Model Comparison
GPT-5.6 Luna vs Qwen3 MaxWhich is better in 2026?
GPT-5.6 Luna significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Qwen3 Max is 1.4x cheaper per token.
Verdict: GPT-5.6 Luna vs Qwen3 Max — which is better?
GPT-5.6 Luna (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-5.6 Luna outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Qwen3 Max is better at 0 benchmarks. GPT-5.6 Luna significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Qwen3 Max is roughly 1.4x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-5.6 Luna also accepts a larger context window (1,050,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose GPT-5.6 Luna if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,050,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026
Choose Qwen3 Max if…
- cost matters — it's about 1.4x cheaper per token
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GPT-5.6 Luna outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Qwen3 Max is better at 0 benchmarks.
GPT-5.6 Luna significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GPT-5.6 Luna ($1.00/1M tokens) is 2.0x more expensive than Qwen3 Max ($0.50/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-5.6 Luna ($6.00/1M tokens) is 1.2x more expensive than Qwen3 Max ($5.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-5.6 Luna 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-5.6 Luna accepts 1,050,000 input tokens compared to Qwen3 Max's 256,000 tokens. Qwen3 Max can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while GPT-5.6 Luna is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
GPT-5.6 Luna supports multimodal inputs, whereas Qwen3 Max does not.
GPT-5.6 Luna can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GPT-5.6 Luna
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-5.6 Luna was released on 2026-07-09, while Qwen3 Max was released on 2025-12-15.
GPT-5.6 Luna is 7 months newer than Qwen3 Max.
Jul 9, 2026
1 weeks ago
6mo newerDec 15, 2025
7 months ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-5.6 Luna has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-02-16, while Qwen3 Max's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm GPT-5.6 Luna's training data extends to 2026-02-16, but cannot make a direct comparison without Qwen3 Max's cutoff date.
Feb 2026
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Provider Availability
GPT-5.6 Luna is available from OpenAI. Qwen3 Max is available from Novita.
GPT-5.6 Luna
Qwen3 Max
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GPT-5.6 Luna
View detailsOpenAI
Qwen3 Max
View detailsAlibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT-5.6 Luna and Qwen3 Max side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about GPT-5.6 Luna vs Qwen3 Max.