Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 16, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, GPT-5.6 Terra delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,548 vs 1,440), while GPT-5.6 Terra leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (70.4%), while Qwen3 235B is more budget-friendly at $0.88/1M per 1M output tokens, while GPT-5.6 Terra provides faster response streaming (128 tok/s). Review the complete breakdown below to determine which model best fits your performance and budget requirements.
9 direct benchmark disciplines evaluated across capability, speed, and cost
OpenAI 5.6 mid tier. Official API $2/$12 per 1M after the Jul 30 2026 price cut.
Open-weight Qwen3 mixture-of-experts.
Currently comparing GPT-5.6 Terra vs Qwen3 235B. Alternative family tiers available.
Δ 108 Arena Elo pts
128 tok/s
$0.88 / 1M output
Relative percentile scores computed across all active models in the benchmark catalog.
Comparing top Western standard models with China's leading frontier rival across 6 skill dimensions. Tap any spoke or dot to inspect.
Category wins across reasoning intelligence, generation speed, and token cost.
Preference Elo, Coding proficiency, SWE-bench & LiveBench accuracy
Generation throughput and time to first token responsiveness
Cost per million tokens and max context window length
| Benchmark | GPT-5.6 Terra | Qwen3 235B | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +108 | ||
| Coding Elo | — | — | |
| LiveBench | +5.6% | ||
| SWE-bench | +11% | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +5.2% | ||
| Time to first token | +160 ms | ||
| Output speed | 128 tok/s | 74 tok/s | +54 tok/s |
| Input price | $0.22/1M | +$1.78/1M | |
| Output price | $0.88/1M | +$11.12/1M | |
| Context window | +869k |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
Qwen3 235B is estimated to save $229.10/month ($2,749/year).
Higher SWE-bench (70.4%).
Lower output list price ($0.88/1M).
Lower TTFT (160 ms).
Larger window (1M).
GPT-5.6 Terra is the side marked multimodal in the catalog.
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | GPT-5.6 Terra | Higher SWE-bench (70.4%). |
| High-volume chat | Qwen3 235B | Lower output list price ($0.88/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | GPT-5.6 Terra | Lower TTFT (160 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | GPT-5.6 Terra | Larger window (1M). |
| Screenshots / vision | GPT-5.6 Terra | GPT-5.6 Terra is the side marked multimodal in the catalog. |
Terra is OpenAI’s Sonnet-class invoice. Use it when Sol is too expensive and Luna is too small.
Sep 2025 open-weight mixture-of-experts. Self-host path. Don’t confuse it with Qwen 3 Max.
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Verified Head-to-Head Telemetry