Model Comparison
GPT-5.1 Instant vs Qwen3 MaxWhich is better in 2026?
GPT-5.1 Instant significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Qwen3 Max is 2.1x cheaper per token.
Verdict: GPT-5.1 Instant vs Qwen3 Max — which is better?
GPT-5.1 Instant (by OpenAI) and Qwen3 Max (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-5.1 Instant outperforms in 3 benchmarks (AIME 2025, GPQA, SWE-Bench Verified), while Qwen3 Max is better at 0 benchmarks. GPT-5.1 Instant significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Qwen3 Max is roughly 2.1x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-5.1 Instant also accepts a larger context window (400,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose GPT-5.1 Instant if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 3 of 3 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 400,000 token context window
Choose Qwen3 Max if…
- cost matters — it's about 2.1x cheaper per token
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Dec 2025
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GPT-5.1 Instant outperforms in 3 benchmarks (AIME 2025, GPQA, SWE-Bench Verified), while Qwen3 Max is better at 0 benchmarks.
GPT-5.1 Instant significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GPT-5.1 Instant ($1.25/1M tokens) is 2.5x more expensive than Qwen3 Max ($0.50/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-5.1 Instant ($10.00/1M tokens) is 2.0x more expensive than Qwen3 Max ($5.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-5.1 Instant is more expensive than Qwen3 Max.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GPT-5.1 Instant accepts 400,000 input tokens compared to Qwen3 Max's 256,000 tokens. Qwen3 Max can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while GPT-5.1 Instant is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
GPT-5.1 Instant supports multimodal inputs, whereas Qwen3 Max does not.
GPT-5.1 Instant can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GPT-5.1 Instant
Qwen3 Max
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-5.1 Instant was released on 2025-11-12, while Qwen3 Max was released on 2025-12-15.
Qwen3 Max is 1 month newer than GPT-5.1 Instant.
Nov 12, 2025
7 months ago
Dec 15, 2025
6 months ago
1mo newerKnowledge 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 Instant is available from OpenAI. Qwen3 Max is available from Novita.
GPT-5.1 Instant
Qwen3 Max
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Qwen3 Max
View detailsAlibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about GPT-5.1 Instant vs Qwen3 Max.