The difference
A gate-model computer applies a sequence of unitary gates, then measures. Qiskit, Cirq, PennyLane, Braket's gate devices and Q# all describe that model. A quantum annealer prepares a problem Hamiltonian and lets the system relax toward a low-energy configuration. D-Wave's Advantage processors and the Ocean SDK describe that model. The beginner Ocean path is Getting Started with D-Wave Ocean SDK. A first gate-model circuit is Hello World in Qiskit.
If you want Shor, Grover, VQE, QAOA as a circuit, or QML, you are in the gate model. If you have a QUBO or an Ising graph and you want to sample low-cost assignments, annealing is in scope. Many optimisation papers try both.
Side by side
| Gate model | Quantum annealing | |
|---|---|---|
| What you write | A circuit of gates | A QUBO or Ising Hamiltonian |
| Typical SDK | Qiskit, Cirq, PennyLane | D-Wave Ocean |
| Universal? | Yes, in the circuit sense | No. Specialised for optimisation |
| Hardware on this site | IBM, Google, IonQ | D-Wave |
| Start here | Hello World in Qiskit | Ocean Hello World |
Annealing courses on this site
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D-Wave
Foundations for Quantum Programming (D-Wave)
Preparatory course building the math and Python skills needed before D-Wave's Quantum Programming Core. Covers QUBO formulation, quadratic models, constraint writing, and Python for optimization. Optional but recommended for developers without strong math backgrounds.
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D-Wave
Getting Started with Applied Quantum Optimization
D-Wave course on spotting optimization problems their hybrid solvers can take. Constraints and a business case. No maths or physics required.
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D-Wave
Introduction to Quantum Computing (D-Wave)
D-Wave's free introduction. How annealing machines differ from gate-model computers, and which optimization problems they are sold for. No background required.
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D-Wave
Quantum Programming Core (D-Wave)
D-Wave developer training, about 35 hours: QUBO, Ising models, the Ocean SDK, hybrid solvers, and a portfolio example. Office hours with D-Wave staff. Several 2026 dates.
Questions people ask
Is annealing a quantum computer?
D-Wave's machines are quantum annealers: they evolve a Hamiltonian toward a low-energy state rather than applying a sequence of gates. They are quantum devices. They are not universal gate-model computers, so they cannot run Shor's algorithm or an arbitrary circuit.
Which should I learn first?
Gate-model, unless your problem is already a QUBO or Ising model and you have a reason to use D-Wave. Most courses, papers and job ads assume circuits. Annealing is a specialised tool for combinatorial optimisation.
Can I write one program for both?
Not usefully. Gate-model code (Qiskit, Cirq, PennyLane) does not run on a D-Wave QPU. Ocean code does not run on IBM or Google. The shared idea is the cost function, not the SDK.