GPT-5 vs Qwen3 Max Thinking
GPT-5 and Qwen3 Max Thinking are closely matched at 33.9 and 33.0 on the LLM Stats Score. Qwen3 Max Thinking is 1.4x cheaper per token.
OpenAI · Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
GPT-5 and Qwen3 Max Thinking are closely matched on the overall LLM Stats Score at 33.9 and 33.0.
The models split the 4 individual benchmarks reported for both models evenly.
On price, Qwen3 Max Thinking is roughly 1.4x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-5 also accepts a larger context window (400,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose GPT-5
- your work emphasizes coding — it leads those capability indexes
- you process long inputs — it offers a 400,000 token context window
Choose Qwen3 Max Thinking
- cost matters — it's about 1.4x cheaper per token
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Feb 2026
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
34 reported for GPT-5 · 34 for Qwen3 Max Thinking
GPT-5 outperforms in 2 benchmarks (BrowseComp, Multi-Challenge), while Qwen3 Max Thinking is better at 2 benchmarks (GPQA, SWE-Bench Verified).
Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GPT-5 ($1.25/1M tokens) is 1.0x more expensive than Qwen3 Max Thinking ($1.20/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-5 ($10.00/1M tokens) is 1.7x more expensive than Qwen3 Max Thinking ($6.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-5 is more expensive than Qwen3 Max Thinking.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GPT-5 accepts 400,000 input tokens compared to Qwen3 Max Thinking's 256,000 tokens. Qwen3 Max Thinking can generate longer responses up to 256,000 tokens, while GPT-5 is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
GPT-5 supports multimodal inputs, whereas Qwen3 Max Thinking does not.
GPT-5 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GPT-5
Qwen3 Max Thinking
License
Usage and distribution terms
Both models are licensed under proprietary licenses.
Both models have usage restrictions defined by their respective organizations.
Proprietary
Closed source
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
GPT-5 was released on 2025-08-07, while Qwen3 Max Thinking was released on 2026-02-13.
Qwen3 Max Thinking is 6 months newer than GPT-5.
Aug 7, 2025
1.1 years ago
Feb 13, 2026
6 months ago
6mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-5 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-09-30, while Qwen3 Max Thinking's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm GPT-5's training data extends to 2024-09-30, but cannot make a direct comparison without Qwen3 Max Thinking's cutoff date.
Sep 2024
—
Provider Availability
GPT-5 is available from OpenAI. Qwen3 Max Thinking is available from DeepInfra.
GPT-5
Qwen3 Max Thinking
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT-5 and Qwen3 Max Thinking side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about GPT-5 vs Qwen3 Max Thinking.