Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 16, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, Yi-Lightning delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,475 vs 1,398), while Yi-Lightning leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (63.4%), while Yi-Lightning is more budget-friendly at $0.14/1M per 1M output tokens, while Qwen3.8 27B provides faster response streaming (152 tok/s). Review the complete breakdown below to determine which model best fits your performance and budget requirements.
10 direct benchmark disciplines evaluated across capability, speed, and cost
Alibaba open-weight 27B drop dated Aug 14 2026. Dense enough to self-host; not a frontier MoE.
01.AI ultra-fast reasoning model delivering top LiveBench efficiency.
Currently comparing Qwen3.8 27B vs Yi-Lightning. Alternative family tiers available.
Δ 77 Arena Elo pts
152 tok/s
$0.14 / 1M output
Relative percentile scores computed across all active models in the benchmark catalog.
Comparing top Western standard models with China's leading frontier rival across 6 skill dimensions. Tap any spoke or dot to inspect.
Category wins across reasoning intelligence, generation speed, and token cost.
Preference Elo, Coding proficiency, SWE-bench & LiveBench accuracy
Generation throughput and time to first token responsiveness
Cost per million tokens and max context window length
| Benchmark | Qwen3.8 27B | Yi-Lightning | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +77 | ||
| Coding Elo | +58 | ||
| LiveBench | +4.4% | ||
| SWE-bench | +4.6% | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +4.6% | ||
| Time to first token | +10 ms | ||
| Output speed | 152 tok/s | 130 tok/s | +22 tok/s |
| Input price | $0.14/1M | +$0.04/1M | |
| Output price | $0.14/1M | +$0.26/1M | |
| Context window | +115k |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
Yi-Lightning is estimated to save $2.50/month ($30/year).
Higher SWE-bench (63.4%).
Lower output list price ($0.14/1M).
Lower TTFT (140 ms).
Larger window (131k).
Yi-Lightning is the side marked multimodal in the catalog.
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | Yi-Lightning | Higher SWE-bench (63.4%). |
| High-volume chat | Yi-Lightning | Lower output list price ($0.14/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | Qwen3.8 27B | Lower TTFT (140 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | Qwen3.8 27B | Larger window (131k). |
| Screenshots / vision | Yi-Lightning | Yi-Lightning is the side marked multimodal in the catalog. |
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Verified Head-to-Head Telemetry