Model Comparison
GPT-5.1 Instant vs Qwen3 VL 8B ThinkingWhich is better in 2026?
GPT-5.1 Instant significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Qwen3 VL 8B Thinking is 5.2x cheaper per token.
Verdict: GPT-5.1 Instant vs Qwen3 VL 8B Thinking — which is better?
GPT-5.1 Instant (by OpenAI) and Qwen3 VL 8B 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-5.1 Instant outperforms in 2 benchmarks (AIME 2025, GPQA), while Qwen3 VL 8B Thinking is better at 0 benchmarks. GPT-5.1 Instant significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Qwen3 VL 8B Thinking is roughly 5.2x 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 2 of 2 shared benchmarks
- 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 8B Thinking if…
- cost matters — it's about 5.2x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GPT-5.1 Instant outperforms in 2 benchmarks (AIME 2025, GPQA), while Qwen3 VL 8B Thinking 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 6.9x more expensive than Qwen3 VL 8B Thinking ($0.18/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-5.1 Instant ($10.00/1M tokens) is 4.8x more expensive than Qwen3 VL 8B Thinking ($2.09/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-5.1 Instant is more expensive than Qwen3 VL 8B Thinking.*
* 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 VL 8B Thinking's 262,144 tokens. Qwen3 VL 8B Thinking can generate longer responses up to 262,144 tokens, while GPT-5.1 Instant is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both GPT-5.1 Instant and Qwen3 VL 8B Thinking support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
GPT-5.1 Instant
Qwen3 VL 8B Thinking
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT-5.1 Instant is licensed under a proprietary license, while Qwen3 VL 8B 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-5.1 Instant was released on 2025-11-12, while Qwen3 VL 8B Thinking was released on 2025-09-22.
GPT-5.1 Instant is 2 months newer than Qwen3 VL 8B Thinking.
Nov 12, 2025
7 months ago
1mo newerSep 22, 2025
9 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 Instant is available from OpenAI. Qwen3 VL 8B Thinking is available from DeepInfra.
GPT-5.1 Instant
Qwen3 VL 8B Thinking
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Qwen3 VL 8B Thinking
View detailsAlibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about GPT-5.1 Instant vs Qwen3 VL 8B Thinking.