Model Comparison

Qwen3 Max vs Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks. Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking is 3.3x cheaper per token.

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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

4 benchmarks

Qwen3 Max outperforms in 2 benchmarks (LiveCodeBench v6, SuperGPQA), while Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking is better at 2 benchmarks (AIME 2025, GPQA).

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.

Tue May 19 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking costs less

For input processing, Qwen3 Max ($0.50/1M tokens) is 3.3x more expensive than Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking ($0.15/1M tokens).

For output processing, Qwen3 Max ($5.00/1M tokens) is 3.3x more expensive than Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking ($1.50/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Qwen3 Max is more expensive than Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers

Tue May 19 2026 • llm-stats.com

Qwen3 Max

Input tokens$0.50

Output tokens$5.00

Best providerNovita

Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking

Input tokens$0.15

Output tokens$1.50

Best providerNovita

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

920.0B diff

Qwen3 Max has 920.0B more parameters than Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking, making it 1150.0% larger.

Qwen3 Max

1.0Tparameters

Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking

80.0Bparameters

1000.0B

Qwen3 Max

80.0B

Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Qwen3 Max accepts 256,000 input tokens compared to Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking's 65,536 tokens. Qwen3 Max can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking is limited to 65,536 tokens.

Qwen3 Max

Input256,000 tokens

Output131,072 tokens

Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking

Input65,536 tokens

Output65,536 tokens

Tue May 19 2026 • llm-stats.com

License

Usage and distribution terms

Qwen3 Max is licensed under a proprietary license, while Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking uses Apache 2.0.

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

Qwen3 Max

Proprietary

Closed source

Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking

Apache 2.0

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Qwen3 Max was released on 2025-12-15, while Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking was released on 2025-09-10.

Qwen3 Max is 3 months newer than Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking.

Qwen3 Max

Dec 15, 2025

5 months ago

3mo newer

Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking

Sep 10, 2025

8 months ago

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

Provider Availability

Qwen3 Max is available from Novita. Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking is available from Novita.

Qwen3 Max

Novita

Input Price:Input: $0.50/1MOutput Price:Output: $5.00/1M

Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking

Novita

Input Price:Input: $0.15/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.50/1M

* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

Qwen3 Max

View details

Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team

Larger context window (256,000 tokens)

Higher LiveCodeBench v6 score (69.0% vs 68.7%)

Higher SuperGPQA score (65.1% vs 60.8%)

Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking

View details

Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team

Less expensive input tokens

Less expensive output tokens

Has open weights

Higher AIME 2025 score (87.8% vs 81.6%)

Higher GPQA score (77.2% vs 62.0%)

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature	Qwen3 Max	Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking

FAQ

Common questions about Qwen3 Max vs Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking.

Which is better, Qwen3 Max or Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking?

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks. Qwen3 Max is made by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking 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 Qwen3 Max compare to Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking in benchmarks?

Qwen3 Max scores AIME 2025: 81.6%, t2-bench: 74.8%, SWE-Bench Verified: 69.6%, LiveCodeBench v6: 69.0%, SuperGPQA: 65.1%. Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking scores MMLU-Redux: 92.5%, IFEval: 88.9%, AIME 2025: 87.8%, WritingBench: 84.6%, MMLU-Pro: 82.7%.

Is Qwen3 Max cheaper than Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking?

Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking is 3.3x cheaper for input tokens. Qwen3 Max costs $0.50/M input and $5.00/M output via novita. Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking costs $0.15/M input and $1.50/M output via novita.

What are the context window sizes for Qwen3 Max and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking?

Qwen3 Max supports 256K tokens and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking supports 66K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between Qwen3 Max and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Thinking?

Key differences include context window (256K vs 66K), input pricing ($0.50 vs $0.15/M), licensing (Proprietary vs Apache 2.0). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.