 1B; if it depends on provider fit, run the same evaluation with Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B.
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Last reviewed: 2026-05-22. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.