Model Comparison
GPT-5.4 vs Qwen3-CoderWhich is better in 2026?
Comparing GPT-5.4 and Qwen3-Coder across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.
Verdict: GPT-5.4 vs Qwen3-Coder — which is better?
GPT-5.4 (by OpenAI) and Qwen3-Coder (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.
On price, Qwen3-Coder is roughly 31.3x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-5.4 also accepts a larger context window (1,000,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose GPT-5.4 if…
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,000,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Mar 2026
Choose Qwen3-Coder if…
- cost matters — it's about 31.3x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GPT-5.4 and Qwen3-Coder don't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GPT-5.4 ($2.50/1M tokens) is 13.9x more expensive than Qwen3-Coder ($0.18/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-5.4 ($15.00/1M tokens) is 83.3x more expensive than Qwen3-Coder ($0.18/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-5.4 is more expensive than Qwen3-Coder.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GPT-5.4 accepts 1,000,000 input tokens compared to Qwen3-Coder's 256,000 tokens. Qwen3-Coder can generate longer responses up to 256,000 tokens, while GPT-5.4 is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
GPT-5.4 supports multimodal inputs, whereas Qwen3-Coder does not.
GPT-5.4 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GPT-5.4
Qwen3-Coder
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT-5.4 is licensed under a proprietary license, while Qwen3-Coder 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-5.4 was released on 2026-03-05, while Qwen3-Coder was released on 2025-01-01.
GPT-5.4 is 14 months newer than Qwen3-Coder.
Mar 5, 2026
3 months ago
1.2yr newerJan 1, 2025
1.4 years 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-5.4 is available from OpenAI. Qwen3-Coder is available from DeepInfra, Fireworks.
GPT-5.4
Qwen3-Coder
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GPT-5.4
View detailsOpenAI
Qwen3-Coder
View detailsAlibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about GPT-5.4 vs Qwen3-Coder.