Model Comparison
Grok 4.5 vs Qwen3 MaxWhich is better in 2026?
Grok 4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Qwen3 Max is 1.8x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Grok 4.5 vs Qwen3 Max — which is better?
Grok 4.5 (by xAI) 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.
Grok 4.5 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Qwen3 Max is better at 0 benchmarks. Grok 4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Qwen3 Max is roughly 1.8x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Grok 4.5 also accepts a larger context window (500,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose Grok 4.5 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 500,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026
Choose Qwen3 Max if…
- cost matters — it's about 1.8x cheaper per token
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Grok 4.5 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Qwen3 Max is better at 0 benchmarks.
Grok 4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Grok 4.5 ($2.00/1M tokens) is 4.0x more expensive than Qwen3 Max ($0.50/1M tokens).
For output processing, Grok 4.5 ($6.00/1M tokens) is 1.2x more expensive than Qwen3 Max ($5.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Grok 4.5 is more expensive than Qwen3 Max.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Grok 4.5 accepts 500,000 input tokens compared to Qwen3 Max's 256,000 tokens. Only Qwen3 Max specifies output context (131,072 tokens).
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Grok 4.5 supports multimodal inputs, whereas Qwen3 Max does not.
Grok 4.5 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
Grok 4.5
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
Grok 4.5 was released on 2026-07-16, while Qwen3 Max was released on 2025-12-15.
Grok 4.5 is 7 months newer than Qwen3 Max.
Jul 16, 2026
1 weeks ago
7mo newerDec 15, 2025
7 months ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Grok 4.5 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-02-01, while Qwen3 Max's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Grok 4.5's training data extends to 2026-02-01, but cannot make a direct comparison without Qwen3 Max's cutoff date.
Feb 2026
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Provider Availability
Grok 4.5 is available from xAI. Qwen3 Max is available from Novita.
Grok 4.5
Qwen3 Max
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Qwen3 Max
View detailsAlibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Grok 4.5 and Qwen3 Max side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Grok 4.5 vs Qwen3 Max.