Imagen 3 vs Aya Expanse 32B
Compare Imagen 3 and Aya Expanse 32B: pricing, performance, context window, latency, and best use cases. Side-by-side comparison on XALEN.
Updated 2026-05-21 · By Abhishek Raj · Our methodology
| Feature | Imagen 3 | Aya Expanse 32B |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Image | Open Source |
| Parameters | ~5B | 32B |
| Context Window | N/A | 128K |
| Input Price | $0.04/image/1M tokens | $0.03/1M tokens |
| Output Price | N/A/1M tokens | $0.06/1M tokens |
| Latency | ~4s | ~250ms |
Choose Imagen 3 when:
- ✓ Product photography
- ✓ Marketing visuals
- ✓ Social media
Photorealistic quality, Good text rendering, Safe outputs
Choose Aya Expanse 32B when:
- ✓ Multilingual apps
- ✓ Translation
- ✓ Global content
23 languages, Open weights, Strong multilingual
Verdict: Imagen 3 vs Aya Expanse 32B
For cost efficiency, Aya Expanse 32B wins at $0.03/1M input tokens. For speed, Aya Expanse 32B is faster at ~250ms. Imagen 3 excels at Product photography while Aya Expanse 32B is better for Multilingual apps. Both are available on XALEN through a single API — try them in the Playground to see which fits your workload.
Detailed Analysis
Pricing Comparison
Imagen 3 costs $0.04/image/1M input tokens and N/A/1M output tokens. Aya Expanse 32B costs $0.03 input and $0.06 output. Aya Expanse 32B is 1.3x cheaper on input tokens. XALEN offers batch processing at 50% discount on both models.
Performance & Context
Imagen 3 has a N/A context window with ~4s latency. Aya Expanse 32B offers 128K context at ~250ms. Aya Expanse 32B has the larger context window.
Best For
Imagen 3 (Image) is optimized for: Product photography, Marketing visuals, Social media. Aya Expanse 32B (Open Source) works best for: Multilingual apps, Translation, Global content.
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 Imagen 3
response_a = client.chat.completions.create(
model="imagen-3",
messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)
# Use Aya Expanse 32B
response_b = client.chat.completions.create(
model="c4ai-aya-expanse-32b",
messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Imagen 3 or Aya Expanse 32B?
Imagen 3 (Image, ~5B) offers Photorealistic quality. Aya Expanse 32B (Open Source, 32B) offers 23 languages. Choose Imagen 3 for Product photography or Aya Expanse 32B for Multilingual apps.
How much does Imagen 3 cost vs Aya Expanse 32B?
Imagen 3: $0.04/image/1M input, N/A/1M output. Aya Expanse 32B: $0.03/1M input, $0.06/1M 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 Imagen 3 and Aya Expanse 32B 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.