Qwen2.5-72B for cheapest llms
Qwen2.5-72B is ranked #6 on LLMDex's cheapest llms ranking out of 6 models we track for this use case. Below, the specific reasons it slots where it does, and when you should reach for an alternative.
Updated
At a glance
- Rank
- #6 of 6
- Context
- 128K tokens
- Output / 1M
- Pricing not published
- Released
- Sep 2024
Why Qwen2.5-72B fits this task
Three things about Qwen2.5-72B that map directly onto what this task rewards: Mature deployment; Apache-2.0; Strong multilingual. Beyond the task-specific fit, Qwen2.5-72B also brings mature deployment and apache-2.0, both of which compound when the workload broadens.
The criteria this task rewards
LLMDex ranks cheapest llms on 5 criteria , these are the axes the ranking uses, in priority order:
- Output price per 1M tokens
- Quality floor, must clear basic instruction-following
- Latency
- Context window adequacy (≥32k)
- API stability and rate-limit headroom
How Qwen2.5-72B scores on each axis
Where Qwen2.5-72B costs you: superseded by qwen3 for new builds. For most teams this is acceptable on this workload, the value of the strengths above outweighs the cost. For cost-bound workloads or teams with strict latency budgets, run an eval against the next two ranked models on real data before committing.
Strengths that pay off here
- Mature deployment
- Apache-2.0
- Strong multilingual
Tracked weaknesses
- Superseded by Qwen3 for new builds
When to pick something else
If you can pay slightly more or accept slightly different tradeoffs, DeepSeek-V3 from DeepSeek ranks one position higher and tends to win on the hardest cases. DeepSeek's flagship 671B-parameter MoE, frontier-level quality at a tiny fraction of frontier prices.
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Other models for cheapest llms
- GPT-5 nano for cheapest llms
OpenAI's smallest GPT-5 variant, built for ultra-low-cost classification, routing, and high-volume inference.
Read guide - Gemini 3 Flash for cheapest llms
Google's high-speed, low-cost mid-tier with the same massive context window, popular for high-volume RAG.
Read guide - GPT-5 mini for cheapest llms
GPT-5's mid-tier sibling, most of the quality at a fraction of the price, ideal for high-volume production workloads.
Read guide - Claude Haiku 4 for cheapest llms
Anthropic's smallest 4-tier model, fast and cheap with the family's signature tone.
Read guide - DeepSeek-V3 for cheapest llms
DeepSeek's flagship 671B-parameter MoE, frontier-level quality at a tiny fraction of frontier prices.
Read guide
Qwen2.5-72B for other use cases
Direct comparisons
Frequently asked
Is Qwen2.5-72B good for cheapest llms?
Qwen2.5-72B is ranked #6 on LLMDex's cheapest llms list. The previous-generation Qwen flagship, still widely deployed for stability.How much does Qwen2.5-72B cost for cheapest llms?
Alibaba has not published per-token pricing for Qwen2.5-72B at the time of writing.What's a cheaper alternative to Qwen2.5-72B for cheapest llms?
Look at the full Cheapest LLMs ranking for cheaper picks at lower ranks.When should I NOT use Qwen2.5-72B for cheapest llms?
Tracked weakness: Superseded by Qwen3 for new builds. If that constraint is binding for your workload, the next-ranked model on this task is the safer pick.
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