FlagshipOpen SourceAlibaba

Qwen 2.5 72B

Qwen 2.5 72B is Alibaba's flagship open-source model for complex reasoning, coding, and multilingual tasks, with a 128K token context window.

Context 128K
Tier Flagship
Knowledge Mar 2024
Tools Supported
License Open Source
Input from
$0.120 / 1M tokens
across 3 providers

API Pricing

Cheapest on OpenRouter 75% below avg
ProviderInput / 1MOutput / 1MUpdated
$0.120$0.3904/14/2026
$0.120$0.3904/4/2026
$1.20$1.204/14/2026

Prices updated daily. Last check: 4/14/2026

Model Details

General

Creator
Alibaba
Family
Qwen
Tier
Flagship
Context Window
128K
Knowledge Cutoff
Mar 2024
Modalities
Text

Capabilities

Tool Calling
Yes
Open Source
Yes
Subtypes
Chat Completion, Code Generation

Strengths & Limitations

  • Open-source model weights available for local deployment and fine-tuning
  • 128K token context window for processing long documents
  • Tool calling support with structured output capabilities
  • Strong multilingual performance across multiple languages
  • 72B parameters provide substantial reasoning capabilities
  • No usage restrictions typical of proprietary models
  • Active development and updates from Alibaba's research team
  • Text-only modality - no image or multimodal input support
  • Knowledge cutoff of March 2024 is older than some competing models
  • Requires significant computational resources for local deployment
  • Smaller parameter count than some competing flagship models
  • Limited compared to proprietary models with more recent training data

Key Features

128K token context window
Tool calling with structured JSON output
Chat completion API compatibility
Code generation and programming assistance
Multilingual text processing
Open-source model weights
Streaming response support
Fine-tuning capabilities

About Qwen 2.5 72B

Qwen 2.5 72B is Alibaba's flagship model in the Qwen family, representing the largest and most capable open-source offering from the series. As a 72-billion parameter model, it sits at the top tier of the Qwen 2.5 lineup, designed for complex reasoning and advanced language understanding tasks. The model features a 128,000 token context window and supports text-based interactions including chat completion and code generation. It includes tool calling capabilities and demonstrates strong performance across multilingual tasks. The model's open-source nature allows for local deployment and fine-tuning, making it accessible for organizations that require on-premises solutions or custom modifications. Qwen 2.5 72B competes with other flagship open-source models in the 70B+ parameter range, offering organizations an alternative to proprietary models for complex reasoning tasks while maintaining full control over deployment and data privacy.

Common Use Cases

Qwen 2.5 72B is well-suited for organizations requiring a flagship-tier model with full deployment control and data privacy. Its 128K context window makes it effective for long-document analysis, complex reasoning tasks, and multi-turn conversations that require substantial context retention. The model's open-source nature makes it ideal for research institutions, enterprises with strict data governance requirements, and developers who need to customize model behavior through fine-tuning. Its strong coding capabilities support software development workflows, while multilingual support enables global applications across different languages and regions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Qwen 2.5 72B cost per million tokens?

Qwen 2.5 72B pricing varies significantly by provider and deployment type (cloud API vs self-hosted). Check the pricing table above for current rates across all providers offering this model.

What is Qwen 2.5 72B best used for?

Qwen 2.5 72B excels at complex reasoning tasks, long-document analysis, code generation, and multilingual applications where data privacy and deployment control are important. Its 128K context window and open-source nature make it particularly valuable for enterprise use cases requiring on-premises deployment.

How does Qwen 2.5 72B compare to other open-source flagship models?

Qwen 2.5 72B offers a 128K context window and strong multilingual capabilities, though it's text-only unlike some multimodal alternatives. Its 72B parameter count provides substantial reasoning capabilities while being more resource-efficient than larger 100B+ parameter models, making it a balanced choice for organizations needing flagship performance with manageable infrastructure requirements.