GPT-4.1 mini vs Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct
GPT-4.1 mini and Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct are closely matched at 14.0 and 13.8 on the LLM Stats Score. Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct is 3.8x cheaper per token.
OpenAI · Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
GPT-4.1 mini and Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct are closely matched on the overall LLM Stats Score at 14.0 and 13.8.
In the 6 individual benchmarks reported for both models, GPT-4.1 mini wins 4; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct is roughly 3.8x 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.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose GPT-4.1 mini
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 4 of 6 exact shared results
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,047,576 token context window
Choose Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct
- cost matters — it's about 3.8x cheaper per token
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Sep 2025
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
28 reported for GPT-4.1 mini · 46 for Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct
GPT-4.1 mini outperforms in 4 benchmarks (CharXiv-D, CharXiv-R, IFEval, MMLU), while Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct is better at 2 benchmarks (AIME 2025, Multi-IF).
GPT-4.1 mini shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GPT-4.1 mini ($0.40/1M tokens) is 5.0x more expensive than Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct ($0.08/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-4.1 mini ($1.60/1M tokens) is 3.2x more expensive than Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct ($0.50/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-4.1 mini is more expensive than Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GPT-4.1 mini accepts 1,047,576 input tokens compared to Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct's 131,072 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 32,768 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both GPT-4.1 mini and Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
GPT-4.1 mini
Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT-4.1 mini is licensed under a proprietary license, while Qwen3 VL 8B 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-4.1 mini was released on 2025-04-14, while Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct was released on 2025-09-22.
Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct is 5 months newer than GPT-4.1 mini.
Apr 14, 2025
1.5 years ago
Sep 22, 2025
1.0 years ago
5mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-4.1 mini has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-05-31, while Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct'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 8B Instruct's cutoff date.
May 2024
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Provider Availability
GPT-4.1 mini is available from OpenAI. Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct is available from Novita, DeepInfra.
GPT-4.1 mini
Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT-4.1 mini and Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about GPT-4.1 mini vs Qwen3 VL 8B Instruct.