GPT-5.1 Codex Mini vs Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct
GPT-5.1 Codex Mini and Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct are closely matched at -2.5 and 10.8 on the LLM Stats Score. Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct is 3.1x cheaper per token.
OpenAI · Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
GPT-5.1 Codex Mini and Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct are closely matched on the overall LLM Stats Score at -2.5 and 10.8.
In the 1 individual benchmarks reported for both models, Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct wins 1; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct is roughly 3.1x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-5.1 Codex 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-5.1 Codex Mini
- you process long inputs — it offers a 400,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Nov 2025
Choose Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 1 of 1 exact shared results
- cost matters — it's about 3.1x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Individual benchmarks
1 reported for GPT-5.1 Codex Mini · 45 for Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct
GPT-5.1 Codex Mini outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct is better at 1 benchmark (AIME 2025).
Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct 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-5.1 Codex Mini ($0.25/1M tokens) is 2.5x more expensive than Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct ($0.10/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-5.1 Codex Mini ($2.00/1M tokens) is 3.3x more expensive than Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct ($0.60/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-5.1 Codex Mini is more expensive than Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GPT-5.1 Codex Mini accepts 400,000 input tokens compared to Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct's 262,144 tokens. Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct can generate longer responses up to 262,144 tokens, while GPT-5.1 Codex Mini is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both GPT-5.1 Codex Mini and Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
GPT-5.1 Codex Mini
Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT-5.1 Codex Mini is licensed under a proprietary license, while Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct 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-5.1 Codex Mini was released on 2025-11-12, while Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct was released on 2025-09-22.
GPT-5.1 Codex Mini is 2 months newer than Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct.
Nov 12, 2025
10 months ago
1mo newerSep 22, 2025
11 months ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
GPT-5.1 Codex Mini is available from OpenAI. Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct is available from DeepInfra.
GPT-5.1 Codex Mini
Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT-5.1 Codex Mini and Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about GPT-5.1 Codex Mini vs Qwen3 VL 4B Instruct.