GPT-3.5 Turbo vs Qwen Turbo
Performance benchmarks + pricing comparison — updated April 2026
GPT-3.5 Turbo
OpenAIBudget model for simple tasks. Being phased out but still widely used.
| Input | $0.500/M |
| Output | $1.50/M |
| Context | 16K tokens |
| Best For | Simple chatbots, basic text generation |
| Benchmark | 40/100 |
Qwen Turbo
QwenFastest and cheapest Qwen model. Good for high-volume tasks.
| Input | $0.080/M |
| Output | $0.240/M |
| Context | 1M tokens |
| Best For | High-volume tasks, simple coding |
| Benchmark | 42/100 |
Benchmark Performance Comparison
Third-party benchmark scores — higher is better. Data sourced from SWE-bench, LiveCodeBench, HumanEval, and BigCodeBench.
| Benchmark | GPT-3.5 Turbo | Qwen Turbo | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 40 | 42 | Qwen Turbo leads by 2pts |
| SWE-bench Verified | 32 | 35 | Qwen Turbo leads by 3pts |
| LiveCodeBench | 42 | 44 | Qwen Turbo leads by 2pts |
| HumanEval | 62 | 65 | Qwen Turbo leads by 3pts |
| BigCodeBench | 26 | 28 | Qwen Turbo leads by 2pts |
Cost Comparison by Scenario
Estimated cost per project with 30% cache hit rate. Actual costs may vary based on usage patterns.
| Scenario | GPT-3.5 Turbo | Qwen Turbo | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Script (1K lines) | $0.06 | $0.01 | Qwen Turbo saves $0.05 (84%) |
| Medium Feature (10K lines) | $0.48 | $0.08 | Qwen Turbo saves $0.40 (84%) |
| Large Project (50K lines) | $2.38 | $0.38 | Qwen Turbo saves $2.00 (84%) |
| Code Review (5K lines) | $0.13 | $0.02 | Qwen Turbo saves $0.11 (84%) |
Value Analysis (Price per Benchmark Score Point)
Lower is better — how much you pay for each point of benchmark performance.
| Model | Overall Score | Price per Score Point | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-3.5 Turbo | 40 | $0.013/pt | Higher cost per point |
| Qwen Turbo | 42 | $0.002/pt | Better value |
Qwen Turbo delivers the best value at $0.002 per score point.
Strengths & Weaknesses
GPT-3.5 Turbo
- + Ultra-cheap
- + Very fast
- - Basic coding only
Qwen Turbo
- + Cheapest option
- + Fast
- - Basic coding only
Verdict
Qwen Turbo wins on both price and performance — $0.080/M input with a benchmark score of 42/100.
For most developers, this is the clear choice between these two models.
Compare with Other Models
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