Yi Lightning vs Molmo 72B
Compare Yi Lightning and Molmo 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
| Feature | Yi Lightning | Molmo 72B |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Open Source | Vision |
| Parameters | 200B MoE | 72B |
| Context Window | 128K | 128K |
| Input Price | $0.04/1M tokens | $0.04/1M tokens |
| Output Price | $0.08/1M tokens | $0.08/1M tokens |
| Latency | ~300ms | ~350ms |
Choose Yi Lightning when:
- ✓ High-volume APIs
- ✓ Fast Q&A
- ✓ Real-time chatbots
Fast inference, Good multilingual, Strong reasoning
Choose Molmo 72B when:
- ✓ Visual grounding
- ✓ Object detection
- ✓ Research
Fully open, Good pointing/grounding, Transparent
Verdict: Yi Lightning vs Molmo 72B
For cost efficiency, Molmo 72B wins at $0.04/1M input tokens. For speed, Yi Lightning is faster at ~300ms. Yi Lightning excels at High-volume APIs while Molmo 72B is better for Visual grounding. Both are available on XALEN through a single API — try them in the Playground to see which fits your workload.
Detailed Analysis
Pricing Comparison
Yi Lightning costs $0.04/1M input tokens and $0.08/1M output tokens. Molmo 72B costs $0.04 input and $0.08 output. Both models are similarly priced. XALEN offers batch processing at 50% discount on both models.
Performance & Context
Yi Lightning has a 128K context window with ~300ms latency. Molmo 72B offers 128K context at ~350ms. Both have identical context windows.
Best For
Yi Lightning (Open Source) is optimized for: High-volume APIs, Fast Q&A, Real-time chatbots. Molmo 72B (Vision) works best for: Visual grounding, Object detection, 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 Yi Lightning
response_a = client.chat.completions.create(
model="yi-lightning",
messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)
# Use Molmo 72B
response_b = client.chat.completions.create(
model="molmo-72b",
messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Your question here"}]
)Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Yi Lightning or Molmo 72B?
Yi Lightning (Open Source, 200B MoE) offers Fast inference. Molmo 72B (Vision, 72B) offers Fully open. Choose Yi Lightning for High-volume APIs or Molmo 72B for Visual grounding.
How much does Yi Lightning cost vs Molmo 72B?
Yi Lightning: $0.04/1M input, $0.08/1M output. Molmo 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 Yi Lightning and Molmo 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.