GPT-5 mini vs Qwen3 235B A22B
GPT-5 mini leads the LLM Stats Score 27.3 to 15.6. Qwen3 235B A22B is 6.9x cheaper per token.
OpenAI · Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
GPT-5 mini leads the overall LLM Stats Score 27.3 to 15.6, ranking #147 overall.
In the 2 individual benchmarks reported for both models, GPT-5 mini wins 2; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, Qwen3 235B A22B is roughly 6.9x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-5 mini 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 mini
- overall performance matters — it scores 27.3 and ranks #147 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 2 of 2 exact shared results
- you process long inputs — it offers a 400,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2025
Choose Qwen3 235B A22B
- cost matters — it's about 6.9x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
5 reported for GPT-5 mini · 23 for Qwen3 235B A22B
GPT-5 mini outperforms in 2 benchmarks (AIME 2025, GPQA), while Qwen3 235B A22B is better at 0 benchmarks.
GPT-5 mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GPT-5 mini ($0.25/1M tokens) is 2.5x more expensive than Qwen3 235B A22B ($0.10/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-5 mini ($2.00/1M tokens) is 20.0x more expensive than Qwen3 235B A22B ($0.10/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-5 mini is more expensive than Qwen3 235B A22B.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GPT-5 mini accepts 400,000 input tokens compared to Qwen3 235B A22B's 128,000 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 128,000 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
GPT-5 mini supports multimodal inputs, whereas Qwen3 235B A22B does not.
GPT-5 mini can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GPT-5 mini
Qwen3 235B A22B
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT-5 mini is licensed under a proprietary license, while Qwen3 235B A22B 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-5 mini was released on 2025-08-07, while Qwen3 235B A22B was released on 2025-04-29.
GPT-5 mini is 3 months newer than Qwen3 235B A22B.
Aug 7, 2025
1.1 years ago
3mo newerApr 29, 2025
1.4 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-5 mini has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-05-30, while Qwen3 235B A22B's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm GPT-5 mini's training data extends to 2024-05-30, but cannot make a direct comparison without Qwen3 235B A22B's cutoff date.
May 2024
—
Provider Availability
GPT-5 mini is available from OpenAI. Qwen3 235B A22B is available from Fireworks, DeepInfra, Novita, Together.
GPT-5 mini
Qwen3 235B A22B
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT-5 mini and Qwen3 235B A22B side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about GPT-5 mini vs Qwen3 235B A22B.