Model Comparison

Phi-3.5-vision-instruct vs QvQ-72B-PreviewWhich is better in 2026?

QvQ-72B-Preview significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Verdict: Phi-3.5-vision-instruct vs QvQ-72B-Preview — which is better?

Phi-3.5-vision-instruct (by Microsoft) and QvQ-72B-Preview (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.

Phi-3.5-vision-instruct outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while QvQ-72B-Preview is better at 2 benchmarks (MathVista, MMMU). QvQ-72B-Preview significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Choose Phi-3.5-vision-instruct if…

  • you are already invested in the Microsoft ecosystem

Choose QvQ-72B-Preview if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 2 shared benchmarks
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Dec 2024

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

2 benchmarks

Phi-3.5-vision-instruct outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while QvQ-72B-Preview is better at 2 benchmarks (MathVista, MMMU).

QvQ-72B-Preview significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Mon Jul 27 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

69.2B diff

QvQ-72B-Preview has 69.2B more parameters than Phi-3.5-vision-instruct, making it 1647.6% larger.

Microsoft
Phi-3.5-vision-instruct
4.2Bparameters
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
QvQ-72B-Preview
73.4Bparameters
4.2B
Phi-3.5-vision-instruct
73.4B
QvQ-72B-Preview

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both Phi-3.5-vision-instruct and QvQ-72B-Preview support multimodal inputs.

They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.

Phi-3.5-vision-instruct

Text
Images
Audio
Video

QvQ-72B-Preview

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Phi-3.5-vision-instruct is licensed under MIT, while QvQ-72B-Preview uses Qwen.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

Phi-3.5-vision-instruct

MIT

Open weights

QvQ-72B-Preview

Qwen

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Phi-3.5-vision-instruct was released on 2024-08-23, while QvQ-72B-Preview was released on 2024-12-25.

QvQ-72B-Preview is 4 months newer than Phi-3.5-vision-instruct.

Phi-3.5-vision-instruct

Aug 23, 2024

1.9 years ago

QvQ-72B-Preview

Dec 25, 2024

1.6 years ago

4mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.

Unable to compare the recency of their training data.

No cutoff dates available

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion

Key Takeaways

No standout differentiators in the data we have for this pair.

Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team

QvQ-72B-Preview

View details

Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team

Higher MathVista score (71.4% vs 43.9%)
Higher MMMU score (70.3% vs 43.0%)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Phi-3.5-vision-instruct and QvQ-72B-Preview side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Phi-3.5-vision-instruct
✓ Preferred
QvQ-72B-Preview
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Microsoft
Phi-3.5-vision-instruct
Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
QvQ-72B-Preview

FAQ

Common questions about Phi-3.5-vision-instruct vs QvQ-72B-Preview.

Which is better, Phi-3.5-vision-instruct or QvQ-72B-Preview?

QvQ-72B-Preview significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Phi-3.5-vision-instruct is made by Microsoft and QvQ-72B-Preview is made by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Phi-3.5-vision-instruct compare to QvQ-72B-Preview in benchmarks?

Phi-3.5-vision-instruct scores ScienceQA: 91.3%, POPE: 86.1%, MMBench: 81.9%, ChartQA: 81.8%, AI2D: 78.1%. QvQ-72B-Preview scores MathVista: 71.4%, MMMU: 70.3%, MathVision: 35.9%, OlympiadBench: 20.4%.

What are the main differences between Phi-3.5-vision-instruct and QvQ-72B-Preview?

Key differences include licensing (MIT vs Qwen). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Phi-3.5-vision-instruct and QvQ-72B-Preview?

Phi-3.5-vision-instruct is developed by Microsoft and QvQ-72B-Preview is developed by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team.