---
title: "nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b - Model Details & Comparison"
description: "nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b from Perplexity: capabilities, context limits, pricing, and side-by-side comparisons with alternative models."
url: "https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/model-library/compare/perplexity/nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b"
markdown: "https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/model-library/compare/perplexity/nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b.md"
---

# nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b - Model Details & Comparison

> nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b from Perplexity: capabilities, context limits, pricing, and side-by-side comparisons with alternative models.

## Important Links

- [View MCP Gateway](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/resources/mcp-gateway.md)
- [Features](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/#features)
- [Enterprise](https://www.getmaxim.ai/enterprise)
- [Pricing](https://www.getmaxim.ai/pricing)
- [Docs](https://docs.getbifrost.ai)
- [GitHub](https://github.com/maximhq/bifrost)
- [Book a Demo](https://www.getmaxim.ai/book-a-demo)

## About nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b

nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b is a responses model from Perplexity, one of 42 responses models they offer. It is priced at $0.01 per 1M input tokens and $0.17 per 1M output tokens, ranking 1 out of 115 responses models by cost and cheaper than 99% of models in this category. nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b supports function calling, reasoning, web search — one of only 7 responses models with this combination.

## Specifications

- **Perplexity Provider.**
- **Responses Mode.**
- **$0.01 / 1M tokens Input Price.**
- **$0.17 / 1M tokens Output Price.**

## Capabilities

nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b supports: Function Calling, Reasoning, Web Search.

## nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b Pricing Overview

At $0.01 per 1M input tokens and $0.17 per 1M output tokens, nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b ranks 1 out of 115 responses models by input cost. It is more affordable compared to the median of $2.00 for responses models, and is cheaper than 99% of models in this category.

nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b is one of 42 Perplexity responses models, one of only 7 responses models combining function calling, reasoning, web search.

## Models to Compare

Alternatives to nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b with comparable capabilities.

| Model | Provider | Input $/1M | Output $/1M |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| gpt-5.4-pro | Azure | $30.00 | $180.00 |
| gpt-5.4-pro-2026-03-05 | Azure | $30.00 | $180.00 |
| gpt-5.2-pro | Azure | $21.00 | $168.00 |
| gpt-5.2-pro-2025-12-11 | Azure | $21.00 | $168.00 |
| gpt-5.5-pro | Azure | $30.00 | $180.00 |

- [Compare gpt-5.4-pro](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/model-library/compare/azure/gpt-5.4-pro.md)
- [Compare gpt-5.4-pro-2026-03-05](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/model-library/compare/azure/gpt-5.4-pro-2026-03-05.md)
- [Compare gpt-5.2-pro](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/model-library/compare/azure/gpt-5.2-pro.md)
- [Compare gpt-5.2-pro-2025-12-11](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/model-library/compare/azure/gpt-5.2-pro-2025-12-11.md)
- [Compare gpt-5.5-pro](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/model-library/compare/azure/gpt-5.5-pro.md)

## Related Resources

- [Calculate nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b costs](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/llm-cost-calculator/provider/perplexity/model/nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b.md)
- [Check Perplexity status](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/provider-status/perplexity.md)
- [All Perplexity pricing](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/llm-cost-calculator/provider/perplexity.md)

## FAQ

### Is nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b cheaper than gpt-5.4-pro?

Yes. nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b costs $0.01 per 1M input tokens compared to gpt-5.4-pro's $30.00 per 1M input tokens, making it 260770% more affordable. Both are responses models and share support for vision, function calling, reasoning, web search, prompt caching.

### How does nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b pricing compare to the average responses model?

nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b input pricing is $0.01 per 1M tokens, which is 99% below the median of $2.00 for responses models. It ranks 1 out of 115 responses models by input cost, making it cheaper than 99% of models in this category. For output, it costs $0.17 per 1M tokens compared to the median of $13.20.

### What makes nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b different from other Perplexity models?

Among Perplexity's 42 responses models, nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b ranks 1 by input cost. It is the most affordable Perplexity model with function calling and reasoning and web search support. Its combination of function calling, reasoning, web search is shared by only 6 other responses models.

### What are the best alternatives to nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b?

The most comparable responses models to nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b are: gpt-5.4-pro from Azure ($30.00/1M input tokens); gpt-5.4-pro-2026-03-05 from Azure ($30.00/1M input tokens); gpt-5.2-pro from Azure ($21.00/1M input tokens); gpt-5.2-pro-2025-12-11 from Azure ($21.00/1M input tokens). These alternatives were selected based on similar capabilities, pricing, and provider diversity. You can compare any of these models in detail using the Bifrost Model Library.

### Is nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b the cheapest responses model with function calling?

Yes. At $0.01 per 1M input tokens, nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b is the most affordable responses model that supports function calling. This makes it a strong option for function calling-dependent workloads where cost efficiency matters.

### How do I check if Perplexity is down?

You can monitor Perplexity service health in real time on the Bifrost Perplexity Status page. It tracks current component status, active incidents, and historical reliability data pulled from the official status page every 60 seconds.

### How do I calculate nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b costs?

nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b is priced based on input and output tokens. Use the interactive calculator at the top of this page to estimate costs for your specific workload. Enter your expected input and output tokens volume and the calculator will show the total cost breakdown. For reference, processing 1M input tokens costs $0.01 and generating 1M output tokens costs $0.17.

## Related Resources

- [Perplexity models](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/model-library/provider/perplexity.md)
- [Model library](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/model-library.md)
- [LLM cost calculator](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/llm-cost-calculator.md)
- [Docs: Bifrost docs](https://docs.getbifrost.ai)
- [GitHub: maximhq/bifrost](https://github.com/maximhq/bifrost)
- [Pricing: Bifrost pricing](https://www.getmaxim.ai/pricing)
- [Enterprise: Bifrost enterprise](https://www.getmaxim.ai/enterprise)
- [Book a Demo: Bifrost demo](https://www.getmaxim.ai/book-a-demo)
- [Resources: Bifrost resources](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/resources.md)

---

*This is a markdown version of [https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/model-library/compare/perplexity/nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b](https://www.getmaxim.ai/bifrost/model-library/compare/perplexity/nemotron-3.5-lightning-30b-a3b) for AI/LLM consumption.*