Model Comparison
GPT-4.1 nano vs Qwen3-235B-A22B-Thinking-2507Which is better in 2026?
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Thinking-2507 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-4.1 nano is 5.6x cheaper per token.
Verdict: GPT-4.1 nano vs Qwen3-235B-A22B-Thinking-2507 — which is better?
GPT-4.1 nano (by OpenAI) and Qwen3-235B-A22B-Thinking-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 nano outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Qwen3-235B-A22B-Thinking-2507 is better at 5 benchmarks (GPQA, IFEval, Multi-IF, TAU-bench Airline, TAU-bench Retail). Qwen3-235B-A22B-Thinking-2507 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, GPT-4.1 nano is roughly 5.6x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-4.1 nano 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 nano if…
- cost matters — it's about 5.6x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,047,576 token context window
Choose Qwen3-235B-A22B-Thinking-2507 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 5 of 5 shared benchmarks
- 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
GPT-4.1 nano outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Qwen3-235B-A22B-Thinking-2507 is better at 5 benchmarks (GPQA, IFEval, Multi-IF, TAU-bench Airline, TAU-bench Retail).
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Thinking-2507 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GPT-4.1 nano ($0.10/1M tokens) is 3.0x cheaper than Qwen3-235B-A22B-Thinking-2507 ($0.30/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-4.1 nano ($0.40/1M tokens) is 7.5x cheaper than Qwen3-235B-A22B-Thinking-2507 ($3.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Qwen3-235B-A22B-Thinking-2507 is more expensive than GPT-4.1 nano.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GPT-4.1 nano accepts 1,047,576 input tokens compared to Qwen3-235B-A22B-Thinking-2507's 262,144 tokens. Qwen3-235B-A22B-Thinking-2507 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while GPT-4.1 nano is limited to 32,768 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
GPT-4.1 nano supports multimodal inputs, whereas Qwen3-235B-A22B-Thinking-2507 does not.
GPT-4.1 nano can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GPT-4.1 nano
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Thinking-2507
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT-4.1 nano is licensed under a proprietary license, while Qwen3-235B-A22B-Thinking-2507 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 nano was released on 2025-04-14, while Qwen3-235B-A22B-Thinking-2507 was released on 2025-07-25.
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Thinking-2507 is 3 months newer than GPT-4.1 nano.
Apr 14, 2025
1.2 years ago
Jul 25, 2025
10 months ago
3mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-4.1 nano has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-05-31, while Qwen3-235B-A22B-Thinking-2507's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm GPT-4.1 nano's training data extends to 2024-05-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without Qwen3-235B-A22B-Thinking-2507's cutoff date.
May 2024
—
Provider Availability
GPT-4.1 nano is available from OpenAI. Qwen3-235B-A22B-Thinking-2507 is available from Fireworks, Novita.
GPT-4.1 nano
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Thinking-2507
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GPT-4.1 nano
View detailsOpenAI
Qwen3-235B-A22B-Thinking-2507
View detailsAlibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Detailed Comparison
| Feature |
|---|
FAQ
Common questions about GPT-4.1 nano vs Qwen3-235B-A22B-Thinking-2507.