Model Comparison
GPT-4.5 vs Qwen3 VL 32B ThinkingWhich is better in 2026?
Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking has a slight edge in benchmark performance.
Verdict: GPT-4.5 vs Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking — which is better?
GPT-4.5 (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-4.5 outperforms in 3 benchmarks (IFEval, MMLU, SimpleQA), while Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking is better at 4 benchmarks (CharXiv-D, CharXiv-R, GPQA, Multi-IF). Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking has a slight edge in benchmark performance.
Choose GPT-4.5 if…
- you want predictable pricing at $75.00/M input and $150.00/M output
Choose Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 4 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-4.5 outperforms in 3 benchmarks (IFEval, MMLU, SimpleQA), while Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking is better at 4 benchmarks (CharXiv-D, CharXiv-R, GPQA, Multi-IF).
Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking has a slight edge in benchmark performance.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Only GPT-4.5 specifies input context (128,000 tokens). Only GPT-4.5 specifies output context (4,096 tokens).
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both GPT-4.5 and Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
GPT-4.5
Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT-4.5 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-4.5 was released on 2025-02-27, while Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking was released on 2025-09-22.
Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking is 7 months newer than GPT-4.5.
Feb 27, 2025
1.3 years ago
Sep 22, 2025
9 months ago
6mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GPT-4.5
View detailsOpenAI
Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking
View detailsAlibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT-4.5 and Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about GPT-4.5 vs Qwen3 VL 32B Thinking.