Verified 2026 API Rates • Prompt Caching & Batch ROI

OpenAI: GPT-6.1 Terra vs Qwen: Qwen3.5 397B A17B

Compare real-world API costs for OpenAI: GPT-6.1 Terra ($1/$5) vs Qwen: Qwen3.5 397B A17B ($0.6/$3.6). Calculate Prompt Caching ROI & Batch API savings.

Qwen: Qwen3.5 397B A17B saves up to 40% on base input tokens
OpenAI

OpenAI: GPT-6.1 Terra

gpt-6.1-terra
Base Input Rate
$1.00 / 1M
Output Rate
$5.00 / 1M
Prompt Cache Read
$0.050 / 1M (-95%)
Cache Write Surcharge
$0.00 (Free write)
Batch API Discount
-50% Off
Context Window
1,050k tokens
Quality Index (MMLU)
87.8
Alibaba Qwen

Qwen: Qwen3.5 397B A17B

qwen3.5-397b-a17b
Base Input Rate
$0.60 / 1M
Output Rate
$3.60 / 1M
Prompt Cache Read
$0.12 / 1M (-80%)
Cache Write Surcharge
$0.00 (Free write)
Batch API Discount
-40% Off
Context Window
262.144k tokens
Quality Index (MMLU)
88
Differential Module 1

Prompt Caching ROI & Write Surcharge Break-Even Analysis

Prompt caching drastically reduces input token costs for static prefixes like system prompts, tool schemas, and document chunks. Compare caching mechanisms between OpenAI: GPT-6.1 Terra and Qwen: Qwen3.5 397B A17B:

OpenAI: GPT-6.1 Terra Caching Profile-95% read discount

  • Cached Read Price: $0.050 per 1M tokens.
  • Write Surcharge: $0.00 (automatic caching with zero write penalty).
  • Minimum Cache Prefix: 1,024 tokens.
  • Amortization Rule: Immediate net savings from first cached read call.

Qwen: Qwen3.5 397B A17B Caching Profile-80% read discount

  • Cached Read Price: $0.120 per 1M tokens.
  • Write Surcharge: $0.00 (automatic caching with zero write penalty).
  • Minimum Cache Prefix: 1,024 tokens.
  • Amortization Rule: Immediate net savings from first cached read call.
Differential Module 2

Batch API 50% Discount Offload vs Real-Time SLA

Asynchronous Batch APIs cut total token expenditures in half (50% off input and output) in exchange for non-realtime execution (up to 24-hour turnaround SLA).

Model / ArchitectureStandard Input / OutputBatch 50% Off Input / OutputTurnaround SLAOptimal Use Cases
OpenAI: GPT-6.1 Terra$1.00 / $5.00$0.50 / $2.50 (-50%)24 Hours max (typically 30m - 2h)Bulk evaluation, dataset labeling, background summarization
Qwen: Qwen3.5 397B A17B$0.60 / $3.60$0.30 / $1.80 (-50%)24 Hours max (typically 30m - 2h)Offline document translation, embedding backfills, test suites
Differential Module 3

Context Window Escalation & Tiered Pricing Architecture

Massive context windows allow ingesting entire repositories or books, but pricing models differ drastically between flat-rate vendors and tiered step-up pricing.

OpenAI: GPT-6.1 Terra Context Capacity

Provides a 1,050k token context window with a maximum output limit of 128k tokens.✓ Flat-rate billing across all prompt sizes up to max context ceiling.

Qwen: Qwen3.5 397B A17B Context Capacity

Provides a 262.144k token context window with a maximum output limit of 64k tokens.✓ Flat-rate billing across all prompt sizes up to max context ceiling.

Quill Strategic Content

Real-World Production Scenarios: Monthly Spend Projections

Pre-computed monthly engineering bill projections across 3 representative enterprise application workloads:

Scenario 1

RAG Knowledge Base & Enterprise Search

100,000 queries/month, 3,500 input tokens (system + 5 retrieved chunks), 400 output tokens, 75% prompt cache hit rate.

OpenAI: GPT-6.1 Terra:$300.63/mo
Qwen: Qwen3.5 397B A17B:$228.00/mo
Delta Savings:-$72.63 (24%)
Architecture Verdict:Qwen: Qwen3.5 397B A17B delivers 24% lower monthly spend ($72.63/mo savings) for this workload profile.
Scenario 2

Multi-Turn Coding Agent & ReAct Loops

25,000 tasks/month, 8,000 input tokens (accumulating conversation context & tool schemas), 1,200 output tokens, 85% cache hit rate.

OpenAI: GPT-6.1 Terra:$174.36/mo
Qwen: Qwen3.5 397B A17B:$137.62/mo
Delta Savings:-$36.75 (21%)
Architecture Verdict:Qwen: Qwen3.5 397B A17B delivers 21% lower monthly spend ($36.75/mo savings) for this workload profile.
Scenario 3

High-Throughput Offline Data Extraction

500,000 records/month, 1,500 input tokens, 250 output tokens, 100% batch offload (24-hour turnaround SLA).

OpenAI: GPT-6.1 Terra:$616.25/mo
Qwen: Qwen3.5 397B A17B:$496.80/mo
Delta Savings:-$119.45 (19%)
Architecture Verdict:Qwen: Qwen3.5 397B A17B delivers 19% lower monthly spend ($119.45/mo savings) for this workload profile.
毫秒级实时交互模拟引擎

OpenAI: GPT-6.1 Terra 对比 Qwen: Qwen3.5 397B A17B

针对企业典型三大工程落地形态(RAG 知识库、Coding Agent 多轮、离线批量清洗)进行精确成本演算:

Live 50ms Engine
月度请求量 (Requests)100,000
单次输入 Tokens (Input)4,000
单次输出 Tokens (Output)1,000
Prompt 缓存命中率 (Cache Hit)70%
Batch API 批处理分流比例0%
Qwen: Qwen3.5 397B A17B 更便宜

预计每月节省

OpenAI: GPT-6.1 Terra$634.00$6.340// 千次请求
对比
Qwen: Qwen3.5 397B A17B$465.60$4.656// 千次请求
Developer FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions: OpenAI: GPT-6.1 Terra vs Qwen: Qwen3.5 397B A17B

Authoritative answers on API rate limits, pricing math, break-even thresholds, and architectural migration.

1Which model is cheaper overall: OpenAI: GPT-6.1 Terra or Qwen: Qwen3.5 397B A17B?

At base pricing, OpenAI: GPT-6.1 Terra costs $1/1M input and $5/1M output, while Qwen: Qwen3.5 397B A17B costs $0.6/1M input and $3.6/1M output. The cheaper option depends on your input-to-output token ratio and whether prompt caching or batch discounts are utilized.

2How does Prompt Caching impact the cost of OpenAI: GPT-6.1 Terra vs Qwen: Qwen3.5 397B A17B?

OpenAI: GPT-6.1 Terra offers a 95% read discount ($0.05/1M), whereas Qwen: Qwen3.5 397B A17B provides a 80% read discount ($0.12/1M). High cache hit ratios (>70%) significantly compress the cost delta in agentic and RAG architectures.

3Can I use Batch API with OpenAI: GPT-6.1 Terra or Qwen: Qwen3.5 397B A17B to save 50%?

OpenAI: GPT-6.1 Terra supports 50% batch offload discounts for asynchronous 24-hour turnaround tasks. Qwen: Qwen3.5 397B A17B supports 50% batch discounts.

4What are the context window limits and tiered pricing rules for OpenAI: GPT-6.1 Terra vs Qwen: Qwen3.5 397B A17B?

OpenAI: GPT-6.1 Terra features a 1,050k context window with flat per-token pricing. In comparison, Qwen: Qwen3.5 397B A17B supports 262.144k tokens with flat per-token pricing.