GPT-4.1 mini vs QwQ-32B
GPT-4.1 mini and QwQ-32B are closely matched at 14.0 and 14.8 on the LLM Stats Score.
OpenAI · Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
GPT-4.1 mini and QwQ-32B are closely matched on the overall LLM Stats Score at 14.0 and 14.8.
In the 3 individual benchmarks reported for both models, QwQ-32B wins 2; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose GPT-4.1 mini
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Apr 2025
Choose QwQ-32B
- your work emphasizes coding — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 2 of 3 exact shared results
- 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 · 7 for QwQ-32B
GPT-4.1 mini outperforms in 1 benchmarks (IFEval), while QwQ-32B is better at 2 benchmarks (AIME 2024, GPQA).
QwQ-32B shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
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
Documented input modalities across available providers
GPT-4.1 mini supports multimodal inputs, whereas QwQ-32B 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
QwQ-32B
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT-4.1 mini is licensed under a proprietary license, while QwQ-32B 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 QwQ-32B was released on 2025-03-05.
GPT-4.1 mini is 1 month newer than QwQ-32B.
Apr 14, 2025
1.5 years ago
1mo newerMar 5, 2025
1.6 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-4.1 mini has a knowledge cutoff of 2024-05-31, while QwQ-32B has a cutoff of 2024-11-28.
QwQ-32B has more recent training data (up to 2024-11-28), making it potentially better informed about events through that date compared to GPT-4.1 mini (2024-05-31).
May 2024
Nov 2024
6 mo newerOutputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT-4.1 mini and QwQ-32B side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about GPT-4.1 mini vs QwQ-32B.