Overview
Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking is a reasoning-first chat model in the Qwen3-Next line that outputs structured “thinking” traces by default. It’s designed for hard multi-step problems; math proofs, code synthesis/debugging, logic, and agentic...
How Qwen: Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Thinking stacks up
Among the 368 chatbots & llms tools in our directory, it ranks #174 of 355 on quality (7.8/10), 2% below the 355-tool average of 8.0, and its $0.15/1M input-token rate is in the budget end — 90% cheaper than the 345-model average of $1.58/1M.
Weighing quality against cost, Qwen: Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Thinking's cost-per-quality-point of $0.02 places it in the top 23% for value among chatbots & llms tools.
Qwen: Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Thinking in depth
Qwen: Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Thinking, built by Qwen, sits in the chatbots & llms space and is a paid tool starting at $0.15/1M tokens. Our editors rate it 7.8 out of 10 based on capability, ecosystem and value. It handles a context window of 262,144 tokens.
On the feature side, Qwen: Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Thinking brings 262,144-token context window, reasoning / chain-of-thought, tool / function calling and structured (json) outputs. These are the capabilities that most shape day-to-day use and separate it from thinner alternatives.
Its biggest strength is low api price — $0.15 per 1m input tokens, cheaper than roughly 75% of comparable models, while the main trade-off to weigh is that no free tier — usage is billed per token. Keep both in mind when deciding whether it fits your workflow.
Qwen: Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Thinking is most often chosen for research and writing. If that matches your goals, it's a strong candidate to shortlist.
Key features
- ✓262,144-token context window
- ✓Reasoning / chain-of-thought
- ✓Tool / function calling
- ✓Structured (JSON) outputs
- ✓Knowledge cutoff 2025-09-30
Pricing
Pros
- +Low API price — $0.15 per 1M input tokens, cheaper than roughly 75% of comparable models
- +Built-in reasoning (chain-of-thought) mode for harder problems
- +Supports tool / function calling for agent-style workflows
- +Can return structured JSON output for reliable parsing
Cons
- −No free tier — usage is billed per token
- −Text-only: does not accept image input
Who should use Qwen: Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Thinking
- →Anyone looking for a chatbots & llms tool from Qwen.
- →Teams and individuals focused on research and writing.
- →People who value low api price — $0.15 per 1m input tokens, cheaper than roughly 75% of comparable models.
- →Workflows that need a 262,144 tokens context window.
Who should look elsewhere
- →Anyone who needs a free tier — this tool is paid only.
- →Those for whom no free tier — usage is billed per token is a dealbreaker.
- →Users who can't accept that text-only: does not accept image input.
Best for
10 Best Qwen: Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Thinking Alternatives in 2026
Qwen: Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Thinking is a strong chatbots & llms tool, but it is not the only option. Whether you are after a lower price, different features or a better fit for your workflow, here are the 10 best alternatives to Qwen: Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Thinking, ranked and compared.
Anthropic
Claude is Anthropic's family of AI assistants, known for long-context reasoning, careful writing and strong coding…
OpenAI
ChatGPT is OpenAI's flagship conversational AI, powering hundreds of millions of weekly users across web, mobile and…
Google DeepMind
Gemini is Google's natively multimodal model family, deeply integrated across Search, Workspace, Android and the Pixel…
Gemini 3.7 Flash is a multimodal model from Google for fast agentic workflows, coding, and complex multi-step…
Meta
Muse Spark 1.2 is a reasoning model from Meta, designed for complex agentic tasks.
Qwen
Qwen3.8 Max is the flagship model in Alibaba's Qwen3.8 series, the general-availability successor to the Qwen3.8 Max…
Qwen
Qwen3.7 Flash is a vision-language reasoning model from Alibaba. It is suited for multimodal agents, visual coding…
Anthropic
Fast-mode variant of [Opus 5](/anthropic/claude-opus-5) - identical capabilities with higher output speed at 2x pricing…
Anthropic
Claude Opus 5 is Anthropic’s flagship model for demanding reasoning, coding, and long-horizon agentic work.
Gemini 3.6 Flash is a high-efficiency model from Google for coding, agentic workflows, and web and app development.
Qwen: Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Thinking vs top alternatives
A side-by-side look at how Qwen: Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Thinking stacks up against its closest rivals.
| Feature | Qwen: Qwen3 Next 80B A3B ThinkingQwen | ClaudeAnthropic | ChatGPTOpenAI | GeminiGoogle DeepMind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality score | 7.8 / 10 | 9.6 / 10 | 9.5 / 10 | 9.2 / 10 |
| Starting price | $0.15/1M tokens | $20/mo | $20/mo | $20/mo |
| Free tier | No | Yes — Free tier available | Yes — Free tier available | Yes — Free tier available |
| API input price | $0.15 / 1M tokens | $10 / 1M tokens | $0.1 / 1M tokens | $0.1875 / 1M tokens |
| API output price | $1.2 / 1M tokens | $50 / 1M tokens | $0.6 / 1M tokens | $0.9375 / 1M tokens |
| Speed | — | Fast | Fast | Fast |
| Context window | 262,144 tokens | 200K tokens | 128K tokens | 1M-2M tokens |
| Categories | Chatbots & LLMs | Chatbots & LLMs, Coding, Writing | Chatbots & LLMs, Coding, Writing | Chatbots & LLMs, Coding, Writing |
| Key features |
|
|
|
|
| Pros |
|
|
|
|
| Cons |
|
|
|
|
Frequently asked questions
Q. Is Qwen: Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Thinking free?
No — Qwen: Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Thinking is a paid tool, starting at $0.15/1M tokens.
Q. How much does Qwen: Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Thinking cost?
Qwen: Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Thinking starts at $0.15/1M tokens. API usage is around $0.15 per 1M input tokens and $1.2 per 1M output tokens.
Q. What is Qwen: Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Thinking best for?
Qwen: Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Thinking is best suited to research and writing, within the chatbots & llms category.
Q. What are the best Qwen: Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Thinking alternatives?
Popular alternatives to Qwen: Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Thinking include Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini and Google: Gemini 3.7 Flash (batch). Each trades off price, quality and ecosystem differently.
Q. Is there a free alternative to Qwen: Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Thinking?
Yes. Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini offer a free tier, making them good starting points if you want to avoid an upfront subscription.
Q. Why switch from Qwen: Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Thinking?
Common reasons include pricing, specific feature gaps (No free tier — usage is billed per token; Text-only: does not accept image input), data-privacy requirements, or simply wanting a tool that fits your stack better.
How we rate AI tools
Our quality score weighs capability on real tasks, breadth of features and integrations, pricing and value, and how actively the tool is maintained. Scores are editorial guidance, not benchmarks — always trial a tool on your own workflow before committing. Pricing and features change frequently, so verify current details on the official site.
Ready to try Qwen: Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Thinking?
Start with the official plans and upgrade as you grow.
Visit Qwen: Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Thinking →