GPT-5.5 vs Qwen3.5-35B-A3B
GPT-5.5 (2026) and Qwen3.5-35B-A3B (2026) are frontier-tier reasoning models from OpenAI and Alibaba. GPT-5.5 ships a 1.05m-token context window, while Qwen3.5-35B-A3B ships a 262k-token context window. On MMLU PRO, GPT-5.5 leads by 2.8 pts. On pricing, GPT-5.5 ranges from $5 to $8/1M input tokens by tier; Qwen3.5-35B-A3B costs $0.14/1M input tokens. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
GPT-5.5 fits 4x more tokens; pick it for long-context work and Qwen3.5-35B-A3B for tighter calls.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | GPT-5.5 | Qwen3.5-35B-A3B |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | reasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agents | reasoning-heavy apps, tool-calling agents, and provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 1.05m | 262k |
| Cheapest output | $30/1M tokens | $1/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 4 tracked | 2 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | MMLU PRO leader | 5 shared |
Decision tradeoffs
- GPT-5.5 holds a shared-benchmark lead on MMLU PRO, ahead by 2.8 points.
- GPT-5.5 has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- GPT-5.5 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and route flexibility.
- GPT-5.5 uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and Code execution in local model data.
- Local decision data tags GPT-5.5 for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- Qwen3.5-35B-A3B has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $1/1M tokens.
- Local decision data tags Qwen3.5-35B-A3B for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
GPT-5.5
$11,500
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenAI API 0-272K input tokens
Qwen3.5-35B-A3B
$361
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Estimated monthly gap: $11,139. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Qwen3.5-35B-A3B is $29/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Multimodal, and Code execution before moving production traffic.
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- GPT-5.5 is $29/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- GPT-5.5 adds Vision, Multimodal, and Code execution in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-04-23 | 2026-02-24 |
| Context window | 1.05m | 262k |
| Parameters | — | 35B |
| Architecture | Decoder Only | Mixture of Experts |
| License | Proprietary | Apache 2.0OSI-approved |
| Openness | Proprietary | Open source |
| Weights | Not released | Available |
| Code | Unknown | Unknown |
| Commercial use | Commercial use: conditional | Commercial use: permitted |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2025-12 | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | GPT-5.5 | Qwen3.5-35B-A3B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price |
| $0.14/1M tokens |
| Output price |
| $1/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | GPT-5.5 | Qwen3.5-35B-A3B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | No |
| Multimodal | Yes | No |
| Reasoning | Yes | Yes |
| JSON / Tool use | Yes | Yes |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | Yes | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | GPT-5.5 | Qwen3.5-35B-A3B |
|---|---|---|
| MMLU PRO | 88.1 | 85.3 |
| SWE-bench Verified | 82.6 | 69.2 |
| Google-Proof Q&A | 93.6 | 84.5 |
| Humanity's Last Exam | 41.4 | 22.4 |
| MMMU Pro | 88.3 | 75.1 |
Continue comparing
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Last reviewed: 2026-06-29. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.