Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B vs Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct
Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B (2026) and Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct (2025) are compact production models from Microsoft Research and Alibaba. Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B ships a not-yet-sourced context window, while Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct ships a 32k-token context window. On Massive Multi-discipline Multimodal Understanding, Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct leads by 10.2 pts. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B is safer overall; choose Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct when vision-heavy evaluation matters.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B | Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | multimodal apps | multimodal apps |
| Decision fit | Vision | Vision |
| Context window | — | 32k |
| Cheapest output | - | $0.90/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 0 tracked | 1 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 1 shared | Massive Multi-discipline Multimodal Understanding leader |
Decision tradeoffs
- Local decision data tags Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B for Vision.
- Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct holds a shared-benchmark lead on Massive Multi-discipline Multimodal Understanding, ahead by 10.2 points.
- Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Local decision data tags Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct for Vision.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B
Unavailable
No complete token price in local provider data
Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct
$945
Cheapest tracked route/tier: Fireworks AI
Cost delta unavailable until both models have sourced input and output token prices.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B and Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct and Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-03-12 | 2025-01-01 |
| Context window | — | 32k |
| Parameters | 15B | 72B |
| Architecture | - | Decoder Only |
| License | MITOSI-approved | Apache 2.0OSI-approved |
| Openness | Open source | Open source |
| Commercial use | Commercial use: permitted | Commercial use: permitted |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2025-03 | 2023-06 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B | Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | - | $0.90/1M tokens |
| Output price | - | $0.90/1M tokens |
| Providers | - |
Capabilities
| Capability | Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B | Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | Yes |
| Multimodal | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | No | No |
| Tool use | No | No |
| Structured outputs | No | No |
| Code execution | No | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B | Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct |
|---|---|---|
| Massive Multi-discipline Multimodal Understanding | 54.3 | 64.5 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, Massive Multi-discipline Multimodal Understanding has Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B at 54.3 and Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct at 64.5, with Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct ahead by 10.2 points. The largest visible gap is 10.2 points on Massive Multi-discipline Multimodal Understanding, which matters most when that benchmark mirrors your workload. Treat isolated benchmark wins as directional, because provider routing, prompt style, and tool access can move real application results.
The capability footprint is close: both models cover vision and multimodal input. That makes context budget, benchmark fit, and provider maturity more important than a simple checklist. If your application depends on one integration detail, verify it against the provider route you plan to use, not just the base model listing.
Pricing coverage is uneven: Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B has no token price sourced yet and Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct has $0.90/1M input tokens. Provider availability is 0 tracked routes versus 1. Treat unknown pricing as an integration gap, then verify the route you will actually call before estimating production spend.
Choose Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B when vision-heavy evaluation are central to the workload. Choose Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct when vision-heavy evaluation 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.
FAQ
Is Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B or Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct open source?
Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B is listed under MIT. Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct is listed under Apache 2.0. 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 vision, Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B or Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct?
Both Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B and Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct expose vision. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Which is better for multimodal input, Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B or Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct?
Both Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B and Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct expose multimodal input. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface.
Where can I run Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B and Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct?
Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B is available on the tracked providers still being sourced. Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct is available on Fireworks AI. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
When should I pick Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B over Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct?
Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B is safer overall; choose Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct when vision-heavy evaluation matters. If your workload also depends on vision-heavy evaluation, start with Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B; if it depends on vision-heavy evaluation, run the same evaluation with Qwen2-VL-72B-Instruct.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-06-04. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.