Model Comparison
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 vs QwQ-32B-PreviewWhich is better in 2026?
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. QwQ-32B-Preview is 1.9x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 vs QwQ-32B-Preview — which is better?
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 (by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team) and QwQ-32B-Preview (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.
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while QwQ-32B-Preview is better at 0 benchmarks. Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, QwQ-32B-Preview is roughly 1.9x 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 Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 262,144 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2025
Choose QwQ-32B-Preview if…
- cost matters — it's about 1.9x cheaper per token
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while QwQ-32B-Preview is better at 0 benchmarks.
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 ($0.15/1M tokens) costs the same as QwQ-32B-Preview ($0.15/1M tokens).
For output processing, Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 ($0.80/1M tokens) is 4.0x more expensive than QwQ-32B-Preview ($0.20/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 is more expensive than QwQ-32B-Preview.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 has 202.5B more parameters than QwQ-32B-Preview, making it 623.1% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 accepts 262,144 input tokens compared to QwQ-32B-Preview's 32,768 tokens. Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while QwQ-32B-Preview is limited to 32,768 tokens.
License
Usage and distribution terms
Both models are licensed under Apache 2.0.
Both models share the same licensing terms, providing consistent usage rights.
Apache 2.0
Open weights
Apache 2.0
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 was released on 2025-07-22, while QwQ-32B-Preview was released on 2024-11-28.
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 is 8 months newer than QwQ-32B-Preview.
Jul 22, 2025
10 months ago
7mo newerNov 28, 2024
1.5 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
QwQ-32B-Preview has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-11-28, while Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm QwQ-32B-Preview's training data extends to 2024-11-28, but cannot make a direct comparison without Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507's cutoff date.
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Nov 2024
Provider Availability
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 is available from Fireworks, Novita. QwQ-32B-Preview is available from DeepInfra, Hyperbolic, Fireworks, Together.
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507
QwQ-32B-Preview
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507
View detailsAlibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
QwQ-32B-Preview
View detailsAlibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 vs QwQ-32B-Preview.