Model Comparison
GPT-4 vs Qwen3 VL 4B InstructWhich is better in 2026?
GPT-4 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct is 166.7x cheaper per token.
Verdict: GPT-4 vs Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct — which is better?
GPT-4 (by OpenAI) and Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct (by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.
GPT-4 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (MMLU), while Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct is better at 0 benchmarks. GPT-4 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct is roughly 166.7x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct also accepts a larger context window (262,144 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose GPT-4 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
Choose Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct if…
- cost matters — it's about 166.7x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 262,144 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Sep 2025
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GPT-4 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (MMLU), while Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct is better at 0 benchmarks.
GPT-4 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GPT-4 ($30.00/1M tokens) is 300.0x more expensive than Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct ($0.10/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-4 ($60.00/1M tokens) is 100.0x more expensive than Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct ($0.60/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-4 is more expensive than Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct accepts 262,144 input tokens compared to GPT-4's 32,768 tokens. Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct can generate longer responses up to 262,144 tokens, while GPT-4 is limited to 32,768 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both GPT-4 and Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
GPT-4
Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT-4 is licensed under a proprietary license, while Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct uses Apache 2.0.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Proprietary
Closed source
Apache 2.0
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
GPT-4 was released on 2023-06-13, while Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct was released on 2025-09-22.
Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct is 28 months newer than GPT-4.
Jun 13, 2023
3.1 years ago
Sep 22, 2025
10 months ago
2.3yr newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-4 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2022-12-31, while Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm GPT-4's training data extends to 2022-12-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct's cutoff date.
Dec 2022
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Provider Availability
GPT-4 is available from Azure, OpenAI. Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct is available from DeepInfra.
GPT-4
Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GPT-4
View detailsOpenAI
Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct
View detailsAlibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT-4 and Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about GPT-4 vs Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct.