GPT-5.5 vs Qwen3.5-27B
GPT-5.5 (2026) and Qwen3.5-27B (2026) are frontier-tier reasoning models from OpenAI and Alibaba. GPT-5.5 ships a 1M-token context window, while Qwen3.5-27B ships a 262K-token context window. On Google-Proof Q&A, GPT-5.5 leads by 7.8 pts. On pricing, Qwen3.5-27B costs $0.2/1M input tokens versus $5/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit. It focuses on practical selection signals rather than broad model-family marketing.
Qwen3.5-27B is ~2464% cheaper at $0.2/1M; pay for GPT-5.5 only for coding workflow support.
Specs
| Released | 2026-04-23 | 2026-02-24 |
| Context window | 1M | 262K |
| Parameters | — | 27B |
| Architecture | decoder only | decoder only |
| License | Proprietary | Apache 2.0 |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | - |
Pricing and availability
| GPT-5.5 | Qwen3.5-27B | |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $5/1M tokens | $0.2/1M tokens |
| Output price | $30/1M tokens | $1.56/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| GPT-5.5 | Qwen3.5-27B | |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | ||
| Multimodal | ||
| Reasoning | ||
| Function calling | ||
| Tool use | ||
| Structured outputs | ||
| Code execution |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | GPT-5.5 | Qwen3.5-27B |
|---|---|---|
| Google-Proof Q&A | 93.6 | 85.8 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, Google-Proof Q&A has GPT-5.5 at 93.6 and Qwen3.5-27B at 85.8, with GPT-5.5 ahead by 7.8 points. The largest visible gap is 7.8 points on Google-Proof Q&A, which matters most when that benchmark mirrors your workload. Treat isolated benchmark wins as directional, because provider routing, prompt style, and tool access can move real application results.
The capability footprint differs most on vision: GPT-5.5, multimodal input: GPT-5.5, and code execution: GPT-5.5. Both models share reasoning mode, function calling, tool use, and structured outputs, so the practical split is not just feature count. Use those differences to decide whether the page is about raw model quality, agentic coding support, multimodal ingestion, or predictable structured API behavior.
For cost, GPT-5.5 lists $5/1M input and $30/1M output tokens, while Qwen3.5-27B lists $0.2/1M input and $1.56/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Qwen3.5-27B lower by about $11.90 per million blended tokens. Availability is 1 providers versus 1, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose GPT-5.5 when coding workflow support and larger context windows are central to the workload. Choose Qwen3.5-27B when provider fit and lower input-token cost are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, GPT-5.5 or Qwen3.5-27B?
GPT-5.5 supports 1M tokens, while Qwen3.5-27B supports 262K tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Which is cheaper, GPT-5.5 or Qwen3.5-27B?
Qwen3.5-27B is cheaper on tracked token pricing. GPT-5.5 costs $5/1M input and $30/1M output tokens. Qwen3.5-27B costs $0.2/1M input and $1.56/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is GPT-5.5 or Qwen3.5-27B open source?
GPT-5.5 is listed under Proprietary. Qwen3.5-27B is listed under Apache 2.0. License labels affect whether you can self-host, redistribute weights, or rely only on hosted APIs, so confirm the upstream license before deployment.
Which is better for vision, GPT-5.5 or Qwen3.5-27B?
GPT-5.5 has the clearer documented vision signal in this comparison. If vision is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Which is better for multimodal input, GPT-5.5 or Qwen3.5-27B?
GPT-5.5 has the clearer documented multimodal input signal in this comparison. If multimodal input is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run GPT-5.5 and Qwen3.5-27B?
GPT-5.5 is available on OpenAI API. Qwen3.5-27B is available on OpenRouter. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-04-24. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.