GPT-5.1 Thinking vs Qwen3 Max
GPT-5.1 Thinking leads the LLM Stats Score 36.6 to 21.7. Qwen3 Max is 2.1x cheaper per token.
OpenAI · Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
GPT-5.1 Thinking leads the overall LLM Stats Score 36.6 to 21.7, ranking #74 overall.
In the 3 individual benchmarks reported for both models, GPT-5.1 Thinking wins 3; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
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 Thinking 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 Thinking
- overall performance matters — it scores 36.6 and ranks #74 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 3 of 3 exact shared results
- you process long inputs — it offers a 400,000 token context window
Choose Qwen3 Max
- cost matters — it's about 2.1x cheaper per token
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Dec 2025
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
9 reported for GPT-5.1 Thinking · 6 for Qwen3 Max
GPT-5.1 Thinking outperforms in 3 benchmarks (AIME 2025, GPQA, SWE-Bench Verified), while Qwen3 Max is better at 0 benchmarks.
GPT-5.1 Thinking 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 Thinking ($1.25/1M tokens) is 2.5x more expensive than Qwen3 Max ($0.50/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-5.1 Thinking ($10.00/1M tokens) is 2.0x more expensive than Qwen3 Max ($5.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-5.1 Thinking 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 Thinking 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 Thinking is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
GPT-5.1 Thinking supports multimodal inputs, whereas Qwen3 Max does not.
GPT-5.1 Thinking can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GPT-5.1 Thinking
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 Thinking 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 Thinking.
Nov 12, 2025
10 months ago
Dec 15, 2025
9 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 Thinking is available from OpenAI. Qwen3 Max is available from Novita, DeepInfra.
GPT-5.1 Thinking
Qwen3 Max
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT-5.1 Thinking and Qwen3 Max side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about GPT-5.1 Thinking vs Qwen3 Max.