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Head-to-head comparison

Qwen3 235B A22B vs Qwen3.5 397B A17B

Qwen3 235B A22B (Qwen) and Qwen3.5 397B A17B (Qwen) compared on the ModelCap Index, API price, context window, provider availability, weight access and every public benchmark board they share. Figures are the same ones shown on the live rankings; nothing here is a hidden score.

Snapshot as of 6 November 2026

As of 6 November 2026, Qwen3.5 397B A17B holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#48 vs #110); and Qwen3.5 397B A17B offers the longer context window (262K vs 131K tokens).

Which should you choose?

Choose Qwen3 235B A22B if…

  • ModelCap publishes no field on which Qwen3 235B A22B leads Qwen3.5 397B A17B for this pair.

Choose Qwen3.5 397B A17B if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #48 against #110 (68.6 vs 53.4 points).
  • you need the longer context window — 262K tokens against 131K.
  • you want provider choice — 10 listed API providers against 0.
  • Arena text is your yardstick — 1441 against 1402.
  • Arena coding is your yardstick — 1491 against 1444.
  • you want the more recently listed model — Qwen3.5 397B A17B was listed 16 February 2026, Qwen3 235B A22B 28 April 2025.

Qwen3 235B A22B vs Qwen3.5 397B A17B: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of Qwen3 235B A22B and Qwen3.5 397B A17B
FieldQwen3 235B A22BQwenQwen3.5 397B A17BQwen
ModelCap Index position#110#48
Index score53.468.6
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokensUnlisted$0.50
Output price / 1M tokensUnlisted$3.60
Context window131K tokens262K tokens
Declared route output cap8K236K
API providers listed010
Weight accessOpen weightsOpen weights
Input modalitiesTextText, Image, Video
First listed28 April 202516 February 2026
PublisherQwenQwen

Evidence: 2 public benchmark observations across 2 boards · 2 public benchmark observations across 2 boards. Prices are the lowest listed API offer per million tokens observed on the OpenRouter catalogue.

Benchmark scores: Qwen3 235B A22B vs Qwen3.5 397B A17B

Public benchmark boards where Qwen3 235B A22B or Qwen3.5 397B A17B has a published result
BoardQwen3 235B A22BQwen3.5 397B A17BLeads
Arena textArena (LMArena)14021398–1407Non-thinking14411438–1444Not reportedQwen3.5 397B A17B
Arena codingArena (LMArena)14441437–1452Non-thinking14911486–1496Qwen3.5 397B A17B

Scores are the sources' own published figures for each model's best evaluated configuration; ModelCap never re-runs a benchmark.

Want a different pairing? Open the interactive comparison tool to swap either model for any current ranked language model.

Qwen3 235B A22B vs Qwen3.5 397B A17B: common questions

Is Qwen3 235B A22B better than Qwen3.5 397B A17B?

Qwen3.5 397B A17B ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 6 November 2026: #48 against #110. That is a capability ranking built from public benchmark evidence with published uncertainty; whether it is "better" for you also depends on price, context and where you can run it. Their published uncertainty intervals do not overlap, but the aggregate Index does not predict performance on every task; compare the relevant benchmark configurations before choosing.

Is Qwen3 235B A22B cheaper than Qwen3.5 397B A17B?

At least one of the two has no listed API price on ModelCap right now, so no price comparison is made.

Which has the bigger context window, Qwen3 235B A22B or Qwen3.5 397B A17B?

Qwen3.5 397B A17B has the larger context window: 262K tokens against 131K. OpenRouter catalogue or provider-endpoint declaration. Limits can vary by provider and prompt length; a model-wide maximum has not been independently verified.

Which is better for coding, Qwen3 235B A22B or Qwen3.5 397B A17B?

Arena coding: Qwen3 235B A22B 1444, Qwen3.5 397B A17B 1491 — Qwen3.5 397B A17B leads.

Are Qwen3 235B A22B and Qwen3.5 397B A17B open-weight models?

Qwen3 235B A22B: Open weights. Qwen3.5 397B A17B: Open weights. Open weights mean the checkpoint can be downloaded and self-hosted under its licence. A missing weight link does not identify every API or chat product that offers a model.

Where can I run Qwen3 235B A22B and Qwen3.5 397B A17B?

ModelCap currently lists 0 API providers for Qwen3 235B A22B and 10 for Qwen3.5 397B A17B, from the OpenRouter catalogue snapshot the site serves; each model page lists the providers and their prices.

How current is this Qwen3 235B A22B vs Qwen3.5 397B A17B comparison?

Every figure and ModelCap Index position comes from the same published snapshot dated 6 November 2026. Publication and page updates happen separately; use the snapshot date shown on the page.

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