Grok 4.3 vs Qwen3.5-397B-A17B
Grok 4.3 (2026) and Qwen3.5-397B-A17B (2026) are frontier-tier reasoning models from xAI and Alibaba. Grok 4.3 ships a 1M-token context window, while Qwen3.5-397B-A17B ships a 256K-token context window. On LMArena Text Arena - Creative Writing, Qwen3.5-397B-A17B leads by 22 pts. On pricing, Grok 4.3 ranges from $1.25 to $2.50/1M input tokens by tier; Qwen3.5-397B-A17B costs $0.45/1M input tokens. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
Grok 4.3 is safer overall; choose Qwen3.5-397B-A17B when vision-heavy evaluation matters.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Grok 4.3 | Qwen3.5-397B-A17B |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | reasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agents | reasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agents |
| Decision fit | RAG, Agents, and Long context | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 1M | 256K |
| Cheapest output | $2.50/1M tokens | $3/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 5 tracked | 5 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 3 shared | LMArena Text Arena - Creative Writing leader |
Decision tradeoffs
- Grok 4.3 has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Grok 4.3 has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $2.50/1M tokens.
- Local decision data tags Grok 4.3 for RAG, Agents, and Long context.
- Qwen3.5-397B-A17B holds a shared-benchmark lead on LMArena Text Arena - Creative Writing, ahead by 22 points.
- Local decision data tags Qwen3.5-397B-A17B 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.
Grok 4.3
$1,625
Cheapest tracked route/tier: xAI Console
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B
$1,110
Cheapest tracked route/tier: DeepInfra
Estimated monthly gap: $515. 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.
- Qwen3.5-397B-A17B is $0.50/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Grok 4.3 is $0.50/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-05-06 | 2026-02-16 |
| Context window | 1M | 256K |
| Parameters | ~0.5T | 397B (17B active) |
| Architecture | - | Mixture of Experts |
| License | Proprietary | Apache 2.0OSI-approved |
| Openness | Proprietary | Open source |
| Weights | Not released | Available |
| Code | Unknown | Unknown |
| Commercial use | Restricted | Permitted |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2024-11 | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Grok 4.3 | Qwen3.5-397B-A17B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price |
| $0.45/1M tokens |
| Output price |
| $3/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Grok 4.3 | Qwen3.5-397B-A17B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | Yes |
| Multimodal | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning | Yes | Yes |
| JSON / Tool use | Yes | Yes |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | No | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | Grok 4.3 | Qwen3.5-397B-A17B |
|---|---|---|
| LMArena Text Arena - Creative Writing | 1380.0 | 1402.0 |
| LMArena Vision Arena | 1242.0 | 1246.0 |
| Chatbot Arena | 1442.0 | 1442.0 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, LMArena Text Arena - Creative Writing has Grok 4.3 at 1380 and Qwen3.5-397B-A17B at 1402, with Qwen3.5-397B-A17B ahead by 22 points; LMArena Vision Arena has Grok 4.3 at 1242 and Qwen3.5-397B-A17B at 1246, with Qwen3.5-397B-A17B ahead by 4 points; Chatbot Arena has Grok 4.3 and Qwen3.5-397B-A17B tied at 1442. The largest visible gap is 22 points on LMArena Text Arena - Creative Writing, 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 is close: both models cover vision, multimodal input, reasoning mode, JSON / Tool use, and JSON / Tool use. 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 4.3 lists tiered pricing: 0-200,001t is $1.25/1M input and $2.50/1M output; 200,001t+ is $2.50/1M input and $5/1M output, while Qwen3.5-397B-A17B lists $0.45/1M input and $3/1M output tokens on the cheapest listed provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Qwen3.5-397B-A17B lower by about $0.41 per million blended tokens. For tiered pricing, this cheapest-route view can understate interactive or fast-lane spend, so compare the tier you will actually use. Availability is 5 providers versus 5, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Grok 4.3 when long-context analysis and larger context windows are central to the workload. Choose Qwen3.5-397B-A17B when vision-heavy evaluation 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, Grok 4.3 or Qwen3.5-397B-A17B?
Grok 4.3 supports 1M tokens, while Qwen3.5-397B-A17B supports 256K 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, Grok 4.3 or Qwen3.5-397B-A17B?
Grok 4.3 lists tiered pricing: 0-200,001t is $1.25/1M input and $2.50/1M output; 200,001t+ is $2.50/1M input and $5/1M output. Qwen3.5-397B-A17B lists $0.45/1M input and $3/1M output tokens on the cheapest listed provider. Compare the tier you will actually use; cheap async pricing can overstate savings for interactive workflows. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Grok 4.3 or Qwen3.5-397B-A17B open source?
Grok 4.3 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 vision, Grok 4.3 or Qwen3.5-397B-A17B?
Both Grok 4.3 and Qwen3.5-397B-A17B expose vision. 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 multimodal input, Grok 4.3 or Qwen3.5-397B-A17B?
Both Grok 4.3 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.
Where can I run Grok 4.3 and Qwen3.5-397B-A17B?
Grok 4.3 is available on xAI Console, OpenRouter, Microsoft Foundry, Vercel AI Gateway, and AWS Bedrock. Qwen3.5-397B-A17B is available on OpenRouter, Together AI, Alibaba Cloud PAI-EAS, Novita AI, and DeepInfra. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-10-27. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.