Model Comparison
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B vs Gemini 3.1 Flash-LiteWhich is better in 2026?
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 2.4x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Qwen3.5-397B-A17B vs Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite — which is better?
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B (by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team) and Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite (by Google) 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.
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B outperforms in 2 benchmarks (GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam), while Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is better at 1 benchmark (MMMLU). Qwen3.5-397B-A17B shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
On price, Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is roughly 2.4x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite also accepts a larger context window (1,000,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose Qwen3.5-397B-A17B if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 3 shared benchmarks
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite if…
- cost matters — it's about 2.4x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,000,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Mar 2026
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B outperforms in 2 benchmarks (GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam), while Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is better at 1 benchmark (MMMLU).
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Qwen3.5-397B-A17B ($0.60/1M tokens) is 2.4x more expensive than Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite ($0.25/1M tokens).
For output processing, Qwen3.5-397B-A17B ($3.60/1M tokens) is 2.4x more expensive than Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite ($1.50/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Qwen3.5-397B-A17B is more expensive than Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite accepts 1,000,000 input tokens compared to Qwen3.5-397B-A17B's 262,144 tokens. Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite can generate longer responses up to 65,536 tokens, while Qwen3.5-397B-A17B is limited to 64,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Qwen3.5-397B-A17B and Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
License
Usage and distribution terms
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B is licensed under Apache 2.0, while Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite uses a proprietary license.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Apache 2.0
Open weights
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B was released on 2026-02-16, while Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite was released on 2026-03-03.
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is 1 month newer than Qwen3.5-397B-A17B.
Feb 16, 2026
3 months ago
Mar 3, 2026
3 months ago
2w newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2025-01-31, while Qwen3.5-397B-A17B's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite's training data extends to 2025-01-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without Qwen3.5-397B-A17B's cutoff date.
—
Jan 2025
Provider Availability
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B is available from Novita. Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is available from Google.
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B
View detailsAlibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about Qwen3.5-397B-A17B vs Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite.