Laguna XS 2.1 vs Qwen3.8 Max Preview
Laguna XS 2.1 comes out ahead, 68 to 47 on our weighted score, and it is the cheaper option too.
- Our pick
PoolsideLaguna XS 2.1
68/100- ECI—
- Price$0.06 / $0.12
- Context262K
Alibaba (Qwen)Qwen3.8 Max Preview
47/100- ECI—
- Price$2.00 / $6.00
- Context1M
Add a model
Make it a three-way comparison.
Laguna XS 2.1 is our pick
Laguna XS 2.1 is the better all-round choice, scoring 68/100 against Qwen3.8 Max Preview (47). It leads on price. Qwen3.8 Max Preview wins on inputs & features and context window. The score weighs price 50%, inputs & features 30%, context window 20%. None of the shared benchmarks cover every model here yet, so capability is left out of this verdict.
- CapabilityNot enough dataNo independent benchmark covers every model here yet
- Lowest priceLaguna XS 2.1Laguna XS 2.1 $0.075 · Qwen3.8 Max Preview $3.00 per 1M tokens (3:1 blend)
- Longest contextQwen3.8 Max PreviewQwen3.8 Max Preview 1,000,000 · Laguna XS 2.1 262,144 tokens
- Widest inputsQwen3.8 Max PreviewLaguna XS 2.1: Text · Qwen3.8 Max Preview: Text, Images, Video
- Self-hostingLaguna XS 2.1Publishes downloadable weights
| Measure | Weight | Laguna XS 2.1 | Qwen3.8 Max Preview |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | 50% | 100 | 27 |
| Inputs & features | 30% | 35 | 70 |
| Context window | 20% | 37 | 60 |
| Overall | 100% | 68/100 | 47/100 |
Left out because at least one model lacks the data: capability. The remaining weights were rescaled.
Every spec in one table
Highlighted cells lead their row. Dashes mean the data is not published.
| Specification | Laguna XS 2.1Poolside | Qwen3.8 Max PreviewAlibaba (Qwen) |
|---|---|---|
| Capability | ||
| Capabilities Index (ECI) | — | — |
| ECI rank | — | — |
| Price per million tokens | ||
| Input | $0.06 (best) | $2.00 |
| Output | $0.12 (best) | $6.00 |
| Cached input | — | — |
| Blended (3:1) | $0.075 (best) | $3.00 |
| Long-context rate | Same rate | Same rate |
| Price source | Median of 1 providers | Median of 6 providers |
| Limits | ||
| Context window | 262,144 tokens | 1,000,000 tokens (best) |
| Max output | 32,768 tokens | 131,072 tokens (best) |
| Inputs and features | ||
| Text | Yes | Yes |
| Images | No | Yes |
| PDFs | No | No |
| Audio | No | No |
| Video | No | Yes |
| Reasoning | Yes | Yes |
| Tool calling | Yes | Yes |
| Structured output | No | No |
| Availability | ||
| Weights | Open | Proprietary |
| API model ID | poolside/laguna-xs-2.1 | — |
| API providers | 4 | 6 (best) |
| Released | Jul 2, 2026 | Jul 19, 2026 |
| Knowledge cutoff | — | — |
What would a month cost?
Enter your expected volume in millions of tokens. List prices only; caching and batch discounts would lower these.
- Laguna XS 2.1$0.84
- Qwen3.8 Max Preview$32.00
Which should you choose?
Which is better: Laguna XS 2.1 or Qwen3.8 Max Preview?
Laguna XS 2.1 is the better all-round choice, scoring 68/100 against Qwen3.8 Max Preview (47). It leads on price. Qwen3.8 Max Preview wins on inputs & features and context window. The score weighs price 50%, inputs & features 30%, context window 20%. None of the shared benchmarks cover every model here yet, so capability is left out of this verdict.
Which is cheaper, Laguna XS 2.1 or Qwen3.8 Max Preview?
Laguna XS 2.1 is cheaper at $0.06 input / $0.12 output per million tokens (median across 1 API provider; free on Poolside). Qwen3.8 Max Preview costs $2.00 input / $6.00 output per million tokens (median across 6 API providers). At a typical mix of three input tokens to one output token, that is $0.075 per million tokens for Laguna XS 2.1 versus $3.00 for Qwen3.8 Max Preview (40× as much).
Which scores higher on benchmarks?
There is no independent benchmark that covers both models yet. Laguna XS 2.1 has not been scored yet and Qwen3.8 Max Preview has not been scored yet.
Which is better for coding?
There are no published SWE-bench Verified results for Laguna XS 2.1 and Qwen3.8 Max Preview yet, so there is no like-for-like coding score. Test both on a sample of your own tasks. Both support tool calling for agent workflows.
Which has the bigger context window?
Qwen3.8 Max Preview has the largest context window at 1,000,000 tokens, against 262,144 for Laguna XS 2.1. Maximum output per response: Laguna XS 2.1 up to 32,768, Qwen3.8 Max Preview up to 131,072 tokens.
Which can read images, PDFs, audio or video?
Laguna XS 2.1 accepts text; Qwen3.8 Max Preview accepts text, images and video. Qwen3.8 Max Preview handles the widest range of inputs.
Are any of these open source?
Laguna XS 2.1 publishes its weights and can be self-hosted; Qwen3.8 Max Preview is proprietary.
Which is newer?
Qwen3.8 Max Preview is the newest, released Jul 19, 2026. Laguna XS 2.1 came out Jul 2, 2026.
How do you decide the winner?
Each model gets a 0–100 score on capability (50%, independent benchmark results); price (25%, blended price per million tokens (3 input : 1 output), log scale); inputs & features (15%, image, PDF, audio and video input, tool calling, structured output and reasoning); context window (10%, maximum tokens per request, log scale). Dimensions missing for any model are dropped and the remaining weights rescaled, so every model is judged on the same evidence. Specs and prices come from public model listings and the labs’ own API pages; capability scores come from independent benchmark runs. Data updated Oct 4, 2026.
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