Llama 3.1 405B vs Dolphin 2.9.3 72B

Compare Llama 3.1 405B 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

All Meta models All Cognitive Computations models What is an LLM API? Python Quickstart What is inference?
Feature Llama 3.1 405B Dolphin 2.9.3 72B
CategoryOpen SourceOpen Source
Parameters405B72B
Context Window128K128K
Input Price$0.08/1M tokens$0.04/1M tokens
Output Price$0.14/1M tokens$0.08/1M tokens
Latency~600ms~350ms

Choose Llama 3.1 405B when:

  • ✓ Premium tasks
  • ✓ Research
  • ✓ Fine-tuning base
Key Strengths:

Largest open model, Highest open-source quality

Choose Dolphin 2.9.3 72B when:

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

Uncensored, Strong instruction following, Versatile

Verdict: Llama 3.1 405B vs Dolphin 2.9.3 72B

For cost efficiency, Dolphin 2.9.3 72B wins at $0.04/1M input tokens. For speed, Dolphin 2.9.3 72B is faster at ~350ms. Llama 3.1 405B excels at Premium tasks 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

Llama 3.1 405B costs $0.08/1M input tokens and $0.14/1M output tokens. Dolphin 2.9.3 72B costs $0.04 input and $0.08 output. Dolphin 2.9.3 72B is 2.0x cheaper on input tokens. XALEN offers batch processing at 50% discount on both models.

Performance & Context

Llama 3.1 405B has a 128K context window with ~600ms latency. Dolphin 2.9.3 72B offers 128K context at ~350ms. Both have identical context windows.

Best For

Llama 3.1 405B (Open Source) is optimized for: Premium tasks, Research, Fine-tuning base. 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 Llama 3.1 405B
response_a = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="llama-3-1-405b",
    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, Llama 3.1 405B or Dolphin 2.9.3 72B?

Llama 3.1 405B (Open Source, 405B) offers Largest open model. Dolphin 2.9.3 72B (Open Source, 72B) offers Uncensored. Choose Llama 3.1 405B for Premium tasks or Dolphin 2.9.3 72B for Creative writing.

How much does Llama 3.1 405B cost vs Dolphin 2.9.3 72B?

Llama 3.1 405B: $0.08/1M input, $0.14/1M 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 Llama 3.1 405B and Dolphin 2.9.3 72B by changing the model parameter. No code changes needed.

Related Comparisons

Llama 3.1 405B vs Gemma 3 27B Llama 3.1 405B vs Llama 4 Scout Llama 3.1 405B vs Llama 4 Maverick Llama 3.1 405B vs Llama 3.3 70B Llama 3.1 405B vs Llama 3.1 70B Turbo Llama 3.1 405B vs DeepSeek V3

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