Alternatives · 15 models compared · checked 17 Aug 2026
GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k alternatives: 15 models in or near grid F1
The closest model to GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k on the atlas is GPT-3.5 Turbo Instruct, in a neighbouring square, at $1.50 per 1M input tokens against GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k’s . 11 of the 15 nearest models are cheaper on input; the cheapest is MiniMax M2-her at $0.30. We rank by position on the atlas, not by capability, because we hold no capability data.
$3.00
observed We measured
- Source
- Our catalogue
- Retrieved
- 17 Aug 2026
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Cite this page
ModelsAtlas. “GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k alternatives: 15 models in or near grid F1”. Retrieved 17 Aug 2026. https://modelsatlas.com/models/openai/gpt-3-5-turbo-16k/alternatives
Where the alternatives sit
Each square is a price band (A–H) × a context band (1–6). How the grid works
Same squareGRIDF1No other modelGPT-3.5 Turbo 16k is alone in F1.
Neighbouring squaresGRIDE11 modelGPT-3.5 Turbo Instruct
GPT-3.5 Turbo 16kIts 15 nearest modelsOther modelsOpen weights
View the map as a table (8 squares)
| Square | Price band | Context band | Models |
|---|---|---|---|
| GRIDD1 | $0.30–1 | <32K | GPT-3.5 Turbo, Gemma 2 27B |
| GRIDD2 | $0.30–1 | 32–128K | MiniMax M2-her, Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) |
| GRIDE1 | $1–3 | <32K | GPT-3.5 Turbo Instruct |
| GRIDE2 | $1–3 | 32–128K | Nano Banana 2.1, GPT-5.2 Chat, Mixtral 8x22B Instruct, Command R+ (08-2024), GPT Audio, GPT-4o |
| GRIDF1 | $3–10 | <32K | GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k |
| GRIDF3 | $3–10 | 128–256K | Claude Sonnet 4, Claude Opus 4.5 |
| GRIDG2 | $10–30 | 32–128K | GPT-4 Turbo |
| GRIDH1 | $30+ | <32K | GPT-4 |
Top 15 alternatives
Ranked by steps away on the atlas, then cheaper before pricier, then input price
| # | Model | Grid | Why it fits | Input / 1M | vs GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k | Output / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | GPT-3.5 Turbo 16kOpenAI · the model you’re replacing | GRIDF1 | Baseline | $3.00 | — | $4.00 | 16K | |
| 1 | GPT-3.5 Turbo InstructOpenAI | GRIDE1 | Same maker, neighbouring square E1, 50% cheaper input | $1.50 | −50% | $2.00 | 4K | Compare → |
| 2 | GPT-3.5 TurboOpenAI | GRIDD1 | Same maker, 2 squares away (D1), 83% cheaper input | $0.50 | −83% | $1.50 | 16K | |
| 3 | Gemma 2 27BGoogle | GRIDD1 | 2 squares away (D1), 78% cheaper input | $0.65 | −78% | $0.65 | 8K | |
| 4 | Nano Banana 2.1Google | GRIDE2 | 2 squares away (E2), 50% cheaper input, 4× the context | $1.50 | −50% | $7.50 | 66K | |
| 5 | GPT-5.2 ChatOpenAI | GRIDE2 | Same maker, 2 squares away (E2), 42% cheaper input, 7.8× the context | $1.75 | −42% | $14.00 | 128K | |
| 6 | Mixtral 8x22B InstructMistral AI | GRIDE2 | 2 squares away (E2), 33% cheaper input, 4× the context | $2.00 | −33% | $6.00 | 66K | Compare → |
| 7 | Command R+ (08-2024)Cohere | GRIDE2 | 2 squares away (E2), 17% cheaper input, 7.8× the context | $2.50 | −17% | $10.00 | 128K | Compare → |
| 8 | GPT AudioOpenAI | GRIDE2 | Same maker, 2 squares away (E2), 17% cheaper input, 7.8× the context | $2.50 | −17% | $10.00 | 128K | Compare → |
| 9 | GPT-4oOpenAI | GRIDE2 | Same maker, 2 squares away (E2), 17% cheaper input, 7.8× the context | $2.50 | −17% | $10.00 | 128K | Compare → |
| 10 | Claude Sonnet 4Anthropic | GRIDF3 | 2 squares away (F3), same input price, 12.2× the context | $3.00 | same | $15.00 | 200K | Compare → |
| 11 | Claude Opus 4.5Anthropic | GRIDF3 | 2 squares away (F3), 67% pricier input, 12.2× the context | $5.00 | +67% | $25.00 | 200K | |
| 12 | GPT-4 TurboOpenAI | GRIDG2 | Same maker, 2 squares away (G2), 233% pricier input, 7.8× the context | $10.00 | +233% | $30.00 | 128K | |
| 13 | GPT-4OpenAI | GRIDH1 | Same maker, 2 squares away (H1), 900% pricier input | $30.00 | +900% | $60.00 | 8K | Compare → |
| 14 | MiniMax M2-herMiniMax | GRIDD2 | 3 squares away (D2), 90% cheaper input, 4× the context | $0.30 | −90% | $1.20 | 66K | |
| 15 | Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image)Google | GRIDD2 | 3 squares away (D2), 90% cheaper input, 2× the context | $0.30 | −90% | $2.50 | 33K |
What switching saves
3,000 input + 800 output tokens × 1,000 requests a day
Σ Derived from standard-tier prices; excludes caching and batch discounts. Use your own numbers →
Larger-context alternatives
| Model | Input / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nano Banana 2.1Google | $1.50 | 66K | |
| GPT-5.2 ChatOpenAI | $1.75 | 128K | |
| Mixtral 8x22B InstructMistral AI | $2.00 | 66K | Compare |
| Command R+ (08-2024)Cohere | $2.50 | 128K | Compare |
| GPT AudioOpenAI | $2.50 | 128K | Compare |
Free alternatives
| Model | Input / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyria 3 Clip PreviewGoogle | Free | 1.05M | |
| Lyria 3 Pro PreviewGoogle | Free | 1.05M |
Compare GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k head to head
Questions
What is the best alternative to GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k?
GPT-3.5 Turbo Instruct ranks first: same maker, neighbouring square E1, 50% cheaper input. Input is $1.50 per 1M tokens against $3.00 for GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k. Ranking is by position on the atlas, not by quality.
What is the cheapest alternative to GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k?
MiniMax M2-her at $0.30 per 1M input tokens, 90% less than GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k, among the 15 closest.
Is there an open-weight alternative to GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k?
None of the 15 closest is marked open-weight in our records.
Which alternative has a larger context window?
Claude Sonnet 4, Claude Opus 4.5, GPT-5.2 Chat, Command R+ (08-2024) and 7 more hold more than GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k's 16K; the largest is Claude Sonnet 4 at 200K.
How are alternatives ranked?
By distance on the atlas grid from GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k's square F1: the same square first, then neighbouring squares. Within the same distance, cheaper models come before pricier ones, then the lowest input price wins. We hold no capability data, so we do not claim a model can do what GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k does, only that it costs and holds about the same. No vendor pays for position.
More alternatives
Keep going in your AI
Opens with this page as the source. We add nothing else to the prompt.
- What is the best alternative to GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k?
- What is the cheapest alternative to GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k?
- Is there an open-weight alternative to GPT-3.5 Turbo 16k?