GPT-5 Mini vs Qwen 3.5 397B
Complete pricing and performance comparison between OpenAI's GPT-5 Mini and Alibaba's Qwen 3.5 397B.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
GPT-5 Mini
2.4x cheaper input, 1.8x cheaper output
Larger Context
GPT-5 Mini
400K vs 128K
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | GPT-5 Mini | Qwen 3.5 397B | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | Alibaba | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $0.25 | $0.6 | GPT-5 Mini is 58% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $2 | $3.6 | GPT-5 Mini is 44% more expensive |
| Context Window | 400K | 128K | 3x difference |
| Max Output | 16K | 33K | |
| Tokenizer | o200k_base | cl100k_base |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | GPT-5 Mini | Qwen 3.5 397B | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | 41 | -- | N/A |
| Output Speed | 82 tok/s | -- | N/A |
| Value (Quality/$) | 164.8 | -- | Higher = better value |
Benchmark data from Artificial Analysis. Quality Index is a composite score across reasoning, coding, and knowledge tasks.
Cost at Scale
Estimated cost at different usage levels (3:1 input-to-output token ratio, typical for chat).
| Usage | GPT-5 Mini | Qwen 3.5 397B | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0008 | $0.0017 | Same |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.0085 | $0.017 | GPT-5 Mini saves $0.0083 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.085 | $0.168 | GPT-5 Mini saves $0.083 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $0.850 | $1.68 | GPT-5 Mini saves $0.830 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $8.50 | $16.80 | GPT-5 Mini saves $8.30 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $850.00 | $1680.00 | GPT-5 Mini saves $830.00 |
Pros & Cons
GPT-5 Mini Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
- +Larger context window (400K vs 128K)
Qwen 3.5 397B Strengths
- +Higher max output tokens
When to Use Each Model
Choose GPT-5 Mini for
- →Budget-conscious projects where cost is the primary factor
- →Long documents, large codebases, or multi-turn conversations
Choose Qwen 3.5 397B for
- →Generating long-form content or detailed code
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, GPT-5 Mini or Qwen 3.5 397B?
For input tokens, GPT-5 Mini is 2.4x cheaper at $0.25/1M tokens. For output tokens, GPT-5 Mini is 1.8x cheaper at $2/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), GPT-5 Mini costs $0.850 vs Qwen 3.5 397B at $1.68.
What's the context window difference?
GPT-5 Mini supports 400K context (400,000 tokens), while Qwen 3.5 397B supports 128K (128,000 tokens). GPT-5 Mini can handle 3x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
When should I choose GPT-5 Mini over Qwen 3.5 397B?
Choose GPT-5 Mini when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens, Larger context window (400K vs 128K). Choose Qwen 3.5 397B when you need: Higher max output tokens.
How much would 10,000 API requests cost?
At 1K input + 300 output tokens per request (typical chat): GPT-5 Mini = $8.50, Qwen 3.5 397B = $16.80. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): GPT-5 Mini = $45.00, Qwen 3.5 397B = $96.00.