Model Comparison

GPT-4o vs Qwen3 VL 235B A22B ThinkingWhich is better in 2026?

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is 3.6x cheaper per token.

Verdict: GPT-4o vs Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking — which is better?

GPT-4o (by OpenAI) and Qwen3 VL 235B A22B 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-4o outperforms in 1 benchmarks (AI2D), while Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is better at 10 benchmarks (CharXiv-R, ERQA, Humanity's Last Exam, IFEval, MMLU, MMLU-Pro, MMMU-Pro, Multi-IF, SimpleQA, VideoMMMU). Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is roughly 3.6x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking also accepts a larger context window (262,144 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose GPT-4o if…

  • you want predictable pricing at $2.50/M input and $10.00/M output

Choose Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 10 of 11 shared benchmarks
  • cost matters — it's about 3.6x 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

11 benchmarks

GPT-4o outperforms in 1 benchmarks (AI2D), while Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is better at 10 benchmarks (CharXiv-R, ERQA, Humanity's Last Exam, IFEval, MMLU, MMLU-Pro, MMMU-Pro, Multi-IF, SimpleQA, VideoMMMU).

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Sat Jun 27 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking costs less

For input processing, GPT-4o ($2.50/1M tokens) is 5.6x more expensive than Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking ($0.45/1M tokens).

For output processing, GPT-4o ($10.00/1M tokens) is 2.9x more expensive than Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking ($3.49/1M tokens).

In conclusion, GPT-4o is more expensive than Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Sat Jun 27 2026 • llm-stats.com
OpenAI
GPT-4o
Input tokens$2.50
Output tokens$10.00
Best providerAzure
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking
Input tokens$0.45
Output tokens$3.49
Best providerDeepinfra
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking accepts 262,144 input tokens compared to GPT-4o's 128,000 tokens. Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking can generate longer responses up to 262,144 tokens, while GPT-4o is limited to 16,384 tokens.

OpenAI
GPT-4o
Input128,000 tokens
Output16,384 tokens
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking
Input262,144 tokens
Output262,144 tokens
Sat Jun 27 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both GPT-4o and Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking support multimodal inputs.

They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.

GPT-4o

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

GPT-4o is licensed under a proprietary license, while Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking uses Apache 2.0.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

GPT-4o

Proprietary

Closed source

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GPT-4o was released on 2024-08-06, while Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking was released on 2025-09-22.

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is 14 months newer than GPT-4o.

GPT-4o

Aug 6, 2024

1.9 years ago

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking

Sep 22, 2025

9 months ago

1.1yr newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.

Unable to compare the recency of their training data.

No cutoff dates available

Provider Availability

GPT-4o is available from Azure, OpenAI. Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is available from DeepInfra, Novita.

GPT-4o

azure logo
Azure
Input Price:Input: $2.50/1MOutput Price:Output: $10.00/1M
openai logo
OpenAI
Input Price:Input: $2.50/1MOutput Price:Output: $10.00/1M

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking

deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.45/1MOutput Price:Output: $3.49/1M
novita logo
Novita
Input Price:Input: $0.98/1MOutput Price:Output: $3.95/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

OpenAI
Higher AI2D score (94.2% vs 89.2%)
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Larger context window (262,144 tokens)
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights
Higher CharXiv-R score (66.1% vs 58.8%)
Higher ERQA score (52.5% vs 35.2%)
Higher Humanity's Last Exam score (13.6% vs 5.3%)
Higher IFEval score (88.2% vs 81.0%)
Higher MMLU score (90.6% vs 85.7%)
Higher MMLU-Pro score (83.8% vs 74.7%)
Higher MMMU-Pro score (69.3% vs 59.9%)
Higher Multi-IF score (79.1% vs 60.9%)
Higher SimpleQA score (44.4% vs 38.2%)
Higher VideoMMMU score (80.0% vs 61.2%)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against GPT-4o and Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

GPT-4o
✓ Preferred
Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
OpenAI
GPT-4o
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking

FAQ

Common questions about GPT-4o vs Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking.

Which is better, GPT-4o or Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking?

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-4o is made by OpenAI and Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is made by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does GPT-4o compare to Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking in benchmarks?

GPT-4o scores AI2D: 94.2%, DocVQA: 92.8%, ChartQA: 85.7%, MMLU: 85.7%, CharXiv-D: 85.3%. Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking scores ZebraLogic: 97.3%, DocVQAtest: 96.5%, ScreenSpot: 95.4%, CountBench: 93.7%, MMLU-Redux: 93.7%.

Is GPT-4o cheaper than Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking?

Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is 5.6x cheaper for input tokens. GPT-4o costs $2.50/M input and $10.00/M output via azure. Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking costs $0.45/M input and $3.49/M output via deepinfra.

What are the context window sizes for GPT-4o and Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking?

GPT-4o supports 128K tokens and Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking supports 262K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between GPT-4o and Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking?

Key differences include context window (128K vs 262K), input pricing ($2.50 vs $0.45/M), licensing (Proprietary vs Apache 2.0). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes GPT-4o and Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking?

GPT-4o is developed by OpenAI and Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is developed by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team.

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