Qwen3.6 Flash vs Step 3.7 Flash
Qwen3.6 Flash and Step 3.7 Flash cost about the same per output token ($1.125 vs $1.15 per million). Updated October 21, 2026; 1 benchmarks have a result for both.
Qwen3.6 Flash or Step 3.7 Flash: which to pick
Neither model has a coding score yet, so the two cannot be ranked on coding.
Pick Qwen3.6 Flash for output tokens 1.0x cheaper ($1.125 vs $1.15 per million) and a larger context window (1M against 262K tokens).
- Shared results
- 1
- Qwen3.6 Flash only
- 10
- Step 3.7 Flash only
- 17
- Like-for-like categories
- 1 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
No call
Only Step 3.7 Flash has a AA Intelligence Index result, 19.5.
Directional only
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
Qwen3.6 Flash
Qwen3.6 Flash takes 1M tokens against 262K.
Listed by OpenRouter
Everyday cost
1K input + 500 output tokens
Qwen3.6 Flash
Qwen3.6 Flash $0.0008, Step 3.7 Flash $0.0008 per turn.
List prices
At a glance
- Coding index
- Qwen3.6 Flash not benchmarked, Step 3.7 Flash not benchmarked.
- Widest category
- Coding, 12.3 points apart on average over 1 shared benchmark.
- Widest single gap
- ALE-Bench: Qwen3.6 Flash 326.4 against Step 3.7 Flash 694.1, 12.3 points apart on a 0 to 100 scale.
- Output price
- Qwen3.6 Flash $1.125 against Step 3.7 Flash $1.15 per million output tokens, 1.0x apart.
- Context window
- Qwen3.6 Flash takes 1M tokens, Step 3.7 Flash 262K.
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 | Qwen3.6 Flash | Bars | Step 3.7 Flash | Ties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coding | 0 | 1 | ||
| All shared boards | 0 | 1 |
CodingLike-for-likeSix of these boards feed the Vibe Coding Index01
| Benchmark | Qwen3.6 Flash | Step 3.7 Flash | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA Coding Index | Not measured | 39.6 | Only Step 3.7 Flash measured |
| SciCode | Not measured | 43.9% | Only Step 3.7 Flash measured |
| Terminal-Bench Hard (Artificial Analysis run) | Not measured | 35.6% | Only Step 3.7 Flash measured |
| ALE-Bench | 326.4 | 694.1 | Step 3.7 Flash |
| Neither model has a result on the other 35 boards here | |||
IntelligenceDirectional onlyPublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index2 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Qwen3.6 Flash | Step 3.7 Flash | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA Intelligence Index | Not measured | 19.5 | Only Step 3.7 Flash measured |
| Epoch Capabilities Index | 142.9 | Not measured | Only Qwen3.6 Flash measured |
Agentic workDirectional onlyPublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index1 board, none shared
| Benchmark | Qwen3.6 Flash | Step 3.7 Flash | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| τ²-Bench Telecom | Not measured | 98.5% | Only Step 3.7 Flash measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 40 boards here | |||
ReasoningDirectional onlyPublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index6 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Qwen3.6 Flash | Step 3.7 Flash | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPQA Diamond (Artificial Analysis run) | Not measured | 80.9% | Only Step 3.7 Flash measured |
| Humanity's Last Exam (Artificial Analysis run) | Not measured | 21.4% | Only Step 3.7 Flash measured |
| GPQA Diamond (Epoch AI run) | 83.3% | Not measured | Only Qwen3.6 Flash measured |
| SimpleBench | 35.2% | Not measured | Only Qwen3.6 Flash measured |
| Chess puzzles | 12.0% | Not measured | Only Qwen3.6 Flash measured |
| Mystery game puzzles | 18.0% | Not measured | Only Qwen3.6 Flash measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 16 boards here | |||
MathDirectional onlyPublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index2 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Qwen3.6 Flash | Step 3.7 Flash | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| OTIS Mock AIME | 84.4% | Not measured | Only Qwen3.6 Flash measured |
| FrontierMath, tiers 1 to 3 | 22.5% | Not measured | Only Qwen3.6 Flash measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 11 boards here | |||
KnowledgeDirectional onlyPublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index1 board, none shared
| Benchmark | Qwen3.6 Flash | Step 3.7 Flash | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| SimpleQA Verified | 15.9% | Not measured | Only Qwen3.6 Flash measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 17 boards here | |||
Web designDirectional onlyPublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index8 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Qwen3.6 Flash | 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 | |||
GeneralDirectional onlyPublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index4 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | Qwen3.6 Flash | Step 3.7 Flash | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| IFBench | Not measured | 67.3% | Only Step 3.7 Flash measured |
| Long context reasoning (AA-LCR) | Not measured | 73.7% | Only Step 3.7 Flash measured |
| DTBench | 77.1% | Not measured | Only Qwen3.6 Flash measured |
| LMCA | 31.0% | Not measured | Only Qwen3.6 Flash 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 | Qwen3.6 Flash | 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
Qwen3.6 Flash costs less
Repository review
50K input + 3K output tokens
Qwen3.6 Flash costs less
Agent loop
200K input + 10K output tokens
Qwen3.6 Flash 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 | Qwen3.6 Flash | StepFun Step 3.7 Flash |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | Qwen | StepFun |
| Weights | No public weights listed | Open weights |
| Released | April 27, 2026 | May 28, 2026 |
| Context window | 1M | 262K |
| Input $/Mtok | $0.1875 | $0.20 |
| Output $/Mtok | $1.125 | $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 Qwen3.6 Flash better than Step 3.7 Flash for coding?
Neither model has a coding score yet, so the two cannot be ranked on coding. Pick Qwen3.6 Flash for output tokens 1.0x cheaper ($1.125 vs $1.15 per million) and a larger context window (1M against 262K tokens).
Which is cheaper, Qwen3.6 Flash or Step 3.7 Flash?
Qwen3.6 Flash costs $0.1875 per million input tokens and $1.125 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, Qwen3.6 Flash or Step 3.7 Flash?
Qwen3.6 Flash, with 1M tokens against 262K.
How many benchmarks is the Qwen3.6 Flash vs Step 3.7 Flash comparison based on?
1 benchmarks have a result for both models as of October 21, 2026. Qwen3.6 Flash'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.