Qwen3.5 397B A17B is $0.21 cheaper per 1M input tokens (35% lower; 1.54x difference).
API cost decision in 10 seconds
Qwen3.5 397B A17B vs GLM 5
The standard workload cost is tied; choose by context window, provider fit, latency, or model quality.
Pricing data updated:
Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens
Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output
Budget verdict
The standard workload cost is tied; choose by context window, provider fit, latency, or model quality.
Both models are estimated at $1.56 for the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.
Cost-first pickTie
Context-first pickQwen3.5 397B A17B
Sample savings$00%
10x traffic gap$0
Context-window winner: Qwen3.5 397B A17B. Cost does not separate this pair on the standard workload, so the next decision point is context window and model behavior.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
Cost winner changes by workload shape: input-heavy / RAG favors Qwen3.5 397B A17B, balanced workload favors GLM 5, and output-heavy chatbot favors GLM 5.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | Qwen3.5 397B A17B | GLM 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | Qwen3.5 397B A17B | $3.12 | $3.96 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | GLM 5 | $2.73 | $2.52 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | GLM 5 | $12.09 | $10.2 |
GLM 5 is $0.42 cheaper per 1M output tokens (17.9% lower; 1.22x difference).
Qwen3.5 397B A17B has 59.39K more context (1.29x larger).
Both models have the same estimated cost for the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload: $1.56.
Estimate your workload cost
Your Workload Cost
This estimate uses normalized public API pricing per 1M tokens. It is a planning aid, not a billing quote. Verify provider pricing, limits, and terms before production use.
Quick Decision
Qwen3.5 397B A17B has the lower input price; GLM 5 has the lower output price; Qwen3.5 397B A17B offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, the standard workload cost is tied.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $1.56 for Qwen3.5 397B A17B and $1.56 for GLM 5.
Choose Qwen3.5 397B A17B when you care most about lower input-token price, and larger context window.
Choose GLM 5 when you care most about lower output-token price.
- Both models are estimated at $1.56 for the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.
- Both models have the same estimated cost for the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload: $1.56.
- Qwen3.5 397B A17B is $0.21 cheaper per 1M input tokens (35% lower; 1.54x difference).
- GLM 5 is $0.42 cheaper per 1M output tokens (17.9% lower; 1.22x difference).
- Qwen3.5 397B A17B has 59.39K more context (1.29x larger).
| Feature | Qwen3.5 397B A17B (Qwen) | GLM 5 (Z.ai) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0.39 | $0.6 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $2.34 | $1.92 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $1.56 | $1.56 |
| Context Window | 262.14K | 202.75K |
| Release Date |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | Tie | Both models are estimated at $1.56 for the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload. |
| High-volume input processing | Qwen3.5 397B A17B | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | GLM 5 | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | Qwen3.5 397B A17B | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files. |
Related Alternatives
- Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct (free) can replace Qwen3.5 397B A17B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Qwen3 Coder 480B A35B (free) can replace Qwen3.5 397B A17B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Qwen2.5 7B Instruct can replace Qwen3.5 397B A17B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.09.
- Qwen3.5-9B can replace Qwen3.5 397B A17B when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.11.
- Llama 4 Scout offers 10M context with $0.23 sample workload cost.
- Owl Alpha offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite offers 1.05M context with $1 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4 Pro offers 1.05M context with $0.87 sample workload cost.
- No popular competitor is currently available.
Cheaper alternatives
Review low-cost models sorted by a standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.
Open cheapest modelsLarger context alternatives
Find models with larger context windows for RAG, long documents, and codebase review.
Open largest context modelsProvider catalogs
Compare models within provider hubs before choosing a final API vendor.
Open provider hubsQwen catalog
Review all tracked Qwen models before deciding whether this matchup is the right shortlist.
Open Qwen modelsZ.ai catalog
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