StarCoder2 15B vs Dolphin 2.9.3 72B

Compare StarCoder2 15B 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 StarCoder2 15B Dolphin 2.9.3 72B
CategoryCodeOpen Source
Parameters15B72B
Context Window16K128K
Input Price$0.02/1M tokens$0.04/1M tokens
Output Price$0.03/1M tokens$0.08/1M tokens
Latency~150ms~350ms

Choose StarCoder2 15B when:

  • ✓ Code completion
  • ✓ Code generation
  • ✓ Bug fixing
Key Strengths:

Strong coding, 600+ languages, Open weights

Choose Dolphin 2.9.3 72B when:

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

Uncensored, Strong instruction following, Versatile

Verdict: StarCoder2 15B vs Dolphin 2.9.3 72B

For cost efficiency, StarCoder2 15B wins at $0.02/1M input tokens. For speed, StarCoder2 15B is faster at ~150ms. StarCoder2 15B excels at Code completion 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

StarCoder2 15B costs $0.02/1M input tokens and $0.03/1M output tokens. Dolphin 2.9.3 72B costs $0.04 input and $0.08 output. StarCoder2 15B is 2.0x cheaper on input tokens. XALEN offers batch processing at 50% discount on both models.

Performance & Context

StarCoder2 15B has a 16K context window with ~150ms latency. Dolphin 2.9.3 72B offers 128K context at ~350ms. Dolphin 2.9.3 72B has the larger context window.

Best For

StarCoder2 15B (Code) is optimized for: Code completion, Code generation, Bug fixing. 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 StarCoder2 15B
response_a = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="starcoder2-15b",
    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, StarCoder2 15B or Dolphin 2.9.3 72B?

StarCoder2 15B (Code, 15B) offers Strong coding. Dolphin 2.9.3 72B (Open Source, 72B) offers Uncensored. Choose StarCoder2 15B for Code completion or Dolphin 2.9.3 72B for Creative writing.

How much does StarCoder2 15B cost vs Dolphin 2.9.3 72B?

StarCoder2 15B: $0.02/1M input, $0.03/1M 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 StarCoder2 15B 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.