Model Comparison

GPT-4.1 mini vs Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507Which is better in 2026?

Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 is 2.2x cheaper per token.

Verdict: GPT-4.1 mini vs Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 — which is better?

GPT-4.1 mini (by OpenAI) and Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 (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-4.1 mini outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 is better at 5 benchmarks (Aider-Polyglot, AIME 2025, GPQA, IFEval, Multi-IF). Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 is roughly 2.2x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

GPT-4.1 mini also accepts a larger context window (1,047,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose GPT-4.1 mini if…

  • you process long inputs — it offers a 1,047,576 token context window

Choose Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 5 of 5 shared benchmarks
  • cost matters — it's about 2.2x cheaper per token
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2025
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

5 benchmarks

GPT-4.1 mini outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 is better at 5 benchmarks (Aider-Polyglot, AIME 2025, GPQA, IFEval, Multi-IF).

Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Sat Jul 18 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 costs less

For input processing, GPT-4.1 mini ($0.40/1M tokens) is 2.7x more expensive than Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 ($0.15/1M tokens).

For output processing, GPT-4.1 mini ($1.60/1M tokens) is 2.0x more expensive than Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 ($0.80/1M tokens).

In conclusion, GPT-4.1 mini is more expensive than Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Sat Jul 18 2026 • llm-stats.com
OpenAI
GPT-4.1 mini
Input tokens$0.40
Output tokens$1.60
Best providerOpenAI
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507
Input tokens$0.15
Output tokens$0.80
Best providerFireworks
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

GPT-4.1 mini accepts 1,047,576 input tokens compared to Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507's 262,144 tokens. Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while GPT-4.1 mini is limited to 32,768 tokens.

OpenAI
GPT-4.1 mini
Input1,047,576 tokens
Output32,768 tokens
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507
Input262,144 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Sat Jul 18 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

GPT-4.1 mini supports multimodal inputs, whereas Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 does not.

GPT-4.1 mini can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

GPT-4.1 mini

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

GPT-4.1 mini is licensed under a proprietary license, while Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 uses Apache 2.0.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

GPT-4.1 mini

Proprietary

Closed source

Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GPT-4.1 mini was released on 2025-04-14, while Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 was released on 2025-07-22.

Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 is 3 months newer than GPT-4.1 mini.

GPT-4.1 mini

Apr 14, 2025

1.3 years ago

Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507

Jul 22, 2025

12 months ago

3mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

GPT-4.1 mini has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-05-31, while Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm GPT-4.1 mini's training data extends to 2024-05-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507's cutoff date.

GPT-4.1 mini

May 2024

Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507

—

Provider Availability

GPT-4.1 mini is available from OpenAI. Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 is available from Fireworks, Novita.

GPT-4.1 mini

openai logo
OpenAI
Input Price:Input: $0.40/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.60/1M

Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507

fireworks logo
Fireworks
Input Price:Input: $0.15/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.80/1M
novita logo
Novita
Input Price:Input: $0.15/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.80/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

OpenAI
Larger context window (1,047,576 tokens)
Supports multimodal inputs
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights
Higher Aider-Polyglot score (57.3% vs 34.7%)
Higher AIME 2025 score (70.3% vs 40.2%)
Higher GPQA score (77.5% vs 65.0%)
Higher IFEval score (88.7% vs 84.1%)
Higher Multi-IF score (77.5% vs 67.0%)
OpenAIGPT-4.1 mini
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen TeamQwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507
Compare in Playground

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against GPT-4.1 mini and Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

GPT-4.1 mini
✓ Preferred
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
OpenAI
GPT-4.1 mini
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507

FAQ

Common questions about GPT-4.1 mini vs Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507.

Which is better, GPT-4.1 mini or Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507?

Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-4.1 mini is made by OpenAI and Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 is made by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does GPT-4.1 mini compare to Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 in benchmarks?

GPT-4.1 mini scores CharXiv-D: 88.4%, MMLU: 87.5%, IFEval: 84.1%, MMMLU: 78.5%, MathVista: 73.1%. Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 scores ZebraLogic: 95.0%, MMLU-Redux: 93.1%, IFEval: 88.7%, MultiPL-E: 87.9%, Creative Writing v3: 87.5%.

Is GPT-4.1 mini cheaper than Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507?

Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 is 2.7x cheaper for input tokens. GPT-4.1 mini costs $0.40/M input and $1.60/M output via openai. Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 costs $0.15/M input and $0.80/M output via fireworks.

What are the context window sizes for GPT-4.1 mini and Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507?

GPT-4.1 mini supports 1.0M tokens and Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 supports 262K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between GPT-4.1 mini and Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507?

Key differences include context window (1.0M vs 262K), input pricing ($0.40 vs $0.15/M), multimodal support (yes vs no), licensing (Proprietary vs Apache 2.0). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes GPT-4.1 mini and Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507?

GPT-4.1 mini is developed by OpenAI and Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507 is developed by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team.

Related comparisons