Model Comparison
GPT-4.5 vs Qwen3 VL 4B ThinkingWhich is better in 2026?
GPT-4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Qwen3 VL 4B Thinking is 288.5x cheaper per token.
Verdict: GPT-4.5 vs Qwen3 VL 4B Thinking — which is better?
GPT-4.5 (by OpenAI) and Qwen3 VL 4B 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 5 benchmarks (CharXiv-D, CharXiv-R, GPQA, IFEval, MMLU), while Qwen3 VL 4B Thinking is better at 1 benchmark (Multi-IF). GPT-4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Qwen3 VL 4B Thinking is roughly 288.5x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Qwen3 VL 4B Thinking also accepts a larger context window (262,144 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose GPT-4.5 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 5 of 6 shared benchmarks
Choose Qwen3 VL 4B Thinking if…
- cost matters — it's about 288.5x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 262,144 token context window
- 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 5 benchmarks (CharXiv-D, CharXiv-R, GPQA, IFEval, MMLU), while Qwen3 VL 4B Thinking is better at 1 benchmark (Multi-IF).
GPT-4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GPT-4.5 ($75.00/1M tokens) is 750.0x more expensive than Qwen3 VL 4B Thinking ($0.10/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-4.5 ($150.00/1M tokens) is 150.0x more expensive than Qwen3 VL 4B Thinking ($1.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-4.5 is more expensive than Qwen3 VL 4B Thinking.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Qwen3 VL 4B Thinking accepts 262,144 input tokens compared to GPT-4.5's 128,000 tokens. Qwen3 VL 4B Thinking can generate longer responses up to 262,144 tokens, while GPT-4.5 is limited to 4,096 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both GPT-4.5 and Qwen3 VL 4B Thinking support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
GPT-4.5
Qwen3 VL 4B Thinking
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT-4.5 is licensed under a proprietary license, while Qwen3 VL 4B 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 4B Thinking was released on 2025-09-22.
Qwen3 VL 4B Thinking is 7 months newer than GPT-4.5.
Feb 27, 2025
1.3 years ago
Sep 22, 2025
8 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.
Provider Availability
GPT-4.5 is available from OpenAI. Qwen3 VL 4B Thinking is available from DeepInfra.
GPT-4.5
Qwen3 VL 4B Thinking
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GPT-4.5
View detailsOpenAI
Qwen3 VL 4B Thinking
View detailsAlibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about GPT-4.5 vs Qwen3 VL 4B Thinking.