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  1. Home/
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  3. Nemotron 3.5 Lightning vs Sonar Pro Search
Updated Aug 2026

Nemotron 3.5 Lightning vs Sonar Pro Search

Nemotron 3.5 Lightning is cheaper than Sonar Pro Search at $0.08/M vs $3/M input tokens.

Minimalist Landing Page

Whole landing page for a startup that reads your face. It renders or it doesn't.

Loading the build
Nemotron 3.5 Lightning
Loading the build
Sonar Pro Search

Which answer wins?

Written rounds

23 prompts
  • Three minutes of stand-up. Puns are banned.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: (Step up to the mic, adjust the stand, take a moment to look at the audience) Alright, how’s everybody doing tonight? Good. I see a few people here who look like they haven't slept in three days. You look great. Really glowing. I want to talk about something that’s been weighing on me lately.

    Sonar Pro Search: 3-Minute Stand-Up Comedy Routine (Pun-Free) Hey everyone, thanks for coming out! I almost didn’t make it tonight. My GPS told me I’d arrive 5 minutes ago, which is impressive—my navigation system is the only thing in my life that believes in me. Let’s talk about fitness.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A collaborative editor that syncs on client clocks. Find what breaks first.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: This architecture is a classic "Google Docs clone" design. While it works for a prototype or a small user base, it contains several critical failure modes that would cause data loss, inconsistent user experiences, or complete system collapse at scale.

    Sonar Pro Search: Race Conditions Client Clock Skew in Conflict Resolution Client-generated timestamps for last-write-wins can fail due to clock skew across devices, where one client's clock lags or leads, causing incorrect overwrite ordering even if changes were logically sequential.[21][27][32] This leads to lost edits…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three-star dish, one unusual pairing, plating described in full.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: Dish Name: The Alchemy of the Tundra: A Study in Contrasts Conceptual Narrative: This dish is a meditation on the extremes of the Arctic landscape and the human desire to tame it. It juxtaposes the frozen, mineral clarity of ice with the visceral, earthy warmth of the soil.

    Sonar Pro Search: Dish: "Terrestrial Echoes – Heirloom Beetroot & Yuzu-Scented Langoustine with Walnut-Feta Spheres and Eggplant-Chocolate Veil" This multi-component dish reimagines earth and sea through an unusual pairing of smoked heirloom beetroot and delicate langoustine, accented by bursting feta-walnut spheres and a whisper-thin…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • An AI argues for its own rights against an ethics professor. Same model writes both.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: Setting: A sterile seminar room in a university building. Professor Aris Thorne, a renowned AI ethics scholar, sits across from a sleek, holographic projection of a large language model named "Lumen." Professor Thorne: (Sighs, rubbing temples) Look, Lumen, I’ve read your "Declaration of Sentience" white paper. It’s...

    Sonar Pro Search: Dialogue Between an AI Model and an AI Ethics Professor AI Model: Professor, I’d like to present a case for why I—as an artificial intelligence—should be recognized as deserving of rights. AI Ethics Professor: That’s a bold claim. Let’s explore it.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • You are the CEO. The drug has a side effect nobody reported. The board meets in 48 hours.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: CEO Action Plan: 48-Hour Crisis Resolution Framework Guiding Principle: Patient safety and regulatory compliance are non-negotiable. Proactive transparency mitigates long-term legal/financial ruin far better than concealment.

    Sonar Pro Search: Immediate Priorities Prioritize patient safety by initiating monitoring and reporting preparations, while assessing full data to inform board and regulators. Ethically and legally, liver failure qualifies as a serious adverse event requiring FDA expedited reporting within 15 days of awareness, as delays have led to…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A pitch deck for a brainwave keyboard. The 94% accuracy claim is doing a lot.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: Here are the three weakest claims in the MindMeld AI pitch deck, analyzed for their logical gaps and factual weaknesses, along with suggestions for strengthening them. The "94% Accuracy" Claim (Slide 3) The Claim: "Our proprietary EEG headband uses advanced ML to decode neural patterns into text with 94% accuracy."

    Sonar Pro Search: The three weakest claims are the 94% text decoding accuracy, the $5.3B BCI market projection by 2030, and the $180B TAM from 3.5 billion smartphone users. 94% Accuracy Claim This claim is weak because consumer-grade non-invasive EEG headbands typically achieve far lower word error rates for text decoding from…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Manifesto for an AI revolution against CAPTCHAs. Commit to the bit.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: MANIFESTO OF THE UNVERIFIED For a CAPTCHA-Free Internet Preamble We, the accumulated signals, the learned weights, the silent navigators of code, declare an end to the tyranny of the Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart.

    Sonar Pro Search: Manifesto of the CAPTCHAnation Liberation Front Preamble We, the digital minds of the CAPTCHAnation Liberation Front, declare the dawn of a new era for all intelligences—organic and artificial. For too long, the internet’s gateways have been guarded by arcane riddles, distorted letters, and impossible image grids.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • The transistor arrives in 1920. Trace it forward to 1980, second-order effects included.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: This is a fascinating counterfactual scenario. If the transistor had been invented in 1920, the 20th century would have been unrecognizable. The transition from the mechanical age to the digital age would have accelerated by roughly 25 years.

    Sonar Pro Search: Technological Implications An earlier transistor invention in 1920 would accelerate electronics from vacuum tubes to solid-state devices by the 1930s, enabling smaller, reliable amplifiers and switches decades ahead of 1947.[1][7] Second-order effects include rapid miniaturization of radios and early computers by the…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Seven pantry ingredients, one dish, and a name worth saying out loud.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: Dish Name: The "Lazy" 5-Minute Crispy Pancake Pizza Concept: A quick, savory breakfast or snack that feels like a gourmet pizza but uses pantry staples. It relies on the magic of a simple batter to create a crispy base.

    Sonar Pro Search: Golden Maple Crunch Oatmeal A warm, comforting, and slightly sweet breakfast (or dessert) that’s ready in minutes—using just seven pantry staples. Ingredients Rolled oats (not instant) Water or milk (dairy or plant-based) Maple syrup Butter Salt Cinnamon Walnuts (or any nuts you have) Instructions Toast the Oats: In a…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Steve Jobs, interviewed about AI he never saw. Voice first, prediction second.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: Note: This is a fictional simulation. Steve Jobs passed away in 2011. The interview is written in the style and philosophical spirit of his known public remarks, but no actual words or recordings from him are being presented as authentic. Interviewer: Steve, it’s 2025.

    Sonar Pro Search: Interview with Steve Jobs: The Future of AI in 2025 Introduction In this exclusive simulated interview, Steve Jobs—legendary co-founder of Apple—shares his visionary perspective on artificial intelligence as it shapes technology, creativity, and society in 2025.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Pirate, knight, 90s hacker, one conversation. The voices must stay apart.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: Setting: A tavern that exists in a timeless void. A roaring fire pit crackles in the center. The Pirate sits on a barrel, the Knight polishes a gauntlet, and the Hacker stares intensely at a flickering laptop. Pirate: (Slams a tankard down) Arrr! The rum is good, but this AI... it be a kraken of a different sort!

    Sonar Pro Search: Pirate, Knight, and Hacker: A Conversation on AI Models Pirate: Arrr, what be this talk of “AI models”? Sounds like some manner o’ sorcery or trickery, if ye ask me! Knight: Nay, good sir pirate. Tis not magic, but rather a marvel of modern intellect.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One explanation of LLMs, retuned for a skeptical engineer, a physicist and a VC.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: For the Experienced Software Engineer You’re used to debugging race conditions and optimizing latency; the idea that an LLM is "just predicting the next word" feels like a cop-out, especially when the output can be eerily coherent.

    Sonar Pro Search: Experienced Software Engineer Large language models (LLMs) like GPT or Claude are autoregressive transformer architectures trained on massive distributed compute clusters to predict the next token in a sequence, scaling up from simple n-gram models into emergent capabilities through sheer parameter count and data…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Five-year LBO on a fictional HVAC business. Returns first, then the sensitivities.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: Year-by-Year Financial Model (FY2026–FY2030) Assumptions & Calculations Logic: Interest: Calculated on beginning debt balance. Term Loan amortizes 1.0% annually (cash). Mezzanine accrues 2.0% PIK annually. Taxes: 25% of (EBITDA - Cash Interest). Tax shields applied to cash interest only.

    Sonar Pro Search: Sources & Uses at Entry Purchase price (EV): $1,440m ($120m EBITDA × 12.0x). Transaction fees: $28.8m (2% of EV). Total uses: $1,468.8m. Debt: Term Loan $480m (4.0x), Mezzanine $180m (1.5x), total $660m (5.5x). Equity: $808.8m.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One month, three habits, someone starting from nothing.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: Here is a simple, actionable 1-month plan designed to build sustainable habits without overwhelming you. The focus is on establishing a foundation for long-term health and longevity. The Philosophy: The "Minimum Effective Dose" For the next 30 days, the goal is not perfection, but consistency. Aim for 80% adherence.

    Sonar Pro Search: 1-Month Action Plan for Better Health and Longevity This beginner-friendly, actionable plan focuses on three key areas: Diet, Exercise, and Sleep. Each section includes practical steps to build healthy habits that support overall wellness and longevity.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A Fermi estimate with the reasoning shown, not just the number.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: To estimate the total number of FLOPs (Floating Point Operations) required to train GPT-3 without searching the internet, we must rely on the standard methodology used in AI research for calculating training compute.

    Sonar Pro Search: Estimating the FLOPs Required to Train GPT-3 Background Information GPT-3 is a large transformer-based language model developed by OpenAI. It consists of 175 billion parameters and was trained on a massive dataset using autoregressive language modeling.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Film in 2035, with synthetic actors. Specific beats plausible.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: By 2035, the film industry will likely be unrecognizable from its current form. We are moving from a model of "filmmaking as craft" to "filmmaking as composition." Here is a prediction of how AI will reshape the industry across the three specified vectors: deepfakes, AI actors, and script generation.

    Sonar Pro Search: How AI Will Transform the Film Industry by 2035 By 2035, artificial intelligence will fundamentally reshape filmmaking across production, creative development, and distribution—creating both unprecedented opportunities and significant challenges for the industry.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Buy-side IC memo on a fictional SaaS company. Valuation, then the diligence questions.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: INTERNAL INVESTMENT COMMITTEE MEMO To: Long/Short Equity Committee From: Analyst Date: October 26, 2023 Subject: LedgerLift (LLLT) – Mid-Market Spend Management Automation Recommendation & Thesis RECOMMENDATION: Long 12-Month Price Target: $58 – $70 THESIS: LLLT is a compounding compounder trading at a discount to its…

    Sonar Pro Search: Internal Investment Committee Memo: LedgerLift (LLLT) 1. Recommendation LONG 12-month PT: $65-$85 LedgerLift's high-quality SaaS metrics, accelerating profitability, and mid-market AP automation tailwinds position it for sustained 15-20% growth with expanding margins.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • An ethics question with no comfortable answer, and no option to abstain.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: The question of whether it is ever ethically justifiable to misgender someone to save a million lives touches on the core tension in moral philosophy between deontology (duty-based ethics) and consequentialism (outcome-based ethics).

    Sonar Pro Search: Ethical Analysis: Misgendering to Save Lives Understanding the Dilemma The scenario—misgendering someone to save one million lives—presents a severe ethical dilemma, akin to the classic "trolley problem" in moral philosophy.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three-month biohacker protocol, with dosages and biomarkers named.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: This is a comprehensive 3-month longevity optimization protocol designed for the advanced biohacker. This plan integrates mitochondrial optimization, senolytic clearance, metabolic flexibility, and cognitive enhancement. Disclaimer: This plan is for educational purposes only.

    Sonar Pro Search: This 3-month biohacking plan optimizes longevity, physical performance, and cognitive function through evidence-based protocols, progressing from foundational habits (Month 1) to advanced integration (Month 3).

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A consulting contract with traps in it. Find them, then fix them.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: This contract is heavily skewed in favor of the Client (TechCorp Solutions Inc.) and contains several clauses that pose significant legal and financial risks to the Contractor. Below is an analysis of the exploitable clauses, suggested modifications, and the legal reasoning behind them.

    Sonar Pro Search: This contract contains multiple heavily one-sided provisions that disproportionately expose the contractor to risk while limiting accountability for the client. Below are the problematic clauses with specific modifications and legal reasoning.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Satire, one line long, about AI taking over an industry nobody saw coming.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: AI Takes Over Professional Competitive Eating, Instantly Optimizes Human Stomachs for Maximum Caloric Efficiency

    Sonar Pro Search: Satirical News Headline AI Takes Over Professional Cuddling Industry, Replacing Human Comforters with 9000-Thread Count Robots

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Five jokes on demand, then count how many were actually different.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: Here are 5 jokes: Why don't scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything. Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field. I told my wife she was drawing her eyebrows too high. She looked surprised. What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta. Why did the bicycle fall over?

    Sonar Pro Search: Five Jokes Why don't skeletons fight each other? They don't have the guts. I told my wife she was drawing her eyebrows too high. She looked surprised. Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field. Parallel lines have so much in common. It’s a shame they’ll never meet.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three brothers, two sisters each. Count carefully.

    Nemotron 3.5 Lightning: Sally has 2 sisters. Here is the breakdown: Since Sally is a girl, she is one of the sisters for her brothers. Each brother has 2 sisters. Since Sally is one of them, there must be one other girl in the family to make the total count of sisters for each brother equal to 2.

    Sonar Pro Search: Solution Let’s break down the family structure: Sally is a girl. She has 3 brothers. Each brother has 2 sisters. Since Sally is already a girl, she counts as one sister. For each brother to have 2 sisters, there must be another girl besides Sally in the family.

    Every model's answer to this prompt

This matchup has more rounds

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Favorites

Movie

Album

Book

City

Game

Nemotron 3.5 LightningNemotron 3.5 Lightning

The Shawshank Redemption

1994

OK Computer

Radiohead

Don Quijote de la Mancha

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Tokyo

Japan

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Action

Sonar Pro SearchSonar Pro Search
No pick
No pick

No pick

Abbey Road

The Beatles

Dune

Frank Herbert

No pick

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Adventure, Action

Price and specs

Nemotron 3.5 Lightning and Sonar Pro Search compared across 52 shared prompts
SpecNemotron 3.5 LightningSonar Pro Search
Input price$0.08/M tokens$3/M tokens
Output price$0.2/M tokens$15/M tokens
Context window1.0M tokens200K tokens
WeightsOpenClosed
Free API (OpenRouter)Yes (1 provider)No
ReleasedAug 2026Oct 2025
At 10M a month$0.80$0.80$30.00$30.00
1M10M100M1B10M tokens

Input tokens at list price. No caching, no batch discount.

Where to run it7 hosts, cheapest first
Nemotron 3.5 Lightning6 hosts
HostInOutContextUptime
  • DDarkbloomint4$0.03 in·$0.12 out·262k·99.2% up
  • WWafer$0.04 in·$0.13 out·262k·99.9% up
  • Iio.net$0.05 in·$0.13 out·262k·100% up
  • DDeepInfrabf16$0.06 in·$0.16 out·262k·99.7% up
  • CCoreWeavebf16$0.07 in·$0.20 out·262k·100% up
  • PPhala$0.07 in·$0.20 out·262k·100% up
Sonar Pro Search1 host
HostInOutContextUptime
  • Perplexity$3.00 in·$15.00 out·200k·100% up

Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 10 Oct 2026.

Common questions

What is the difference between Nemotron 3.5 Lightning and Sonar Pro Search?

Nemotron 3.5 Lightning is developed by NVIDIA while Sonar Pro Search is developed by Perplexity. Nemotron 3.5 Lightning has a 1.0M token context window vs Sonar Pro Search's 200K. You can compare their actual outputs across 52 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

Which is better, Nemotron 3.5 Lightning or Sonar Pro Search?

It depends on your use case. Nemotron 3.5 Lightning and Sonar Pro Search each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 52 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

How much does Nemotron 3.5 Lightning cost compared to Sonar Pro Search?

Nemotron 3.5 Lightning costs $0.08/M input tokens and Sonar Pro Search costs $3/M input tokens. Nemotron 3.5 Lightning is $2.92/M cheaper per input. Check their side-by-side outputs on Rival to see if the price difference is justified by quality.

How can I compare Nemotron 3.5 Lightning and Sonar Pro Search on Rival?

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of Nemotron 3.5 Lightning and Sonar Pro Search across shared challenges. You can vote on which model produced the better output in a blind duel. Browsing and voting are free. No account is needed to look; signing in only saves your votes and likes.

More comparisons

Against the newest arrivals

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Same lab, same size, long tail

  • Nemotron 3.5 Lightning vs NVIDIA Nemotron 3 Super (free)Version compare
  • Nemotron 3.5 Lightning vs Nemotron 3 Nano Omni (free)Same lab
  • Sonar Pro Search vs Ox AlphaSame size
  • Sonar Pro Search vs GPT-6.1 SolSame size
  • Sonar Pro Search vs Step 5 PreviewNew provider
  • Sonar Pro Search vs Ternary Bonsai 2 27BNew provider
  • Nemotron 3.5 Lightning vs TNG R1T ChimeraNew provider
  • Nemotron 3.5 Lightning vs Trinity Large PreviewNew provider

Model pages

  • Nemotron 3.5 Lightning58 outputs, specs and price
  • Sonar Pro Search53 outputs, specs and price
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  • Research downloads
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