Dolphin 2.9.3 72B vs StarCoder2 7B

Compare Dolphin 2.9.3 72B and StarCoder2 7B: 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 Dolphin 2.9.3 72B StarCoder2 7B
CategoryOpen SourceCode
Parameters72B7B
Context Window128K16K
Input Price$0.04/1M tokens$0.008/1M tokens
Output Price$0.08/1M tokens$0.015/1M tokens
Latency~350ms~60ms

Choose Dolphin 2.9.3 72B when:

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

Uncensored, Strong instruction following, Versatile

Choose StarCoder2 7B when:

  • ✓ Code completion
  • ✓ Quick generation
  • ✓ Editor integration
Key Strengths:

Open weights, Many languages, Fast

Verdict: Dolphin 2.9.3 72B vs StarCoder2 7B

For cost efficiency, StarCoder2 7B wins at $0.008/1M input tokens. For speed, Dolphin 2.9.3 72B is faster at ~350ms. Dolphin 2.9.3 72B excels at Creative writing while StarCoder2 7B is better for Code completion. Both are available on XALEN through a single API — try them in the Playground to see which fits your workload.

Detailed Analysis

Pricing Comparison

Dolphin 2.9.3 72B costs $0.04/1M input tokens and $0.08/1M output tokens. StarCoder2 7B costs $0.008 input and $0.015 output. StarCoder2 7B is 5.0x cheaper on input tokens. XALEN offers batch processing at 50% discount on both models.

Performance & Context

Dolphin 2.9.3 72B has a 128K context window with ~350ms latency. StarCoder2 7B offers 16K context at ~60ms. Dolphin 2.9.3 72B has the larger context window.

Best For

Dolphin 2.9.3 72B (Open Source) is optimized for: Creative writing, Unrestricted generation, Research. StarCoder2 7B (Code) works best for: Code completion, Quick generation, Editor integration.

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

# Use StarCoder2 7B
response_b = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="starcoder2-7b",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)

Start Building with XALEN

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Get API Key Try in Playground

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Dolphin 2.9.3 72B or StarCoder2 7B?

Dolphin 2.9.3 72B (Open Source, 72B) offers Uncensored. StarCoder2 7B (Code, 7B) offers Open weights. Choose Dolphin 2.9.3 72B for Creative writing or StarCoder2 7B for Code completion.

How much does Dolphin 2.9.3 72B cost vs StarCoder2 7B?

Dolphin 2.9.3 72B: $0.04/1M input, $0.08/1M output. StarCoder2 7B: $0.008/1M input, $0.015/1M 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 Dolphin 2.9.3 72B and StarCoder2 7B 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.