Grok Code Fast 1 vs Qwen3.5-35B-A3B
Grok Code Fast 1 (2025) and Qwen3.5-35B-A3B (2026) are agentic coding models from xAI and Alibaba. Grok Code Fast 1 ships a 262K-token context window, while Qwen3.5-35B-A3B ships a 262K-token context window. On pricing, Qwen3.5-35B-A3B costs $0.16/1M input tokens versus $0.2/1M 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.
Qwen3.5-35B-A3B is safer overall; choose Grok Code Fast 1 when coding workflow support matters.
Specs
| Released | 2025-08-27 | 2026-02-24 |
| Context window | 262K | 262K |
| Parameters | 314B | 35B |
| Architecture | mixture of experts | mixture of experts |
| License | Proprietary | Apache 2.0 |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | - |
Pricing and availability
| Grok Code Fast 1 | Qwen3.5-35B-A3B | |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.2/1M tokens | $0.16/1M tokens |
| Output price | $1.5/1M tokens | $1.3/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Grok Code Fast 1 | Qwen3.5-35B-A3B | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 differs most on reasoning mode: Qwen3.5-35B-A3B. Both models share 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, Grok Code Fast 1 lists $0.2/1M input and $1.5/1M output tokens, while Qwen3.5-35B-A3B lists $0.16/1M input and $1.3/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Qwen3.5-35B-A3B lower by about $0.09 per million blended tokens. Availability is 1 providers versus 1, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Grok Code Fast 1 when coding workflow support are central to the workload. Choose Qwen3.5-35B-A3B when reasoning depth 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. 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 Code Fast 1 or Qwen3.5-35B-A3B?
Grok Code Fast 1 supports 262K tokens, while Qwen3.5-35B-A3B supports 262K 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 Code Fast 1 or Qwen3.5-35B-A3B?
Qwen3.5-35B-A3B is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Grok Code Fast 1 costs $0.2/1M input and $1.5/1M output tokens. Qwen3.5-35B-A3B costs $0.16/1M input and $1.3/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Grok Code Fast 1 or Qwen3.5-35B-A3B open source?
Grok Code Fast 1 is listed under Proprietary. Qwen3.5-35B-A3B 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 reasoning mode, Grok Code Fast 1 or Qwen3.5-35B-A3B?
Qwen3.5-35B-A3B has the clearer documented reasoning mode signal in this comparison. If reasoning mode is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Which is better for function calling, Grok Code Fast 1 or Qwen3.5-35B-A3B?
Both Grok Code Fast 1 and Qwen3.5-35B-A3B expose function calling. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface.
Where can I run Grok Code Fast 1 and Qwen3.5-35B-A3B?
Grok Code Fast 1 is available on OpenRouter. Qwen3.5-35B-A3B 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.
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Last reviewed: 2026-04-24. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.