Model Comparison
GPT-4.1 mini vs Qwen3 VL 32B ThinkingWhich is better in 2026?
Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Verdict: GPT-4.1 mini vs Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking — which is better?
GPT-4.1 mini (by OpenAI) and Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking (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 VL 32B Thinking is better at 7 benchmarks (AIME 2025, CharXiv-D, CharXiv-R, GPQA, IFEval, MMLU, Multi-IF). Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Choose GPT-4.1 mini if…
- you want predictable pricing at $0.40/M input and $1.60/M output
Choose Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 7 of 7 shared benchmarks
- 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-4.1 mini outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking is better at 7 benchmarks (AIME 2025, CharXiv-D, CharXiv-R, GPQA, IFEval, MMLU, Multi-IF).
Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Only GPT-4.1 mini specifies input context (1,047,576 tokens). Only GPT-4.1 mini specifies output context (32,768 tokens).
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both GPT-4.1 mini and Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
GPT-4.1 mini
Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT-4.1 mini is licensed under a proprietary license, while Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking 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-4.1 mini was released on 2025-04-14, while Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking was released on 2025-09-22.
Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking is 5 months newer than GPT-4.1 mini.
Apr 14, 2025
1.1 years ago
Sep 22, 2025
8 months ago
5mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-4.1 mini has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-05-31, while Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking'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 VL 32B Thinking's cutoff date.
May 2024
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Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GPT-4.1 mini
View detailsOpenAI
Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking
View detailsAlibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about GPT-4.1 mini vs Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking.