GPT-5.5 Instant vs Qwen3 Max
GPT-5.5 Instant leads the LLM Stats Score 32.3 to 21.7. Qwen3 Max is 6.9x cheaper per token.
OpenAI · Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
GPT-5.5 Instant leads the overall LLM Stats Score 32.3 to 21.7, ranking #106 overall.
The models split the 2 individual benchmarks reported for both models evenly.
On price, Qwen3 Max is roughly 6.9x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-5.5 Instant 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-5.5 Instant
- overall performance matters — it scores 32.3 and ranks #106 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning — it leads those capability indexes
- you process long inputs — it offers a 400,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped May 2026
Choose Qwen3 Max
- cost matters — it's about 6.9x cheaper per token
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Individual benchmarks
9 reported for GPT-5.5 Instant · 6 for Qwen3 Max
GPT-5.5 Instant outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Qwen3 Max is better at 1 benchmark (AIME 2025).
Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GPT-5.5 Instant ($5.00/1M tokens) is 10.0x more expensive than Qwen3 Max ($0.50/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-5.5 Instant ($30.00/1M tokens) is 6.0x more expensive than Qwen3 Max ($5.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-5.5 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-5.5 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-5.5 Instant is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
GPT-5.5 Instant supports multimodal inputs, whereas Qwen3 Max does not.
GPT-5.5 Instant can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GPT-5.5 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-5.5 Instant was released on 2026-05-05, while Qwen3 Max was released on 2025-12-15.
GPT-5.5 Instant is 5 months newer than Qwen3 Max.
May 5, 2026
4 months ago
4mo newerDec 15, 2025
9 months ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-5.5 Instant has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2025-08-31, while Qwen3 Max's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm GPT-5.5 Instant's training data extends to 2025-08-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without Qwen3 Max's cutoff date.
Aug 2025
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Provider Availability
GPT-5.5 Instant is available from OpenAI. Qwen3 Max is available from Novita, DeepInfra.
GPT-5.5 Instant
Qwen3 Max
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT-5.5 Instant and Qwen3 Max side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about GPT-5.5 Instant vs Qwen3 Max.