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Head-to-head comparison

Qwen3 30B A3B vs Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct

Qwen3 30B A3B (Qwen) and Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct (Qwen) compared on the ModelCap Index, API price, context window, provider availability, weight access and every public benchmark board they share. Figures are the same ones shown on the live rankings; nothing here is a hidden score.

Snapshot as of 6 November 2026

As of 6 November 2026, Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#117 vs #213); Qwen3 30B A3B is 2.2× cheaper per output token ($0.50/1M vs $1.10/1M); and Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct offers the longer context window (262K vs 41K tokens).

Which should you choose?

Choose Qwen3 30B A3B if…

  • API cost matters — $0.50/1M output tokens against $1.10/1M, about 2.2× cheaper.

Choose Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #117 against #213 (52.4 vs 34.0 points).
  • your workload is prompt-heavy — input tokens cost $0.09/1M against $0.12/1M.
  • you need the longer context window — 262K tokens against 41K.
  • you want provider choice — 2 listed API providers against 1.
  • Arena text is your yardstick — 1399 against 1327.
  • Arena coding is your yardstick — 1444 against 1385.
  • you want the more recently listed model — Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct was listed 11 September 2025, Qwen3 30B A3B 28 April 2025.

Qwen3 30B A3B vs Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of Qwen3 30B A3B and Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct
FieldQwen3 30B A3BQwenQwen3 Next 80B A3B InstructQwen
ModelCap Index position#213#117
Index score34.052.4
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokens$0.12$0.09
Output price / 1M tokens$0.50$1.10
Context window41K tokens262K tokens
Declared route output cap16K16K
API providers listed12
Weight accessOpen weightsOpen weights
Input modalitiesTextText
First listed28 April 202511 September 2025
PublisherQwenQwen

Evidence: 2 public benchmark observations across 2 boards · 2 public benchmark observations across 2 boards. Prices are the lowest listed API offer per million tokens observed on the OpenRouter catalogue.

Benchmark scores: Qwen3 30B A3B vs Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct

Public benchmark boards where Qwen3 30B A3B or Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct has a published result
BoardQwen3 30B A3BQwen3 Next 80B A3B InstructLeads
Arena textArena (LMArena)13271322–1331Not reported13991394–1403Not reportedQwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct
Arena codingArena (LMArena)13851376–139314441436–1453Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct

Scores are the sources' own published figures for each model's best evaluated configuration; ModelCap never re-runs a benchmark.

Want a different pairing? Open the interactive comparison tool to swap either model for any current ranked language model.

Qwen3 30B A3B vs Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct: common questions

Is Qwen3 30B A3B better than Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct?

Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 6 November 2026: #117 against #213. That is a capability ranking built from public benchmark evidence with published uncertainty; whether it is "better" for you also depends on price, context and where you can run it. Their published uncertainty intervals do not overlap, but the aggregate Index does not predict performance on every task; compare the relevant benchmark configurations before choosing.

Is Qwen3 30B A3B cheaper than Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct?

Qwen3 30B A3B is cheaper on output tokens: $0.50/1M against $1.10/1M. Input tokens are $0.12/1M for Qwen3 30B A3B and $0.09/1M for Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct. Prices are the lowest listed API offer ModelCap observed, in USD per million tokens. For 1,000 requests with 2,000 input and 500 output tokens each (2M input + 0.5M output), the listed-rate estimate is $0.49 for Qwen3 30B A3B versus $0.73 for Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct. Qwen3 30B A3B costs 32.9% less in this scenario. This excludes caching, batch discounts, prompt-length tiers, tool charges and retries; verify the selected endpoint before budgeting.

Which has the bigger context window, Qwen3 30B A3B or Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct?

Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct has the larger context window: 262K tokens against 41K. OpenRouter catalogue or provider-endpoint declaration. Limits can vary by provider and prompt length; a model-wide maximum has not been independently verified.

Which is better for coding, Qwen3 30B A3B or Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct?

Arena coding: Qwen3 30B A3B 1385, Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct 1444 — Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct leads.

Are Qwen3 30B A3B and Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct open-weight models?

Qwen3 30B A3B: Open weights. Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct: Open weights. Open weights mean the checkpoint can be downloaded and self-hosted under its licence. A missing weight link does not identify every API or chat product that offers a model.

Where can I run Qwen3 30B A3B and Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct?

ModelCap currently lists 1 API provider for Qwen3 30B A3B and 2 for Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct, from the OpenRouter catalogue snapshot the site serves; each model page lists the providers and their prices.

How current is this Qwen3 30B A3B vs Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct comparison?

Every figure and ModelCap Index position comes from the same published snapshot dated 6 November 2026. Publication and page updates happen separately; use the snapshot date shown on the page.

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