Model Comparison
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B vs GPT-5.3 ChatWhich is better in 2026?
Comparing Qwen3.5-397B-A17B and GPT-5.3 Chat across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.
Verdict: Qwen3.5-397B-A17B vs GPT-5.3 Chat — which is better?
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B (by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team) and GPT-5.3 Chat (by OpenAI) 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, Qwen3.5-397B-A17B is roughly 3.6x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B also accepts a larger context window (262,144 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose Qwen3.5-397B-A17B if…
- cost matters — it's about 3.6x 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
Choose GPT-5.3 Chat if…
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Mar 2026
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B and GPT-5.3 Chatdon'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
For input processing, Qwen3.5-397B-A17B ($0.60/1M tokens) is 2.9x cheaper than GPT-5.3 Chat ($1.75/1M tokens).
For output processing, Qwen3.5-397B-A17B ($3.60/1M tokens) is 3.9x cheaper than GPT-5.3 Chat ($14.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-5.3 Chat is more expensive than Qwen3.5-397B-A17B.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B accepts 262,144 input tokens compared to GPT-5.3 Chat's 128,000 tokens. Qwen3.5-397B-A17B can generate longer responses up to 64,000 tokens, while GPT-5.3 Chat is limited to 16,384 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Qwen3.5-397B-A17B and GPT-5.3 Chat support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B
GPT-5.3 Chat
License
Usage and distribution terms
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B is licensed under Apache 2.0, while GPT-5.3 Chat 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 GPT-5.3 Chat was released on 2026-03-04.
GPT-5.3 Chat is 1 month newer than Qwen3.5-397B-A17B.
Feb 16, 2026
3 months ago
Mar 4, 2026
3 months ago
2w newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-5.3 Chat has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2025-08-31, while Qwen3.5-397B-A17B's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm GPT-5.3 Chat's training data extends to 2025-08-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without Qwen3.5-397B-A17B's cutoff date.
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Aug 2025
Provider Availability
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B is available from Novita. GPT-5.3 Chat is available from OpenAI.
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B
GPT-5.3 Chat
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Qwen3.5-397B-A17B
View detailsAlibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
GPT-5.3 Chat
View detailsOpenAI
No standout differentiators in the data we have for this pair.
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about Qwen3.5-397B-A17B vs GPT-5.3 Chat.