Codestral vs Dolphin 2.9.3 72B

Compare Codestral and Dolphin 2.9.3 72B: pricing, performance, context window, latency, and best use cases. Side-by-side comparison on XALEN.

Updated 2026-05-21 · By Abhishek Raj · Our methodology

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Feature Codestral Dolphin 2.9.3 72B
CategoryCodeOpen Source
Parameters22B72B
Context Window256K128K
Input Price$0.03/1M tokens$0.04/1M tokens
Output Price$0.05/1M tokens$0.08/1M tokens
Latency~200ms~350ms

Choose Codestral when:

  • ✓ API integration code
  • ✓ SDK generation
  • ✓ Code review
Key Strengths:

256K context for code, Strong code generation, Good APIs

Choose Dolphin 2.9.3 72B when:

  • ✓ Creative writing
  • ✓ Unrestricted generation
  • ✓ Research
Key Strengths:

Uncensored, Strong instruction following, Versatile

Verdict: Codestral vs Dolphin 2.9.3 72B

For cost efficiency, Codestral wins at $0.03/1M input tokens. For speed, Codestral is faster at ~200ms. Codestral excels at API integration code while Dolphin 2.9.3 72B is better for Creative writing. Both are available on XALEN through a single API — try them in the Playground to see which fits your workload.

Detailed Analysis

Pricing Comparison

Codestral costs $0.03/1M input tokens and $0.05/1M output tokens. Dolphin 2.9.3 72B costs $0.04 input and $0.08 output. Codestral is 1.3x cheaper on input tokens. XALEN offers batch processing at 50% discount on both models.

Performance & Context

Codestral has a 256K context window with ~200ms latency. Dolphin 2.9.3 72B offers 128K context at ~350ms. Codestral has the larger context window.

Best For

Codestral (Code) is optimized for: API integration code, SDK generation, Code review. Dolphin 2.9.3 72B (Open Source) works best for: Creative writing, Unrestricted generation, Research.

Try Both on XALEN

Both models are available through XALEN's OpenAI-compatible API. Switch between them by changing the model parameter:

from xalen import XALEN

client = XALEN(api_key="xln_test_YOUR_KEY")

# Use Codestral
response_a = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="codestral",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)

# Use Dolphin 2.9.3 72B
response_b = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="dolphin-2-9-3-72b",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)

Start Building with XALEN

200+ AI models. One API. Pay-as-you-go.

Get API Key Try in Playground

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Codestral or Dolphin 2.9.3 72B?

Codestral (Code, 22B) offers 256K context for code. Dolphin 2.9.3 72B (Open Source, 72B) offers Uncensored. Choose Codestral for API integration code or Dolphin 2.9.3 72B for Creative writing.

How much does Codestral cost vs Dolphin 2.9.3 72B?

Codestral: $0.03/1M input, $0.05/1M output. Dolphin 2.9.3 72B: $0.04/1M input, $0.08/1M output. Both available on XALEN with batch processing at 50% discount.

Can I use both models on XALEN?

Yes. XALEN provides 200+ models through a single OpenAI-compatible API. Switch between Codestral and Dolphin 2.9.3 72B by changing the model parameter. No code changes needed.

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Last updated: 2026-05-21. Pricing and specifications may change. Check pricing page for latest rates.