Model Comparison
GPT-5 mini vs Qwen3 VL 235B A22B ThinkingWhich is better in 2026?
GPT-5 mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-5 mini is 1.8x cheaper per token.
Verdict: GPT-5 mini vs Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking — which is better?
GPT-5 mini (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-5 mini outperforms in 2 benchmarks (AIME 2025, Humanity's Last Exam), while Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is better at 0 benchmarks. GPT-5 mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, GPT-5 mini is roughly 1.8x 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.
Choose GPT-5 mini if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 2 shared benchmarks
- cost matters — it's about 1.8x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 400,000 token context window
Choose Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking if…
- 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-5 mini outperforms in 2 benchmarks (AIME 2025, Humanity's Last Exam), while Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is better at 0 benchmarks.
GPT-5 mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GPT-5 mini ($0.25/1M tokens) is 1.8x cheaper than Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking ($0.45/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-5 mini ($2.00/1M tokens) is 1.7x cheaper than Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking ($3.49/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is more expensive than GPT-5 mini.*
* 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 VL 235B A22B Thinking's 262,144 tokens. Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking can generate longer responses up to 262,144 tokens, while GPT-5 mini is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both GPT-5 mini and Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
GPT-5 mini
Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT-5 mini 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.
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 VL 235B A22B Thinking was released on 2025-09-22.
Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is 2 months newer than GPT-5 mini.
Aug 7, 2025
10 months ago
Sep 22, 2025
8 months ago
1mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-5 mini has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-05-30, while Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking'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 VL 235B A22B Thinking's cutoff date.
May 2024
—
Provider Availability
GPT-5 mini is available from OpenAI. Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking is available from DeepInfra, Novita.
GPT-5 mini
Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GPT-5 mini
View detailsOpenAI
Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking
View detailsAlibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Detailed Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|
FAQ
Common questions about GPT-5 mini vs Qwen3 VL 235B A22B Thinking.