qwen3-235b-a22b-instruct-2507 vs qwen3.5-397b-a17b Benchmark Comparison

Direct benchmark comparison between qwen3-235b-a22b-instruct-2507 and qwen3.5-397b-a17b based on LMArena Elo and the latest 2026 API pricing.

Direct Technical & Pricing Comparison

Frontier Model	LMArena Elo	API Cost (1M)	Throughput
qwen3-235b-a22b-instruct-2507	1423	$7.1e-8	7
qwen3.5-397b-a17b	1448	$3.9e-7	49

*These models represent the Pareto Frontier (optimal cost-to-performance).*

Comparison Summary: These models are highly competitive, with a negligible Elo gap of only 25 points. The choice between them should be driven by specific API features or provider preference. Specifically, qwen3-235b-a22b-instruct-2507 is currently on the Pareto line, suggesting it offers better systemic value for its performance tier.