GPT-5.4 Mini vs Qwen 3.5 397B
Complete pricing and performance comparison between OpenAI's GPT-5.4 Mini and Alibaba's Qwen 3.5 397B.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
Qwen 3.5 397B
1.3x cheaper input, 1.3x cheaper output
Larger Context
GPT-5.4 Mini
400K vs 128K
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | GPT-5.4 Mini | Qwen 3.5 397B | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | Alibaba | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $0.75 | $0.6 | Qwen 3.5 397B is 20% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $4.5 | $3.6 | Qwen 3.5 397B is 20% more expensive |
| Context Window | 400K | 128K | 3x difference |
| Max Output | 128K | 33K | |
| Tokenizer | o200k_base | cl100k_base |
Cost at Scale
Estimated cost at different usage levels (3:1 input-to-output token ratio, typical for chat).
| Usage | GPT-5.4 Mini | Qwen 3.5 397B | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0021 | $0.0017 | Same |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.021 | $0.017 | Qwen 3.5 397B saves $0.0042 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.210 | $0.168 | Qwen 3.5 397B saves $0.042 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $2.10 | $1.68 | Qwen 3.5 397B saves $0.420 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $21.00 | $16.80 | Qwen 3.5 397B saves $4.20 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $2100.00 | $1680.00 | Qwen 3.5 397B saves $420.00 |
Pros & Cons
GPT-5.4 Mini Strengths
- +Larger context window (400K vs 128K)
- +Higher max output tokens
Qwen 3.5 397B Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
When to Use Each Model
Choose GPT-5.4 Mini for
- →Long documents, large codebases, or multi-turn conversations
- →Generating long-form content or detailed code
Choose Qwen 3.5 397B for
- →Budget-conscious projects where cost is the primary factor
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, GPT-5.4 Mini or Qwen 3.5 397B?
For input tokens, Qwen 3.5 397B is 1.3x cheaper at $0.6/1M tokens. For output tokens, Qwen 3.5 397B is 1.3x cheaper at $3.6/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), GPT-5.4 Mini costs $2.10 vs Qwen 3.5 397B at $1.68.
What's the context window difference?
GPT-5.4 Mini supports 400K context (400,000 tokens), while Qwen 3.5 397B supports 128K (128,000 tokens). GPT-5.4 Mini can handle 3x more context in a single request.
When should I choose GPT-5.4 Mini over Qwen 3.5 397B?
Choose GPT-5.4 Mini when you need: Larger context window (400K vs 128K), Higher max output tokens. Choose Qwen 3.5 397B when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens.
How much would 10,000 API requests cost?
At 1K input + 300 output tokens per request (typical chat): GPT-5.4 Mini = $21.00, Qwen 3.5 397B = $16.80. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): GPT-5.4 Mini = $120.00, Qwen 3.5 397B = $96.00.
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