Qwen3-Max vs Qwen3.5-397B-A17B
Qwen3-Max (2025) and Qwen3.5-397B-A17B (2026) are frontier reasoning models from Alibaba. Qwen3-Max ships a 262k-token context window, while Qwen3.5-397B-A17B ships a 262k-token context window. On SWE-bench Verified, Qwen3-Max leads by 2.6 pts. On pricing, Qwen3-Max ranges from $1.20 to $3/1M input tokens by tier; Qwen3.5-397B-A17B costs $0.39/1M input tokens. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B is safer overall; choose Qwen3-Max when vision-heavy evaluation matters.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Qwen3-Max | Qwen3.5-397B-A17B |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | multimodal apps, tool-calling agents, and provider-routed production | reasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agents |
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 262k | 262k |
| Cheapest output | $3.90/1M tokens | $2.34/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 3 tracked | 4 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | SWE-bench Verified leader | 4 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Qwen3-Max holds a shared-benchmark lead on SWE-bench Verified, ahead by 2.6 points.
- Local decision data tags Qwen3-Max for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- Qwen3.5-397B-A17B holds a shared-benchmark lead on MultiChallenge, ahead by 26.4 points.
- Qwen3.5-397B-A17B has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $2.34/1M tokens.
- Qwen3.5-397B-A17B has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Qwen3.5-397B-A17B uniquely exposes Reasoning in local model data.
- 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.
Qwen3-Max
$1,599
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B
$897
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Estimated monthly gap: $702. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter and Novita AI; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Qwen3.5-397B-A17B is $1.56/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Qwen3.5-397B-A17B adds Reasoning in local capability data.
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter and Novita AI; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Qwen3-Max is $1.56/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Check replacement coverage for Reasoning before moving production traffic.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-04-28 | 2026-02-16 |
| Context window | 262k | 262k |
| Parameters | — | 397B |
| Architecture | decoder only | MoE |
| License | Apache 2.0(OSI) | Apache 2.0(OSI) |
| Openness | Open source | Open source |
| Commercial use | Commercial use allowed | Commercial use allowed |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2025-12 | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Qwen3-Max | Qwen3.5-397B-A17B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price |
| $0.39/1M tokens |
| Output price |
| $2.34/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Qwen3-Max | Qwen3.5-397B-A17B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | Yes |
| Multimodal | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning | No | Yes |
| Function calling | Yes | Yes |
| 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 | Qwen3-Max | Qwen3.5-397B-A17B |
|---|---|---|
| SWE-bench Verified | 78.8 | 76.2 |
| MultiChallenge | 41.2 | 67.6 |
| τ-bench | 76.8 | 86.7 |
| Berkeley Function Calling Leaderboard v3 | 71.9 | 72.9 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, SWE-bench Verified has Qwen3-Max at 78.8 and Qwen3.5-397B-A17B at 76.2, with Qwen3-Max ahead by 2.6 points; MultiChallenge has Qwen3-Max at 41.2 and Qwen3.5-397B-A17B at 67.6, with Qwen3.5-397B-A17B ahead by 26.4 points; τ-bench has Qwen3-Max at 76.8 and Qwen3.5-397B-A17B at 86.7, with Qwen3.5-397B-A17B ahead by 9.9 points. The largest visible gap is 26.4 points on MultiChallenge, 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 reasoning mode: Qwen3.5-397B-A17B. Both models share vision, multimodal input, function calling, and tool use, 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, Qwen3-Max lists tiered pricing: 0-32,001t is $1.20/1M input and $6/1M output; 0-128,001t is $2.40/1M input and $12/1M output; 128,001t+ is $3/1M input and $15/1M output, 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 Qwen3.5-397B-A17B lower by about $0.74 per million blended tokens. For tiered rows, this cheapest-track view can understate interactive or fast-lane spend, so compare the tier you will actually use. Availability is 3 providers versus 4, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Qwen3-Max when vision-heavy evaluation are central to the workload. Choose Qwen3.5-397B-A17B when reasoning depth, lower input-token cost, and broader provider choice 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, Qwen3-Max or Qwen3.5-397B-A17B?
Qwen3-Max supports 262k tokens, while Qwen3.5-397B-A17B 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, Qwen3-Max or Qwen3.5-397B-A17B?
Qwen3-Max lists tiered pricing: 0-32,001t is $1.20/1M input and $6/1M output; 0-128,001t is $2.40/1M input and $12/1M output; 128,001t+ is $3/1M input and $15/1M output. Qwen3.5-397B-A17B lists $0.39/1M input and $2.34/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked 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 Qwen3-Max or Qwen3.5-397B-A17B open source?
Qwen3-Max is listed under Apache 2.0. 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, Qwen3-Max or Qwen3.5-397B-A17B?
Both Qwen3-Max 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, Qwen3-Max or Qwen3.5-397B-A17B?
Both Qwen3-Max 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 Qwen3-Max and Qwen3.5-397B-A17B?
Qwen3-Max is available on OpenRouter, Vercel AI Gateway, and Novita AI. Qwen3.5-397B-A17B is available on OpenRouter, Together AI, Alibaba Cloud PAI-EAS, and Novita AI. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-06-04. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.