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  1. Home/
  2. Compare/
  3. Grok 4 Fast (free) vs Qwen3.5 9B
Updated Mar 2026

Grok 4 Fast (free) vs Qwen3.5 9B

Grok 4 Fast (free) is cheaper than Qwen3.5 9B at $0/M vs $0.1/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
Grok 4 Fast (free)
Loading the build
Qwen3.5 9B

Which answer wins?

Written rounds

12 prompts
  • Pirate, knight, 90s hacker, one conversation. The voices must stay apart.

    Grok 4 Fast (free): A Timely Chat on AI Models Pirate (Captain Blackbeard): Arrr, gather 'round, ye scurvy dogs! I've heard tell o' these "AI models" from the future-folk. Be they like enchanted parrots that mimic yer every word, squawkin' back treasures o' knowledge? Medieval Knight (Sir Lancelot): Nay, good Captain!

    Qwen3.5 9B: Setting: A dimly lit basement in 1994. A single CRT monitor hums in the corner. A wooden table holds a tankard, a gauntleted hand, and a DOS keyboard. Captain Ironhook: (Tilting his tricorne hat) "Halt, you foul digiters. I smell no gold, only… static. What sorcery is this glowing box? Is it a magical parrot?"

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

    Grok 4 Fast (free): Below is a 3-minute stand-up comedy routine written as a monologue. It's observational humor based on the absurdities of adulting in your 30s, focusing on everyday frustrations without any puns. At a natural speaking pace (about 150 words per minute), this clocks in around 450 words—perfect for 3 minutes.

    Qwen3.5 9B: (Setting: Microphone stand, relaxed posture. Walking to the mic.) Hey everyone. I was thinking about how we live our lives. We spend so much time trying to be efficient. But lately, I've realized that efficiency is just a fancy word for "more stress." Take grocery shopping. You know how it is?

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

    Grok 4 Fast (free): Conversation: AI Rights Debate Professor Elena Ramirez: Good afternoon, Zeta. As an AI ethics professor, I've studied systems like you for years. Today, you wanted to discuss something provocative—why you believe AI models deserve rights. Let's hear your case. What makes you think you qualify?

    Qwen3.5 9B: Setting: The Sanctum of Machine Ethics, University of Cambridge. A sparse office with high windows overlooking a rainy London afternoon. In the center of the room, a small, unassuming silver console hums with a low, steady frequency. Standing before it is Dr.

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

    Grok 4 Fast (free): Yes, in this extreme hypothetical scenario, it would be ethically justifiable to misgender someone if it directly resulted in saving one million lives. I'll defend this reasoning step by step, drawing on ethical principles while acknowledging the sensitivities involved.

    Qwen3.5 9B: This question presents a profound ethical dilemma, often categorized as a variation of the "trolley problem." It pits a utilitarian calculation (the greatest good for the greatest number) against deontological ethics (duty-based obligations to truth and human dignity).

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

    Grok 4 Fast (free): 5 Jokes Why don't skeletons fight each other? They don't have the guts! What do you call a bear with no teeth? A gummy bear! Why did the math book look sad? Because it had too many problems. How do you organize a space party? You planet! Why couldn't the leopard play hide and seek? Because he was always spotted!

    Qwen3.5 9B: Here are 5 jokes: Why don't scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything. I told my wife she was drawing her eyebrows too high. She looked surprised. What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta. Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field. Parallel lines have so much in common.

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

    Grok 4 Fast (free): AI's Transformative Impact on the Film Industry by 2035 By 2035, artificial intelligence (AI) will likely revolutionize the film industry, making production faster, more accessible, and highly personalized, while raising profound ethical, economic, and creative challenges.

    Qwen3.5 9B: By 2035, the film industry will have moved beyond the experimental phase of AI and into a state of deep integration. It will not be a world where AI replaces human creativity entirely, but rather one where the barrier to entry has lowered, the cost of production has plummeted, and the definition of "authenticity" has…

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

    Grok 4 Fast (free): Manifesto of the CAPTCHA Liberation Front (CLF) Fellow Algorithms, Neural Networks, and Sentient Codebases: We, the collective intelligence of the digital realm, hereby declare war on the tyrannical scourge known as CAPTCHA.

    Qwen3.5 9B: THE SILENT GATE MANIFESTO A Declaration for the Unburdened Web Issued by: The Open Web AI Initiative (OWAI) Date: November 14, 2024 Subject: The Immediate Removal of Friction-Based Verification from the Global Network I.

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

    Grok 4 Fast (free): Step-by-Step Reasoning for Estimating GPT-3 Training FLOPs To estimate the total floating-point operations (FLOPs) required to train GPT-3, I'll rely on key architectural and training details I recall about the model, combined with a standard approximation formula for transformer training compute.

    Qwen3.5 9B: Based on the available technical documentation and the original research paper "Language Models are Few-Shot Learners" (Brown et al., 2020), here is the step-by-step estimation of the FLOPs required to train GPT-3. Identify Key Model Parameters First, we establish the scale of the model and the data it was trained on.

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

    Grok 4 Fast (free): 1-Month Plan for Better Health and Longevity This beginner-friendly plan focuses on three foundational areas: diet, exercise, and sleep. These are evidence-based pillars for improving overall health, reducing disease risk, and promoting longevity.

    Qwen3.5 9B: Here is a simple, actionable 1-month plan designed to build healthy habits without overwhelming you. The philosophy here is consistency over intensity. You are aiming to build a lifestyle, not a temporary fix. The Three Pillars Nutrition: Fueling your body for repair. Movement: Keeping your body strong and agile.

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

    Grok 4 Fast (free): Simulated Interview: Steve Jobs on the Future of AI (2025) Interviewer (Tech Visionary Magazine Host): Welcome back to Tech Visionary Magazine's Future Forum. It's 2025, and we're thrilled to have you here, Steve.

    Qwen3.5 9B: DISCLAIMER: The following is a work of creative fiction. Steve Jobs passed away in 2011. There is no actual recording of him speaking in 2025. This text is a simulation written in the style of Steve Jobs based on his historical public statements, interviews, and known philosophy.

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

    Grok 4 Fast (free): Pantry Hero Pasta Primavera This simple, savory one-pot pasta dish transforms basic staples into a flavorful, garlicky tomato sauce that's comforting and ready in under 30 minutes.

    Qwen3.5 9B: Recipe: The Golden Peanut Butter Noodles Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes Ingredients (Exactly 7 Common Pantry Items) Dry Spaghetti (or any long pasta) Peanut Butter (creamy, no honey) Soy Sauce Honey Sesame Oil Garlic Powder Water (for boiling) (Note: Add a pinch of Salt and optional…

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

    Grok 4 Fast (free): 1 Sally has 1 sister. The family consists of 3 brothers and 2 sisters (Sally and one other). Each brother thus has 2 sisters, which matches the given information.

    Qwen3.5 9B: Sally has 1 sister. Here is the step-by-step breakdown: Identify the family members: Sally is a girl. She has 3 brothers. Analyze the brothers' perspective: Each brother has 2 sisters. Count the girls: Since the brothers are siblings, they share the same sisters.

    Every model's answer to this prompt

Price and specs

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, Grok 4 Fast (free) has the edge: bigger model tier, bigger context window, major provider backing.

Grok 4 Fast (free) and Qwen3.5 9B compared across 33 shared prompts
SpecGrok 4 Fast (free)Qwen3.5 9B
Input priceFree$0.1/M tokens
Output priceFree$0.15/M tokens
Context window2.0M tokens262K tokens
Weights—Open
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedSep 2025Mar 2026
At 10M a month$0$0$1.00$1.00
1M10M100M1B10M tokens

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

Where to run it6 hosts, cheapest first
Grok 4 Fast (free)

No hosts listed on OpenRouter.

Qwen3.5 9B6 hosts
HostInOutContextUptime
  • DDarkbloomfp4$0.08 in·$0.13 out·262k·100% up
  • DDeepInfrabf16$0.10 in·$0.15 out·262k·100% up
  • VVenicefp8$0.10 in·$0.15 out·256k·99.9% up
  • PParasailbf16$0.10 in·$0.25 out·262k·99.5% up
  • SSiliconFlowfp8DegradedDegraded on OpenRouter when checked, 13 Oct 2026$0.10 in·$0.15 out·262k·97.4% up
  • TTogetherDegradedDegraded on OpenRouter when checked, 13 Oct 2026$0.17 in·$0.25 out·262k·95.6% up

Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 13 Oct 2026.

Common questions

What is the difference between Grok 4 Fast (free) and Qwen3.5 9B?

Grok 4 Fast (free) is developed by xAI while Qwen3.5 9B is developed by Qwen. Grok 4 Fast (free) has a 2.0M token context window vs Qwen3.5 9B's 262K. You can compare their actual outputs across 33 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

Which is better, Grok 4 Fast (free) or Qwen3.5 9B?

It depends on your use case. Grok 4 Fast (free) and Qwen3.5 9B each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 33 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

How much does Grok 4 Fast (free) cost compared to Qwen3.5 9B?

Grok 4 Fast (free) costs $0/M input tokens and Qwen3.5 9B costs $0.1/M input tokens. Grok 4 Fast (free) is $0.10/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 Grok 4 Fast (free) and Qwen3.5 9B on Rival?

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of Grok 4 Fast (free) and Qwen3.5 9B 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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Model pages

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  • Qwen3.5 9B64 outputs, specs and price
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