Model Comparison

Command R+ vs Phi-3.5-mini-instructWhich is better in 2026?

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks. Phi-3.5-mini-instruct is 4.4x cheaper per token.

Verdict: Command R+ vs Phi-3.5-mini-instruct — which is better?

Command R+ (by Cohere) and Phi-3.5-mini-instruct (by Microsoft) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.

Command R+ outperforms in 3 benchmarks (HellaSwag, MMLU, Winogrande), while Phi-3.5-mini-instruct is better at 3 benchmarks (ARC-C, GSM8k, TruthfulQA). Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.

On price, Phi-3.5-mini-instruct is roughly 4.4x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Choose Command R+ if…

  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2024

Choose Phi-3.5-mini-instruct if…

  • cost matters — it's about 4.4x cheaper per token
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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

6 benchmarks

Command R+ outperforms in 3 benchmarks (HellaSwag, MMLU, Winogrande), while Phi-3.5-mini-instruct is better at 3 benchmarks (ARC-C, GSM8k, TruthfulQA).

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.

Tue Jun 09 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Phi-3.5-mini-instruct costs less

For input processing, Command R+ ($0.25/1M tokens) is 2.5x more expensive than Phi-3.5-mini-instruct ($0.10/1M tokens).

For output processing, Command R+ ($1.00/1M tokens) is 10.0x more expensive than Phi-3.5-mini-instruct ($0.10/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Command R+ is more expensive than Phi-3.5-mini-instruct.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Tue Jun 09 2026 • llm-stats.com
Cohere
Command R+
Input tokens$0.25
Output tokens$1.00
Best providerCohere
Microsoft
Phi-3.5-mini-instruct
Input tokens$0.10
Output tokens$0.10
Best providerAzure
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

100.2B diff

Command R+ has 100.2B more parameters than Phi-3.5-mini-instruct, making it 2636.8% larger.

Cohere
Command R+
104.0Bparameters
Microsoft
Phi-3.5-mini-instruct
3.8Bparameters
104.0B
Command R+
3.8B
Phi-3.5-mini-instruct

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Both models have the same input context window of 128,000 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 128,000 tokens.

Cohere
Command R+
Input128,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
Microsoft
Phi-3.5-mini-instruct
Input128,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
Tue Jun 09 2026 • llm-stats.com

License

Usage and distribution terms

Command R+ is licensed under CC BY-NC, while Phi-3.5-mini-instruct uses MIT.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

Command R+

CC BY-NC

Open weights

Phi-3.5-mini-instruct

MIT

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Command R+ was released on 2024-08-30, while Phi-3.5-mini-instruct was released on 2024-08-23.

Command R+ is 0 month newer than Phi-3.5-mini-instruct.

Command R+

Aug 30, 2024

1.8 years ago

1w newer
Phi-3.5-mini-instruct

Aug 23, 2024

1.8 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.

Unable to compare the recency of their training data.

No cutoff dates available

Provider Availability

Command R+ is available from Cohere, Bedrock. Phi-3.5-mini-instruct is available from Azure.

Command R+

cohere logo
Cohere
Input Price:Input: $0.25/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.00/1M
bedrock logo
AWS Bedrock
Input Price:Input: $3.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $15.00/1M

Phi-3.5-mini-instruct

azure logo
Azure
Input Price:Input: $0.10/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.10/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

Cohere
Higher HellaSwag score (88.6% vs 69.4%)
Higher MMLU score (75.7% vs 69.0%)
Higher Winogrande score (85.4% vs 68.5%)
Microsoft
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Higher ARC-C score (84.6% vs 71.0%)
Higher GSM8k score (86.2% vs 70.7%)
Higher TruthfulQA score (64.0% vs 56.3%)

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Cohere
Command R+
Microsoft
Phi-3.5-mini-instruct

FAQ

Common questions about Command R+ vs Phi-3.5-mini-instruct.

Which is better, Command R+ or Phi-3.5-mini-instruct?

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks. Command R+ is made by Cohere and Phi-3.5-mini-instruct is made by Microsoft. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Command R+ compare to Phi-3.5-mini-instruct in benchmarks?

Command R+ scores HellaSwag: 88.6%, Winogrande: 85.4%, MMLU: 75.7%, ARC-C: 71.0%, GSM8k: 70.7%. Phi-3.5-mini-instruct scores GSM8k: 86.2%, ARC-C: 84.6%, RULER: 84.1%, PIQA: 81.0%, OpenBookQA: 79.2%.

Is Command R+ cheaper than Phi-3.5-mini-instruct?

Phi-3.5-mini-instruct is 2.5x cheaper for input tokens. Command R+ costs $0.25/M input and $1.00/M output via cohere. Phi-3.5-mini-instruct costs $0.10/M input and $0.10/M output via azure.

What are the context window sizes for Command R+ and Phi-3.5-mini-instruct?

Command R+ supports 128K tokens and Phi-3.5-mini-instruct supports 128K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between Command R+ and Phi-3.5-mini-instruct?

Key differences include input pricing ($0.25 vs $0.10/M), licensing (CC BY-NC vs MIT). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Command R+ and Phi-3.5-mini-instruct?

Command R+ is developed by Cohere and Phi-3.5-mini-instruct is developed by Microsoft.

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