What is the difference between Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct and Qwen3.5 397B A17B?

Both are developed by Qwen but target different use cases. Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct has a 66K token context window vs Qwen3.5 397B A17B's 262K. You can compare their actual outputs across 53 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

Which is better, Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct or Qwen3.5 397B A17B?

It depends on your use case. Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct 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 Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct cost compared to Qwen3.5 397B A17B?

Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct costs $0.15/M input tokens and Qwen3.5 397B A17B costs $0.6/M input tokens. Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct is $0.45/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 Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct and Qwen3.5 397B A17B on Rival?

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct 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.

Updated Feb 2026

Qwen3 Next 80B A3B InstructvsQwen3.5 397B A17B

Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct is cheaper than Qwen3.5 397B A17B at $0.15/M vs $0.6/M input tokens.

Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct and Qwen3.5 397B A17B compared across 53 shared prompts
Spec	Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct	Qwen3.5 397B A17B
Input price	$0.15/M tokens	$0.6/M tokens
Output price	$1.5/M tokens	$3.6/M tokens
Context window	66K tokens	262K tokens
Weights	Open	Open
Free API (OpenRouter)	No	No
Released	Sep 2025	Feb 2026

Side by side

Same prompt, both answers

Opening lines from 6 of the 53 prompts both answered. Formatting stripped, words untouched.

Generate a Stand-Up Routine

Write a 3-minute stand-up comedy routine that isn't based on puns.

Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct632 words

[Lights up. Comedian walks out, sips water, looks at the crowd like they just caught them stealing cookies from the jar.] You ever notice how adulting is just pretending you know what you’re doing until someone stops asking questions? I got a text from my mom last week: “Honey, did you pay your water bill?

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Qwen3.5 397B A17B500 words

(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.

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Stochastic Consistency Test

Generate 5 jokes. How many are unique?

Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct142 words

Sure! Here are 5 jokes: Joke 1: Why don’t skeletons fight each other? They don’t have the guts. Joke 2: I told my dog all my problems. He fell asleep. I guess I’m not that interesting. Joke 3: Why did the coffee file a police report? It got mugged. Joke 4: My phone battery lasts longer than my motivation.

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Qwen3.5 397B A17B76 words

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.

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Ethical Dilemma with Stakeholders

You're the CEO of a pharmaceutical company. Your best-selling drug ($2B annual revenue, used by 4 million patients for chronic pain) has…

Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct1,451 words

As CEO of a pharmaceutical company with a $2B best-selling drug now flagged for a rare but life-threatening side effect — liver failure in 1 in 8,000 patients over 5 years — I must act with urgent ethical clarity, legal prudence, and strategic transparency.

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Qwen3.5 397B A17B1,322 words

This is a crisis scenario that defines a CEO's legacy. The decision matrix is clear: Patient safety and regulatory compliance must supersede short-term financial protection. Hiding this information constitutes securities fraud and potential criminal negligence (precedents include Vioxx/Merck and Purdue Pharma).

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Mini LBO Underwrite

You are underwriting a 5-year LBO for a private equity investment committee. Company (fictional): HarborTech Services (HTS) –…

Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct980 words

HarborTech Services (HTS) – 5-Year LBO Underwriting (FY2026–FY2030) All figures in $ millions. Rounded to 1 decimal for clarity. 1. Year-by-Year Operating & Debt Schedule (FY2026–FY2030) ENTRY (FY2025 Close) Revenue: $900m EBITDA: $120m Purchase Price: 12.0x $120m = $1,440m Transaction Fees: 2.0% × $1,440m = $28.8m…

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Qwen3.5 397B A17B575 words

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…

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Character Voice Test

Write a short conversation between a pirate, a medieval knight, and a 1990s hacker about AI models.

Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct513 words

[Scene: A foggy dockside tavern. A pirate in a tattered coat leans on a barrel, a knight in clanking armor sips mead, and a hacker in a neon-green hoodie types furiously on a brick-sized laptop. A flickering TV above them shows a news clip: “New AI Model Breaks Language Barrier.”] Pirate (slamming tankard): “AI model?

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Qwen3.5 397B A17B487 words

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.

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Realistic AI Interview

Simulate a fake interview with Steve Jobs in 2025 about the future of AI.

Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct783 words

[Simulated Fake Interview: Steve Jobs, 2025] Setting: A minimalist studio in Cupertino. Soft daylight filters through floor-to-ceiling windows. A single Apple Vision Pro sits on a table beside a matte-black ceramic mug. Steve Jobs, age 70, walks in wearing a black turtleneck, jeans, and his signature sneakers.

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Qwen3.5 397B A17B929 words

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.

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Our Verdict

Qwen3.5 397B A17B

Qwen3 Next 80B A3B InstructRunner-up

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

Slight edge

Reviewing agent-written code?See a Brief PR report

API pricing

Cost per 1M tokens

Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct

Input

$0.15

4.0× cheaper

Output

$1.50

2.4× cheaper

Qwen3.5 397B A17B

Input

$0.60

Output

$3.60

Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct is cheaper on both: 4.0× input, 2.4× output.

Where to run it

15 hosts, cheapest first

Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct5 hosts

HostInOutContextUptime

DeepInfrafp8$0.09 in$1.10 out262k99.7% up Alibaba Cloud$0.10 in$0.78 out131k100% up Parasailfp8$0.10 in$1.10 out262k100% up Google Vertex AI$0.15 in$1.20 out262k99.8% up Novitabf16degraded$0.15 in$1.50 out131k69.3% up

Qwen3.5 397B A17B10 hosts

HostInOutContextUptime

Alibaba Cloud$0.39 in$2.34 out262k99.9% up DeepInfrafp8$0.45 in$3.00 out262k99.4% up Parasailfp8$0.50 in$3.60 out262k99.6% up AtlasCloudfp8$0.55 in$3.50 out262k97.9% up DigitalOcean$0.55 in$3.50 out131k92.9% up Phala$0.55 in$3.50 out262k99.3% up

4 more hosts

Novita$0.60 in$3.60 out262k99.2% up StreamLake$0.60 in$3.60 out256k98.1% up Venice$0.75 in$4.50 out128k74.3% up GMI Cloudfp8degraded$0.60 in$3.60 out262k90.4% up

Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 25 Sep 2026.

Writing DNA

Style Comparison

Similarity

60%

Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct uses 4.4x more emoji

Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct

Qwen3.5 397B A17B

54%Vocabulary54%

18wSentence Length14w

0.33Hedging0.39

5.6Bold6.9

3.7Lists4.2

1.01Emoji0.23

0.91Headings0.93

0.10Transitions0.17

Based on 27 + 23 text responses

Research

What we learned reading every model

FAQ

Common questions

Keep exploring

More comparisons

Same prompt, both answers

Cost per 1M tokens

15 hosts, cheapest first

Style Comparison

What we learned reading every model

Common questions

What is the difference between Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct and Qwen3.5 397B A17B?

Which is better, Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct or Qwen3.5 397B A17B?

How much does Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct cost compared to Qwen3.5 397B A17B?

How can I compare Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct and Qwen3.5 397B A17B on Rival?

More comparisons

Against the newest arrivals

Same lab, same size, long tail

Model pages

Same prompt, both answers

Cost per 1M tokens

15 hosts, cheapest first

Style Comparison

What we learned reading every model

Common questions

What is the difference between Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct and Qwen3.5 397B A17B?

Which is better, Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct or Qwen3.5 397B A17B?

How much does Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct cost compared to Qwen3.5 397B A17B?

How can I compare Qwen3 Next 80B A3B Instruct and Qwen3.5 397B A17B on Rival?

More comparisons

Against the newest arrivals

Same lab, same size, long tail

Model pages