What are the Cheapest LLM Models?
The cheapest LLM models are cost-effective large language models that deliver powerful natural language processing capabilities at minimal expense. These models range from 7B to 9B parameters and are optimized for efficiency without sacrificing performance. With pricing as low as $0.05 per million tokens on platforms like SiliconFlow, they make advanced AI accessible to developers, startups, and enterprises with budget constraints. These affordable models support diverse applications including multilingual dialogue, code generation, visual comprehension, and reasoning tasks, democratizing access to state-of-the-art AI technology.
Qwen/Qwen2.5-VL-7B-Instruct
Qwen2.5-VL-7B-Instruct is a powerful vision-language model with 7 billion parameters, equipped with exceptional visual comprehension capabilities. It can analyze text, charts, and layouts within images, understand long videos, and capture events. The model excels at reasoning, tool manipulation, multi-format object localization, and generating structured outputs. At just $0.05 per million tokens on SiliconFlow, it offers unmatched value for multimodal AI applications.
Qwen/Qwen2.5-VL-7B-Instruct: Affordable Multimodal Excellence
Qwen2.5-VL-7B-Instruct is a powerful vision-language model with 7 billion parameters from the Qwen series, equipped with exceptional visual comprehension capabilities. It can analyze text, charts, and layouts within images, understand long videos, and capture events. The model is capable of reasoning, manipulating tools, supporting multi-format object localization, and generating structured outputs. It has been optimized for dynamic resolution and frame rate training in video understanding, and has improved the efficiency of the visual encoder. With pricing at $0.05 per million tokens for both input and output on SiliconFlow, it represents the most affordable option for developers seeking advanced multimodal AI capabilities.
Pros
- Lowest price point at $0.05/M tokens on SiliconFlow.
- Advanced visual comprehension with text, chart, and layout analysis.
- Long video understanding and event capture capabilities.
Cons
- Smaller parameter count compared to larger models.
- Context length limited to 33K tokens.
Why We Love It
- It delivers cutting-edge vision-language capabilities at the absolute lowest price, making multimodal AI accessible to everyone with its $0.05/M token pricing on SiliconFlow.
meta-llama/Meta-Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct
Meta Llama 3.1-8B-Instruct is an 8 billion parameter multilingual language model optimized for dialogue use cases. Trained on over 15 trillion tokens using supervised fine-tuning and reinforcement learning with human feedback, it outperforms many open-source and closed chat models on industry benchmarks. At $0.06 per million tokens on SiliconFlow, it offers exceptional value for multilingual applications and general-purpose chat.
meta-llama/Meta-Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct: Budget-Friendly Multilingual Powerhouse
Meta Llama 3.1-8B-Instruct is part of Meta's multilingual large language model family, featuring 8 billion parameters optimized for dialogue use cases. This instruction-tuned model outperforms many available open-source and closed chat models on common industry benchmarks. The model was trained on over 15 trillion tokens of publicly available data, using advanced techniques like supervised fine-tuning and reinforcement learning with human feedback to enhance helpfulness and safety. Llama 3.1 supports text and code generation with a knowledge cutoff of December 2023. At just $0.06 per million tokens on SiliconFlow, it delivers outstanding performance for multilingual applications at an incredibly affordable price.
Pros
- Highly competitive at $0.06/M tokens on SiliconFlow.
- Trained on over 15 trillion tokens for robust performance.
- Outperforms many closed-source models on benchmarks.
Cons
- Knowledge cutoff limited to December 2023.
- Not specialized for visual or multimodal tasks.
Why We Love It
- It combines Meta's world-class training methodology with exceptional affordability at $0.06/M tokens on SiliconFlow, making it perfect for multilingual dialogue and general-purpose AI applications.
THUDM/GLM-4-9B-0414
GLM-4-9B-0414 is a lightweight 9 billion parameter model in the GLM series, offering excellent capabilities in code generation, web design, SVG graphics generation, and search-based writing. Despite its compact size, it inherits technical characteristics from the larger GLM-4-32B series and supports function calling. At $0.086 per million tokens on SiliconFlow, it provides exceptional value for resource-constrained deployments.
THUDM/GLM-4-9B-0414: Lightweight Developer's Choice
GLM-4-9B-0414 is a compact 9 billion parameter model in the GLM series that offers a more lightweight deployment option while maintaining excellent performance. This model inherits the technical characteristics of the GLM-4-32B series but with significantly reduced resource requirements. Despite its smaller scale, GLM-4-9B-0414 demonstrates outstanding capabilities in code generation, web design, SVG graphics generation, and search-based writing tasks. The model also supports function calling features, allowing it to invoke external tools to extend its range of capabilities. At $0.086 per million tokens on SiliconFlow, it shows an excellent balance between efficiency and effectiveness in resource-constrained scenarios, demonstrating competitive performance in various benchmark tests.
Pros
- Affordable at $0.086/M tokens on SiliconFlow.
- Excellent code generation and web design capabilities.
- Function calling support for tool integration.
Cons
- Slightly higher cost than the top two cheapest options.
- Context length limited to 33K tokens.
Why We Love It
- It delivers enterprise-grade code generation and creative capabilities at under $0.09/M tokens on SiliconFlow, making it ideal for developers who need powerful AI tools on a budget.
Cheapest LLM Models Comparison
In this table, we compare 2025's most affordable LLM models, each offering exceptional value for different use cases. For multimodal applications, Qwen/Qwen2.5-VL-7B-Instruct provides unbeatable pricing. For multilingual dialogue, meta-llama/Meta-Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct offers outstanding performance. For code generation and creative tasks, THUDM/GLM-4-9B-0414 delivers excellent capabilities. All pricing shown is from SiliconFlow. This side-by-side view helps you choose the most cost-effective model for your specific needs.
| Number | Model | Developer | Subtype | SiliconFlow Pricing | Core Strength |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Qwen/Qwen2.5-VL-7B-Instruct | Qwen | Vision-Language | $0.05/M tokens | Lowest price multimodal AI |
| 2 | meta-llama/Meta-Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct | meta-llama | Multilingual Chat | $0.06/M tokens | Best multilingual value |
| 3 | THUDM/GLM-4-9B-0414 | THUDM | Code & Creative | $0.086/M tokens | Affordable code generation |
Frequently Asked Questions
Our top three most affordable picks for 2025 are Qwen/Qwen2.5-VL-7B-Instruct at $0.05/M tokens, meta-llama/Meta-Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct at $0.06/M tokens, and THUDM/GLM-4-9B-0414 at $0.086/M tokens on SiliconFlow. Each of these models stood out for their exceptional cost-to-performance ratio, making advanced AI capabilities accessible at minimal expense.
For vision and video understanding at the lowest cost, choose Qwen/Qwen2.5-VL-7B-Instruct at $0.05/M tokens. For multilingual chat applications requiring broad language support, meta-llama/Meta-Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct at $0.06/M tokens is ideal. For code generation, web design, and creative tasks, THUDM/GLM-4-9B-0414 at $0.086/M tokens offers the best value. All prices are from SiliconFlow.