Qwen3.5-9B vs Step 3.7 Flash
Step 3.7 Flash leads Qwen3.5-9B on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, 19.5 to 13.3, and Qwen3.5-9B costs 7.7x less per output token ($0.15 vs $1.15 per million). Updated October 21, 2026; 9 benchmarks have a result for both.
Qwen3.5-9B or Step 3.7 Flash: which to pick
Neither model has a coding score yet, so the two cannot be ranked on coding.
Pick Qwen3.5-9B for output tokens 7.7x cheaper ($0.15 vs $1.15 per million) and work measured by AA Coding Index or SciCode, where it leads.
- Shared results
- 9
- Qwen3.5-9B only
- 6
- Step 3.7 Flash only
- 9
- Like-for-like categories
- 5 of 9
Only benchmarks that tested both models count toward a pick; a result only one model has is shown but not compared.
Which one for your work
Each card is decided by one number both models carry. Where only one has it, the card says so and makes no call.
Coding
Vibe Coding Index, six public coding benchmarks
No call
Neither has a coding score yet.
One side not measured
Intelligence
AA Intelligence Index
Step 3.7 Flash
Step 3.7 Flash leads, 19.5 against 13.3.
Same board, both measured
Web design
Design Arena: websites
No call
Only Step 3.7 Flash has a Design Arena: websites result, 1196.
Directional only
Long documents
Listed context window
No call
Both take 262K tokens.
Listed by OpenRouter
Everyday cost
1K input + 500 output tokens
Qwen3.5-9B
Qwen3.5-9B $0.0002, Step 3.7 Flash $0.0008 per turn.
List prices
At a glance
- Coding index
- Qwen3.5-9B not benchmarked, Step 3.7 Flash not benchmarked.
- Widest category
- Coding, 14.0 points apart on average over 3 shared benchmarks.
- Widest single gap
- AA Coding Index: Qwen3.5-9B 23.5 against Step 3.7 Flash 39.6, 16.1 points apart on a 0 to 100 scale.
- Output price
- Qwen3.5-9B $0.15 against Step 3.7 Flash $1.15 per million output tokens, 7.7x apart.
- Context window
- Both take 262K tokens.
Benchmark by benchmark
First the score: boards each model leads, per category, where both have a result. Then every board, a category to a fold; bars are each result on a 0 to 100 scale, so compare the two in a row, not one row with another.
| Category | Qwen3.5-9B | Bars | Step 3.7 Flash | Ties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coding | 0 | 3 | ||
| Intelligence | 0 | 1 | ||
| Agentic work | 0 | 1 | ||
| Reasoning | 0 | 2 | ||
| General | 0 | 2 | ||
| All shared boards | 0 | 9 |
CodingLike-for-likeSix of these boards feed the Vibe Coding Index03
| Benchmark | Qwen3.5-9B | Step 3.7 Flash | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA Coding Index | 23.5 | 39.6 | Step 3.7 Flash |
| SciCode | 29.5% | 43.9% | Step 3.7 Flash |
| Terminal-Bench Hard (Artificial Analysis run) | 24.2% | 35.6% | Step 3.7 Flash |
| Terminal-Bench | 9.2% | Not measured | Only Qwen3.5-9B measured |
| ALE-Bench | Not measured | 694.1 | Only Step 3.7 Flash measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 34 boards here | |||
IntelligenceLike-for-likePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index01
| Benchmark | Qwen3.5-9B | Step 3.7 Flash | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA Intelligence Index | 13.3 | 19.5 | Step 3.7 Flash |
| Epoch Capabilities Index | 139.3 | Not measured | Only Qwen3.5-9B measured |
Agentic workLike-for-likePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index01
| Benchmark | Qwen3.5-9B | Step 3.7 Flash | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| τ²-Bench Telecom | 86.8% | 98.5% | Step 3.7 Flash |
| Neither model has a result on the other 40 boards here | |||
ReasoningLike-for-likePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index02
| Benchmark | Qwen3.5-9B | Step 3.7 Flash | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPQA Diamond (Artificial Analysis run) | 80.6% | 80.9% | Step 3.7 Flash |
| Humanity's Last Exam (Artificial Analysis run) | 14.9% | 21.4% | Step 3.7 Flash |
| GPQA Diamond (Epoch AI run) | 79.0% | Not measured | Only Qwen3.5-9B measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 19 boards here | |||
MathDirectional onlyPublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index1 board, none shared
| Benchmark | Qwen3.5-9B | Step 3.7 Flash | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| OTIS Mock AIME | 61.7% | Not measured | Only Qwen3.5-9B measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 12 boards here | |||
KnowledgeNot comparablePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index0 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Qwen3.5-9B | Step 3.7 Flash | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neither model has a result on 18 boards here | |||
Web designDirectional onlyPublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index8 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Qwen3.5-9B | Step 3.7 Flash | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design Arena: websites | Not measured | 1196 | Only Step 3.7 Flash measured |
| Design Arena: UI components | Not measured | 1179 | Only Step 3.7 Flash measured |
| Design Arena: game dev | Not measured | 1158 | Only Step 3.7 Flash measured |
| Design Arena: data viz | Not measured | 1172 | Only Step 3.7 Flash measured |
| Design Arena: 3D | Not measured | 1129 | Only Step 3.7 Flash measured |
| Design Arena: all code categories | Not measured | 1182 | Only Step 3.7 Flash measured |
| Design Arena: SVG | Not measured | 1085 | Only Step 3.7 Flash measured |
| Design Arena: ASCII art | Not measured | 1152 | Only Step 3.7 Flash measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 1 board here | |||
GeneralLike-for-likePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index02
| Benchmark | Qwen3.5-9B | Step 3.7 Flash | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| IFBench | 66.7% | 67.3% | Step 3.7 Flash |
| Long context reasoning (AA-LCR) | 70.0% | 73.7% | Step 3.7 Flash |
| DTBench | 71.2% | Not measured | Only Qwen3.5-9B measured |
| LMCA | 24.5% | Not measured | Only Qwen3.5-9B measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 42 boards here | |||
Image generationNot comparablePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index0 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Qwen3.5-9B | Step 3.7 Flash | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neither model has a result on 5 boards here | |||
What each workload costs
Three fixed token mixes at each model's listed price, so per-token rates become a bill.
Chat turn
1K input + 500 output tokens
Qwen3.5-9B costs less
Repository review
50K input + 3K output tokens
Qwen3.5-9B costs less
Agent loop
200K input + 10K output tokens
Qwen3.5-9B costs less
Listed OpenRouter rates, without cache or batch discounts. A workload that does not fit a model's context window would need splitting.
Specification differences
The leading value in a row is marked; a row with a missing value names no leader. Our two rows are marked in red.
| Specification | Qwen3.5-9B | StepFun Step 3.7 Flash |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | Qwen | StepFun |
| Weights | Open weights | Open weights |
| Released | March 10, 2026 | May 28, 2026 |
| Context window | 262K | 262K |
| Input $/Mtok | $0.10 | $0.20 |
| Output $/Mtok | $0.15 | $1.15 |
| Coding index | Not benchmarked | Not benchmarked |
| Independent measurements behind it | 0 | 0 |
| Cost per solved task | Not computable | Not computable |
| Source | OpenRouter listing | OpenRouter listing |
Questions
Is Qwen3.5-9B better than Step 3.7 Flash for coding?
Neither model has a coding score yet, so the two cannot be ranked on coding. Pick Qwen3.5-9B for output tokens 7.7x cheaper ($0.15 vs $1.15 per million) and work measured by AA Coding Index or SciCode, where it leads.
Which is cheaper, Qwen3.5-9B or Step 3.7 Flash?
Qwen3.5-9B costs $0.10 per million input tokens and $0.15 per million output tokens; Step 3.7 Flash costs $0.20 and $1.15. Cost per solved task is known for neither of them.
Which has the bigger context window, Qwen3.5-9B or Step 3.7 Flash?
Neither: both take 262K tokens.
How many benchmarks is the Qwen3.5-9B vs Step 3.7 Flash comparison based on?
9 benchmarks have a result for both models as of October 21, 2026. Qwen3.5-9B's coding index rests on 0 independent benchmarks and Step 3.7 Flash's on 0. Where only one model has a result, the page says so instead of naming a winner.