# Qwen3.6 27B vs Step 5 Preview

> Step 5 Preview is the stronger model overall, scoring 43.8 to 41.9 on the Noometry Index.

- Canonical page: https://noometry.com/compare/qwen3-6-27b-vs-step-5-preview
- Last updated: 2026-10-10
- Shared benchmarks: 2

## Summary

- They share 2 benchmarks with published results for both. Qwen3.6 27B scores higher in 0 categories and Step 5 Preview in 2 categories; 2 gaps are clear of the uncertainty.
- The widest gap is in reasoning, where Step 5 Preview leads 38.0 to 24.4.
- The biggest single-benchmark swing is SciCode: 37.3% for Qwen3.6 27B and 58.9% for Step 5 Preview.
- Qwen3.6 27B is cheaper at $0.60 / $3.60 per million input/output tokens, against $1 / $2.70 for Step 5 Preview.
- Step 5 Preview accepts more context: 1.02M tokens versus 262K.
- Qwen3.6 27B has downloadable open weights; the other is API-only.

## Snapshot

| | Qwen3.6 27B | Step 5 Preview |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Alibaba (Qwen) | StepFun |
| Noometry Index | 41.9 | 43.8 |
| Rank | 112 | 78 |
| Context | 262K | 1.02M |
| Input $/M | $0.60 | $1 |
| Output $/M | $3.60 | $2.70 |
| Weights | Open | Proprietary |

## Coding

- Qwen3.6 27B: 38.5 (#162)
- Step 5 Preview: 50.6 (#40)

| Benchmark | Qwen3.6 27B | Step 5 Preview |
|---|---|---|
| SciCode | 37.3% | 58.9% |
| LMArena WebDev | — | 1569 |

## Reasoning

- Qwen3.6 27B: 24.4 (#148)
- Step 5 Preview: 38.0 (#58)

| Benchmark | Qwen3.6 27B | Step 5 Preview |
|---|---|---|
| CritPt | 0.9% | 20.9% |
| Chess Puzzles | 22% | — |
| Mystery Game Puzzles | 7% | — |
| DTBench | 78.1% | — |
| LMCA | 34.5% | — |
| Epoch Capabilities Index | 146.47 | — |

## Math

- Qwen3.6 27B: 47.5 (#56)
- Step 5 Preview: —

| Benchmark | Qwen3.6 27B | Step 5 Preview |
|---|---|---|
| FrontierMath (Tiers 1-3) | 35.1% | — |
| OTIS Mock AIME 2024-2025 | 91.1% | — |

## Knowledge

- Qwen3.6 27B: 52.4 (#58)
- Step 5 Preview: —

| Benchmark | Qwen3.6 27B | Step 5 Preview |
|---|---|---|
| GPQA Diamond | 85.9% | — |

## Writing & Preference

- Qwen3.6 27B: 50.3 (#180)
- Step 5 Preview: —

| Benchmark | Qwen3.6 27B | Step 5 Preview |
|---|---|---|
| EQ-Bench 4 | 1026 | — |

## FAQ

### Is Qwen3.6 27B better than Step 5 Preview?

Step 5 Preview is the stronger model overall, scoring 43.8 to 41.9 on the Noometry Index.

### Which is cheaper, Qwen3.6 27B or Step 5 Preview?

Qwen3.6 27B is cheaper. It lists at $0.60 per million input tokens and $3.60 per million output tokens; Step 5 Preview lists at $1 and $2.70.

### Is Qwen3.6 27B or Step 5 Preview better for coding?

Step 5 Preview scores higher on coding benchmarks: 50.6 versus 38.5 in the Noometry coding category.

### Which has the bigger context window?

Step 5 Preview does, with 1.02M tokens against 262K.

### How many benchmarks do Qwen3.6 27B and Step 5 Preview share?

2 benchmarks have published results for both models. Qwen3.6 27B has 11 scored results on Noometry and Step 5 Preview has 3.