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Command R+vsCommand R

Cohere vs Cohere — Side-by-side model comparison

Tied — both models win in equal categories

Head-to-Head Comparison

MetricCommand 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

1

Command R+ ranks higher in arena benchmarks (#17) indicating stronger overall performance.

2

Command R is 16.7x cheaper on average, making it the better choice for high-volume applications.

3

Command R+ has 104B parameters vs Command R's 35B, which affects inference speed and capability.

C

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
View full Command R+ specs →
C

When to use Command R

  • +Budget is a concern and you need cost efficiency
  • +Your use case involves cost-effective rag, summarization, chat
View full Command R specs →

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Command R+ or Command R?
Command R+ and Command R are closely matched, each winning in different categories. Command R+ excels at rag, enterprise search, multilingual, while Command R is optimized for cost-effective rag, summarization, chat. We recommend testing both for your specific use case.
How does Command R+ pricing compare to Command R?
Command R+ charges $2.50 per 1M input tokens and $10.00 per 1M output tokens. Command R charges $0.15 per 1M input tokens and $0.60 per 1M output tokens. Command R is the more affordable option, approximately 16.7x cheaper on average. For high-volume production workloads, the pricing difference can significantly impact total cost of ownership.
What is the context window difference between Command R+ and Command R?
Command R+ supports a 128K token context window, while Command R supports 128K tokens. Context window size matters most for tasks involving long documents, large codebases, or extended conversations.
Can I use Command R+ or Command R for free?
Command R+ is a paid API model starting at $2.50 per 1M input tokens. Command R is a paid API model starting at $0.15 per 1M input tokens. Open-source models can be self-hosted for free but require your own GPU infrastructure.
Which model has better benchmarks, Command R+ or Command R?
Command R+ holds arena rank #17, while Command R holds rank #23. Command R+ performs better in overall arena benchmarks, which aggregate human preference ratings across coding, reasoning, and general tasks. Note that benchmarks don't capture every use case — we recommend testing both models on your specific tasks.
Is Command R+ or Command R better for coding?
Command R+'s primary strength is rag, enterprise search, multilingual. Command R's primary strength is cost-effective rag, summarization, chat. For coding specifically, arena rank and code-specific benchmarks are the best indicators of performance.