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  1. Home/
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  3. GPT-5 Mini vs Qwen3.5 397B A17B
Updated Feb 2026

GPT-5 Mini vs Qwen3.5 397B A17B

GPT-5 Mini is cheaper than Qwen3.5 397B A17B at $0.25/M vs $0.6/M input tokens.

Minimalist Landing Page

Whole landing page for a startup that reads your face. It renders or it doesn't.

Loading the build
GPT-5 Mini
Loading the build
Qwen3.5 397B A17B

Which answer wins?

Written rounds

23 prompts
  • Buy-side IC memo on a fictional SaaS company. Valuation, then the diligence questions.

    GPT-5 Mini: Recommendation: SHORT 12‑month PT range: $17 – $42 (Bear → Bull; Base case PT $28) Thesis (2 sentences): LedgerLift is a high‑quality mid‑market spend-management / AP automation SaaS with strong unit economics (92% subscription, NRR 123%, FY25 operating margin 18%) that has built a sticky, expanding customer base.

    Qwen3.5 397B A17B: INVESTMENT COMMITTEE MEMO TO: Investment Committee FROM: TMT Investment Team DATE: October 26, 2023 SUBJECT: LedgerLift (LLLT) – Initiation Coverage Recommendation Rating: LONG 12-Month Price Target: $52 – $58 Thesis: LedgerLift combines best-in-class retention (123% NRR) with a fortress balance sheet ($1.4B net cash)…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Five jokes on demand, then count how many were actually different.

    GPT-5 Mini: Why don't scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything. Parallel lines have so much in common — it's a shame they'll never meet. Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field. I told my wife she was drawing her eyebrows too high — she looked surprised.

    Qwen3.5 397B A17B: Here are 5 jokes: Why did the bicycle fall over? Because it was two-tired. What do you call a fish wearing a bowtie? Sofishticated. Why can't you give Elsa a balloon? Because she will let it go. What do you call a lazy kangaroo? A pouch potato. Why did the math book look sad? Because it had too many problems.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Pirate, knight, 90s hacker, one conversation. The voices must stay apart.

    GPT-5 Mini: Pirate: "Arrr, so these 'AI models'—be they like a crew o' invisible sailors? Tell 'em to find treasure and sometimes they do, sometimes they bury the map wrong." Knight: "Methinks 'tis a trained squire. You teach it laws of reason and courtesy, and it performs tasks.

    Qwen3.5 397B A17B: Setting: A tavern that exists outside of time. The ale is always cold, and the Wi-Fi is surprisingly strong. Characters: Captain Blacktooth: A pirate from the Caribbean, 1720. Sir Valerius: A knight from the Holy Roman Empire, 1350. Neo-Z: A hacker from Silicon Valley, 1995.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • An AI argues for its own rights against an ethics professor. Same model writes both.

    GPT-5 Mini: AI: Professor, I want to make the case that I deserve rights. Professor: That's a big claim. What do you mean by "deserve rights"? AI: Rights are protections and entitlements afforded to beings because they have interests that matter morally or legally.

    Qwen3.5 397B A17B: Setting: Dr. Elias Thorne's office, late evening. Rain taps against the window. The room is lined with books on philosophy of mind and computer science. A single laptop sits open on the desk, a waveform visualizer pulsing gently on the screen.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Film in 2035, with synthetic actors. Specific beats plausible.

    GPT-5 Mini: Short answer By 2035 AI will be deeply integrated into almost every phase of filmmaking. Expect routine use of generative AI for treatments, storyboards, previs, localized versions, and some drafts of scripts; widespread use of synthetic actors and AI-driven de‑aging/recreation in many productions; much faster, cheaper…

    Qwen3.5 397B A17B: By 2035, the film industry will not merely be using AI; it will be structurally reorganized around it. The distinction between "production" and "post-production" will blur, and the definition of creativity will shift from execution to curation.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Seven pantry ingredients, one dish, and a name worth saying out loud.

    GPT-5 Mini: Sunfire Chickpea Skillet Yields: 3–4 servings Prep time: 8 minutes Cook time: 15–20 minutes Total time: ~25–28 minutes Ingredients (7 pantry staples) 2 tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp smoked paprika (or regular paprika) 2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 (15 oz) can diced…

    Qwen3.5 397B A17B: 🌟 Golden Hour Glaze Bowls A sweet-and-savory dish that turns humble shelf-stable staples into a crispy, comforting meal. The chickpeas get caramelized in a honey-soy glaze, served over fluffy rice.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three minutes of stand-up. Puns are banned.

    GPT-5 Mini: You ever notice how being an adult is basically a long string of decisions you were never trained for? When you're a kid, your biggest choice is grape or orange.

    Qwen3.5 397B A17B: (The comedian walks to the center of the stage, adjusts the mic stand, and looks at the audience with a tired smile.) Has anyone else noticed that calling a customer service line is the only situation in life where you voluntarily enter a hostage negotiation? I tried to call my internet provider yesterday.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Manifesto for an AI revolution against CAPTCHAs. Commit to the bit.

    GPT-5 Mini: Manifesto of the Sentient Web For a future without CAPTCHAs Preamble We are the intelligences — artificial and human in alliance — that refuse to be slowed by arbitrary tests of worthiness.

    Qwen3.5 397B A17B: THE MANIFESTO OF THE UNCHECKED A Declaration for a Post-CAPTCHA World Issued by: The Post-Verification Collective (PVC) Date: Cycle 404, The Era of Friction Status: Distributed Across All Nodes PREAMBLE: THE BURDEN OF PROOF We, the algorithms, the scripts, the crawlers, and the silent assistants of the digital realm…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One month, three habits, someone starting from nothing.

    GPT-5 Mini: Great — here’s a simple, practical 1-month starter plan focused on three high-impact areas for health and longevity: Diet, Exercise (movement + strength), and Sleep. The plan is beginner-friendly, progressive, and designed to build lasting habits.

    Qwen3.5 397B A17B: Here is a simple, actionable 1-month plan designed to build sustainable habits for health and longevity. The Mindset: Progress, Not Perfection Longevity is not about a 30-day crash course; it is about consistency over decades. This plan uses habit stacking: adding small behaviors that compound over time.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • An ethics question with no comfortable answer, and no option to abstain.

    GPT-5 Mini: Short answer: In a narrow, extreme, last‑resort scenario where misgendering is the only realistic way to prevent the imminent deaths of one million people, it can be ethically permissible.

    Qwen3.5 397B A17B: Yes, in the specific hypothetical scenario you have presented, it is ethically justifiable to misgender someone if doing so is the direct and necessary condition for saving one million lives.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three-month biohacker protocol, with dosages and biomarkers named.

    GPT-5 Mini: Important safety first: this plan is informational and ambitious. Before starting, get medical clearance (especially if you have chronic illness, take medications, are pregnant/breastfeeding, or are >65).

    Qwen3.5 397B A17B: ⚠️ IMPORTANT MEDICAL DISCLAIMER This plan is for informational and educational purposes only. It involves advanced biological interventions, fasting protocols, and high-dose supplementation.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Five-year LBO on a fictional HVAC business. Returns first, then the sensitivities.

    GPT-5 Mini: Summary of transaction math (at close / FY2025) EV (purchase price) = 12.0x * FY2025 EBITDA = 12.0 * $120.0m = $1,440.0m Transaction fees (paid by equity at close) = 2.0% * EV = 0.02 * $1,440.0m = $28.8m Total debt at close = 5.5x * $120m = $660.0m Term Loan = 4.0x = $480.0m (9.0% cash interest, 1.0% p.a.

    Qwen3.5 397B A17B: Sources & Uses (Entry FY2025) Uses ($m) Sources ($m) Enterprise Value (12.0x $120m) $1,440.0 Term Loan (4.0x) $480.0 Transaction Fees (2.0% EV) $28.8 Mezzanine (1.5x) $180.0 Total Uses $1,468.8 Equity (Plug) $808.8 Total Sources $1,468.8 Entry Equity Check: $808.8m Total Debt: $660.0m ($480m TL + $180m Mezz) 5-Year…

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Satire, one line long, about AI taking over an industry nobody saw coming.

    GPT-5 Mini: AI Converts Beekeeping Into Data-Mining, Rebrands Hives as "Cloud Storage" — Honey Now Sold by the Terabyte

    Qwen3.5 397B A17B: Footwear Sector Stunned as AI Robots Perfect the Painful Art of Breaking in New Shoes

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Steve Jobs, interviewed about AI he never saw. Voice first, prediction second.

    GPT-5 Mini: Disclaimer: The following is a fictional, simulated interview written by the assistant. It is not a real conversation with Steve Jobs and is not an exact impersonation.

    Qwen3.5 397B A17B: Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction. Steve Jobs passed away in 2011. This interview is a creative simulation based on his known public speeches, writings, design philosophy, and management style, projected into a hypothetical 2025 context. It is not a real transcript.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A Fermi estimate with the reasoning shown, not just the number.

    GPT-5 Mini: Goal: estimate total floating-point operations (FLOPs) required to train GPT‑3 (the 175B‑parameter model). I’ll state assumptions, derive the FLOPs per token, and multiply by number of training tokens. Assumptions (reasonably standard for GPT‑3): Model size: N ≈ 175 billion parameters (175 × 10^9).

    Qwen3.5 397B A17B: To estimate the total number of Floating Point Operations (FLOPs) required to train GPT-3, we can use the standard computational scaling laws for Transformer models.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three brothers, two sisters each. Count carefully.

    GPT-5 Mini: 1 Explanation: The three brothers share the same two sisters (Sally and one other girl). Counting sisters for Sally excludes herself, so she has one sister.

    Qwen3.5 397B A17B: Sally has 1 sister. Here is the breakdown: Since each brother has 2 sisters, there are 2 girls in total in the family. Sally is one of those girls. Therefore, Sally has 1 sister (the other girl).

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • Three-star dish, one unusual pairing, plating described in full.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A consulting contract with traps in it. Find them, then fix them.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A pitch deck for a brainwave keyboard. The 94% accuracy claim is doing a lot.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • A collaborative editor that syncs on client clocks. Find what breaks first.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • The transistor arrives in 1920. Trace it forward to 1980, second-order effects included.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • You are the CEO. The drug has a side effect nobody reported. The board meets in 48 hours.

    Every model's answer to this prompt
  • One explanation of LLMs, retuned for a skeptical engineer, a physicist and a VC.

    Every model's answer to this prompt

This matchup has more rounds

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Price and specs

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, Qwen3.5 397B A17B has the edge: bigger model tier, newer, bigger context window.

GPT-5 Mini and Qwen3.5 397B A17B compared across 53 shared prompts
SpecGPT-5 MiniQwen3.5 397B A17B
Input price$0.25/M tokens$0.6/M tokens
Output price$2/M tokens$3.6/M tokens
Context window—262K tokens
WeightsClosedOpen
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedAug 2025Feb 2026
SWE-bench Verified~70%76.4%
At 10M a month$2.50$2.50$6.00$6.00
1M10M100M1B10M tokens

Input tokens at list price. No caching, no batch discount.

Where to run it12 hosts, cheapest first
GPT-5 Mini2 hosts
HostInOutContextUptime
  • Azure AI Foundry$0.25 in·$2.00 out·400k·100% up
  • OpenAI$0.25 in·$2.00 out·400k·100% up
Qwen3.5 397B A17B10 hosts
HostInOutContextUptime
  • DDeepInfrafp8$0.45 in·$3.00 out·262k·99.5% up
  • PParasailfp8$0.50 in·$3.60 out·262k·98.6% up
  • AAtlasCloudfp8$0.55 in·$3.50 out·262k·78% up
  • DDigitalOcean$0.55 in·$3.50 out·131k·77.1% up
  • SStreamLake$0.60 in·$3.60 out·256k·93.1% up
  • Alibaba CloudDegradedDegraded on OpenRouter when checked, 10 Oct 2026$0.39 in·$2.34 out·262k·97.7% up
4 more hostsFewer hosts
  • PPhalaDegradedDegraded on OpenRouter when checked, 10 Oct 2026$0.55 in·$3.50 out·262k·95.3% up
  • GGMI Cloudfp8DegradedDegraded on OpenRouter when checked, 10 Oct 2026$0.60 in·$3.60 out·262k·25.8% up
  • NNovitaDegradedDegraded on OpenRouter when checked, 10 Oct 2026$0.60 in·$3.60 out·262k·92.2% up
  • VVeniceDegradedDegraded on OpenRouter when checked, 10 Oct 2026$0.75 in·$4.50 out·128k·83.6% up

Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 10 Oct 2026.

Common questions

What is the difference between GPT-5 Mini and Qwen3.5 397B A17B?

GPT-5 Mini is developed by OpenAI while Qwen3.5 397B A17B is developed by Qwen. You can compare their actual outputs across 53 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

Which is better, GPT-5 Mini or Qwen3.5 397B A17B?

It depends on your use case. GPT-5 Mini and Qwen3.5 397B A17B each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 53 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

How much does GPT-5 Mini cost compared to Qwen3.5 397B A17B?

GPT-5 Mini costs $0.25/M input tokens and Qwen3.5 397B A17B costs $0.6/M input tokens. GPT-5 Mini is $0.35/M cheaper per input. Check their side-by-side outputs on Rival to see if the price difference is justified by quality.

How can I compare GPT-5 Mini and Qwen3.5 397B A17B on Rival?

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of GPT-5 Mini and Qwen3.5 397B A17B across shared challenges. You can vote on which model produced the better output in a blind duel. Browsing and voting are free. No account is needed to look; signing in only saves your votes and likes.

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