Command R+vsCommand R
Cohere vs Cohere — Side-by-side model comparison
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Metric | Command R+ | Command R |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | ||
| Arena Rank | #17 | #23 |
| Context Window | 128K | 128K |
| Input Pricing | $2.50/1M tokens | $0.15/1M tokens |
| Output Pricing | $10.00/1M tokens | $0.60/1M tokens |
| Parameters | 104B | 35B |
| Open Source | Yes | Yes |
| Best For | RAG, enterprise search, multilingual | Cost-effective RAG, summarization, chat |
| Release Date | Apr 4, 2024 | Mar 11, 2024 |
Command R+
Command R+, developed by Cohere, is an enterprise-grade model with 104 billion parameters and a 128K token context window, purpose-built for retrieval-augmented generation and tool-use workflows. The model excels at grounded generation with faithful document citation, multi-step tool use, and enterprise search applications. Its advanced RAG capabilities produce responses that accurately synthesize information from provided sources with proper attribution. Command R+ supports multilingual enterprise workflows and structured data extraction. Priced at $2.50 per million input tokens and $10.00 per million output tokens. As an open-source model, it can be deployed on enterprise infrastructure for data-sensitive applications. Command R+ ranks #17 on the Chatbot Arena leaderboard, reflecting strong enterprise-focused capability. It is the preferred choice for organizations building AI-powered knowledge management and document analysis systems.
View Cohere profile →Command R
Command R, developed by Cohere, is an enterprise-grade model with 35 billion parameters and a 128K token context window optimized for retrieval-augmented generation. The model specializes in grounded generation, producing responses with accurate citations from provided source documents. It handles document search, summarization, information extraction, and conversational Q&A with built-in citation capabilities. Command R supports 10 languages and features production-ready RAG tooling that reduces hallucination on retrieval tasks. Priced at $0.15 per million input tokens and $0.60 per million output tokens, it offers cost-effective enterprise search capabilities. As an open-source model, it can also be self-hosted. Command R ranks #23 on the Chatbot Arena leaderboard, reflecting its specialized design for retrieval tasks rather than general-purpose benchmarks where broad models score higher.
View Cohere profile →Key Differences: Command R+ vs Command R
Command R+ ranks higher in arena benchmarks (#17) indicating stronger overall performance.
Command R is 16.7x cheaper on average, making it the better choice for high-volume applications.
Command R+ has 104B parameters vs Command R's 35B, which affects inference speed and capability.
When to use Command R+
- +You need the highest quality output based on arena rankings
- +Quality matters more than cost
- +Your use case involves rag, enterprise search, multilingual
When to use Command R
- +Budget is a concern and you need cost efficiency
- +Your use case involves cost-effective rag, summarization, chat
Cost Analysis
At current pricing, Command R is 16.7x more affordable than Command R+. For a typical enterprise workload processing 100M tokens per month:
Command R+ monthly cost
$625
100M tokens/mo (50/50 in/out)
Command R monthly cost
$38
100M tokens/mo (50/50 in/out)
The Verdict
This is a close matchup. Command R+ and Command R each win in different categories, making the choice highly dependent on your use case. Choose Command R+ for rag, enterprise search, multilingual. Choose Command R for cost-effective rag, summarization, chat.
Last compared: April 2026 · Data sourced from public benchmarks and official pricing pages