Qwen3.5-397B-A17B vs Sarvam 30B
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B (2026) and Sarvam 30B (2026) are frontier reasoning models from Alibaba and Sarvam.ai. Qwen3.5-397B-A17B ships a 262k-token context window, while Sarvam 30B ships a 66k-token context window. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads. It focuses on practical selection signals rather than broad model-family marketing.
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B fits 4x more tokens; pick it for long-context work and Sarvam 30B for tighter calls.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Qwen3.5-397B-A17B | Sarvam 30B |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | reasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agents | tool-calling agents |
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | Agents and JSON / Tool use |
| Context window | 262k | 66k |
| Cheapest output | $2.34/1M tokens | - |
| Provider routes | 4 tracked | 0 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Qwen3.5-397B-A17B has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Qwen3.5-397B-A17B has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Qwen3.5-397B-A17B uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Qwen3.5-397B-A17B for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- Local decision data tags Sarvam 30B for Agents and JSON / Tool use.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B
$897
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Sarvam 30B
Unavailable
No complete token price in local provider data
Cost delta unavailable until both models have sourced input and output token prices.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Qwen3.5-397B-A17B and Sarvam 30B; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning before moving production traffic.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Sarvam 30B and Qwen3.5-397B-A17B; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Qwen3.5-397B-A17B adds Vision, Multimodal, and Reasoning in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-02-16 | 2026-03-22 |
| Context window | 262k | 66k |
| Parameters | 397B | 30B (2.4B active) |
| Architecture | Mixture of Experts | Mixture of Experts |
| License | Apache 2.0(OSI) | Apache 2.0(OSI) |
| Openness | Open source | Open source |
| Commercial use | Commercial use allowed | Commercial use allowed |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | 2025-06 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Qwen3.5-397B-A17B | Sarvam 30B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.39/1M tokens | - |
| Output price | $2.34/1M tokens | - |
| Providers | - |
Capabilities
| Capability | Qwen3.5-397B-A17B | Sarvam 30B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | No |
| Multimodal | Yes | No |
| Reasoning | Yes | No |
| Function calling | Yes | Yes |
| Tool use | Yes | Yes |
| Structured outputs | Yes | No |
| Code execution | No | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on vision: Qwen3.5-397B-A17B, multimodal input: Qwen3.5-397B-A17B, reasoning mode: Qwen3.5-397B-A17B, and structured outputs: Qwen3.5-397B-A17B. Both models share 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.
Pricing coverage is uneven: Qwen3.5-397B-A17B has $0.39/1M input tokens and Sarvam 30B has no token price sourced yet. Provider availability is 4 tracked routes versus 0. Treat unknown pricing as an integration gap, then verify the route you will actually call before estimating production spend.
Choose Qwen3.5-397B-A17B when reasoning depth, larger context windows, and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Sarvam 30B when provider fit 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, Qwen3.5-397B-A17B or Sarvam 30B?
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B supports 262k tokens, while Sarvam 30B supports 66k 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.
Is Qwen3.5-397B-A17B or Sarvam 30B open source?
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B is listed under Apache 2.0. Sarvam 30B 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, Qwen3.5-397B-A17B or Sarvam 30B?
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B has the clearer documented vision signal in this comparison. If vision is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Which is better for multimodal input, Qwen3.5-397B-A17B or Sarvam 30B?
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B has the clearer documented multimodal input signal in this comparison. If multimodal input is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Which is better for reasoning mode, Qwen3.5-397B-A17B or Sarvam 30B?
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B 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.
Where can I run Qwen3.5-397B-A17B and Sarvam 30B?
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B is available on OpenRouter, Together AI, Alibaba Cloud PAI-EAS, and Novita AI. Sarvam 30B is available on the tracked providers still being sourced. 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.