Strengths
- Cheap for a model with a one-million-token context: $0.40 input and $1.60 output per million tokens with input up to 256K.
- Thinking and non-thinking modes have the same output price, so you can turn thinking on at no extra cost.
- It understands images as well as text.
Weaknesses
- It is still the previous Qwen3.7 generation, and no Qwen3.8-Plus is listed yet.
- Above 256K input tokens the price triples to $1.20 input and $4.80 output.
- The weights are closed and there is no official model card.
- In Frankfurt it only runs in Global scope, so processing is not tied to the EU.
Best for
- everyday business tasks through the API
- low-cost document processing and answers over company data
Not ideal for
- data that may only be processed in the EU
- running on your own server
How to use it in Europe
Only through the API in Alibaba Cloud Model Studio, in the Singapore or Frankfurt region. It is cheaper in Frankfurt, but only runs there in Global scope, so processing is not tied to the EU. It is not in a consumer app and not available as an open model. If you need processing in the EU, Qwen3.8-Flash in EU scope is the better choice.
Price compared with similar models
More models from this vendor
- Qwen3.8-Max: Alibaba's flagship with a one-million-token context that understands text, images and video. Strong at coding and fairly priced.
- Qwen3.8-Flash: A very cheap, fast Qwen model for high volumes of tasks. Unlike Max and Plus, it runs in Frankfurt with processing kept in the EU.
- Qwen3.8-2.4T-A95B: The open-weight text base of Qwen3.8-Max with 2.4 trillion parameters, for large companies with their own GPU cluster.
- Qwen3.8-27B: A small open Qwen model under Apache 2.0 that runs on your own computer and understands images and video.
Similar models from other vendors
- Claude Sonnet 5.5 (Anthropic): Claude's balanced model for everyday work and coding. It is faster than Opus 5.5 and costs half as much.
- Command A+ (Cohere): An open business model from Canada's Cohere that officially supports Slovak and Czech and runs on your own server.
- Gemini 3.8 Flash (Google): Google's fast, lower-cost model for everyday work, coding and document analysis. You can try it in the API for free.
- Muse Spark 1.3 (Meta): Meta's balanced model with a 1-million-token window and a fair price. The Muse Spark line also powers the Meta AI assistant.
- Muse Spark Open (Meta): Meta's large open model that a company can run on its own servers, so data never leaves its infrastructure.
- Llama 4 Maverick (Meta): The larger model in the newest Llama generation, from April 2025. Cheap through providers, but its license excludes people and companies in the EU.