Grok 3 Mini vs Qwen3.5-397B-A17B
Grok 3 Mini (2025) and Qwen3.5-397B-A17B (2026) are general-purpose language models from xAI and Alibaba. Grok 3 Mini ships a 131k-token context window, while Qwen3.5-397B-A17B ships a 262K-token context window. On pricing, Grok 3 Mini costs $0.3/1M input tokens versus $0.39/1M 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.
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B is safer overall; choose Grok 3 Mini when provider fit matters.
Specs
| Released | 2025-02-17 | 2026-02-16 |
| Context window | 131k | 262K |
| Parameters | — | 397B |
| Architecture | - | MoE |
| License | Proprietary | Apache 2.0 |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | - |
Pricing and availability
| Grok 3 Mini | Qwen3.5-397B-A17B | |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.3/1M tokens | $0.39/1M tokens |
| Output price | $0.5/1M tokens | $2.34/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Grok 3 Mini | Qwen3.5-397B-A17B | |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | ||
| Multimodal | ||
| Reasoning | ||
| Function calling | ||
| Tool use | ||
| Structured outputs | ||
| Code execution |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint is close: both models cover multimodal input and structured outputs. That makes context budget, benchmark fit, and provider maturity more important than a simple checklist. If your application depends on one integration detail, verify it against the provider route you plan to use, not just the base model listing.
For cost, Grok 3 Mini lists $0.3/1M input and $0.5/1M output tokens, while Qwen3.5-397B-A17B lists $0.39/1M input and $2.34/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Grok 3 Mini lower by about $0.61 per million blended tokens. Availability is 1 providers versus 1, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Grok 3 Mini when provider fit and lower input-token cost are central to the workload. Choose Qwen3.5-397B-A17B when long-context analysis and larger context windows are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship. This keeps the decision grounded in measurable tradeoffs instead of brand-level assumptions. It also helps separate model capability from provider packaging, which can change cost and latency. For teams standardizing a stack, that distinction is often the difference between a benchmark win and a reliable deployment.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Grok 3 Mini or Qwen3.5-397B-A17B?
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B supports 262K tokens, while Grok 3 Mini supports 131k tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Which is cheaper, Grok 3 Mini or Qwen3.5-397B-A17B?
Grok 3 Mini is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Grok 3 Mini costs $0.3/1M input and $0.5/1M output tokens. Qwen3.5-397B-A17B costs $0.39/1M input and $2.34/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Grok 3 Mini or Qwen3.5-397B-A17B open source?
Grok 3 Mini is listed under Proprietary. Qwen3.5-397B-A17B 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 multimodal input, Grok 3 Mini or Qwen3.5-397B-A17B?
Both Grok 3 Mini and Qwen3.5-397B-A17B expose multimodal input. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Which is better for structured outputs, Grok 3 Mini or Qwen3.5-397B-A17B?
Both Grok 3 Mini and Qwen3.5-397B-A17B expose structured outputs. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Where can I run Grok 3 Mini and Qwen3.5-397B-A17B?
Grok 3 Mini is available on OpenRouter. Qwen3.5-397B-A17B 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.