Model Comparison

Grok Code Fast 1 vs Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507Which is better in 2026?

Comparing Grok Code Fast 1 and Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Verdict: Grok Code Fast 1 vs Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 — which is better?

Grok Code Fast 1 (by xAI) and Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 (by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.

On price, Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 is roughly 1.7x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 also accepts a larger context window (262,144 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose Grok Code Fast 1 if…

  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2025

Choose Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 if…

  • cost matters — it's about 1.7x cheaper per token
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 262,144 token context window
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

Grok Code Fast 1 and Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507don't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 costs less

For input processing, Grok Code Fast 1 ($0.20/1M tokens) is 1.3x more expensive than Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 ($0.15/1M tokens).

For output processing, Grok Code Fast 1 ($1.50/1M tokens) is 1.9x more expensive than Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 ($0.80/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Grok Code Fast 1 is more expensive than Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Sat Jun 27 2026 • llm-stats.com
xAI
Grok Code Fast 1
Input tokens$0.20
Output tokens$1.50
Best providerxAI
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507
Input tokens$0.15
Output tokens$0.80
Best providerFireworks
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 accepts 262,144 input tokens compared to Grok Code Fast 1's 256,000 tokens. Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Grok Code Fast 1 is limited to 10,000 tokens.

xAI
Grok Code Fast 1
Input256,000 tokens
Output10,000 tokens
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507
Input262,144 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Sat Jun 27 2026 • llm-stats.com

License

Usage and distribution terms

Grok Code Fast 1 is licensed under a proprietary license, while Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 uses Apache 2.0.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

Grok Code Fast 1

Proprietary

Closed source

Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Grok Code Fast 1 was released on 2025-08-28, while Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 was released on 2025-07-22.

Grok Code Fast 1 is 1 month newer than Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507.

Grok Code Fast 1

Aug 28, 2025

10 months ago

1mo newer
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507

Jul 22, 2025

11 months ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.

Unable to compare the recency of their training data.

No cutoff dates available

Provider Availability

Grok Code Fast 1 is available from xAI. Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 is available from Fireworks, Novita.

Grok Code Fast 1

xai logo
xAI
Input Price:Input: $0.20/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.50/1M

Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507

fireworks logo
Fireworks
Input Price:Input: $0.15/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.80/1M
novita logo
Novita
Input Price:Input: $0.15/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.80/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

xAI

No standout differentiators in the data we have for this pair.

Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Larger context window (262,144 tokens)
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Grok Code Fast 1 and Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Grok Code Fast 1
✓ Preferred
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
xAI
Grok Code Fast 1
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507

FAQ

Common questions about Grok Code Fast 1 vs Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507.

Which is better, Grok Code Fast 1 or Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507?

Grok Code Fast 1 (xAI) and Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 (Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team) each have strengths in different areas. Compare their benchmark scores, pricing, context windows, and capabilities above to determine which fits your needs.

How does Grok Code Fast 1 compare to Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 in benchmarks?

Grok Code Fast 1 scores SWE-Bench Verified: 70.8%. Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 scores ZebraLogic: 95.0%, MMLU-Redux: 93.1%, IFEval: 88.7%, MultiPL-E: 87.9%, Creative Writing v3: 87.5%.

Is Grok Code Fast 1 cheaper than Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507?

Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 is 1.3x cheaper for input tokens. Grok Code Fast 1 costs $0.20/M input and $1.50/M output via xai. Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 costs $0.15/M input and $0.80/M output via fireworks.

What are the context window sizes for Grok Code Fast 1 and Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507?

Grok Code Fast 1 supports 256K tokens and Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 supports 262K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between Grok Code Fast 1 and Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507?

Key differences include context window (256K vs 262K), input pricing ($0.20 vs $0.15/M), licensing (Proprietary vs Apache 2.0). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Grok Code Fast 1 and Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507?

Grok Code Fast 1 is developed by xAI and Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 is developed by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team.

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