GPT-4o-mini Search Preview vs Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B
GPT-4o-mini Search Preview (2025) and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B (2025) are compact production models from OpenAI and Alibaba. GPT-4o-mini Search Preview ships a 128K-token context window, while Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B ships a not-yet-sourced context window. On pricing, Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B costs $0.10/1M input tokens versus $0.15/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit. It focuses on practical selection signals rather than broad model-family marketing.
Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B is ~54% cheaper at $0.10/1M; pay for GPT-4o-mini Search Preview only for provider fit.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | GPT-4o-mini Search Preview | Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | provider-routed production | provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | RAG, Long context, and Classification | Classification and JSON / Tool use |
| Context window | 128K | — |
| Cheapest output | $0.60/1M tokens | $0.78/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 2 tracked | 5 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- GPT-4o-mini Search Preview has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- GPT-4o-mini Search Preview has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.60/1M tokens.
- Local decision data tags GPT-4o-mini Search Preview for RAG, Long context, and Classification.
- Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Local decision data tags Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B for Classification and JSON / Tool use.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
GPT-4o-mini Search Preview
$270
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B
$273
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Estimated monthly gap: $3.00. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B is $0.18/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- GPT-4o-mini Search Preview is $0.18/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-02-26 | 2025-12-01 |
| Context window | 128K | — |
| Parameters | — | 80B (3B active) |
| Architecture | decoder only | - |
| License | Unknown | Proprietary |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2023-10 | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | GPT-4o-mini Search Preview | Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.15/1M tokens | $0.10/1M tokens |
| Output price | $0.60/1M tokens | $0.78/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | GPT-4o-mini Search Preview | Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | No | No |
| Tool use | No | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | No | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint is close: both models cover structured outputs. That makes context budget, benchmark fit, and provider maturity more important than a simple checklist. If your application depends on one integration detail, verify it against the provider route you plan to use, not just the base model listing.
For cost, GPT-4o-mini Search Preview lists $0.15/1M input and $0.60/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B lists $0.10/1M input and $0.78/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts GPT-4o-mini Search Preview lower by about $0.02 per million blended tokens. Availability is 2 providers versus 5, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose GPT-4o-mini Search Preview when provider fit are central to the workload. Choose Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B when provider fit, lower input-token cost, and broader provider choice are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship. This keeps the decision grounded in measurable tradeoffs instead of brand-level assumptions. It also helps separate model capability from provider packaging, which can change cost and latency. For teams standardizing a stack, that distinction is often the difference between a benchmark win and a reliable deployment.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, GPT-4o-mini Search Preview or Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B?
Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B is cheaper on tracked token pricing. GPT-4o-mini Search Preview costs $0.15/1M input and $0.60/1M output tokens. Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B costs $0.10/1M input and $0.78/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is GPT-4o-mini Search Preview or Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B open source?
GPT-4o-mini Search Preview is listed under Unknown. Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B is listed under Proprietary. License labels affect whether you can self-host, redistribute weights, or rely only on hosted APIs, so confirm the upstream license before deployment.
Which is better for structured outputs, GPT-4o-mini Search Preview or Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B?
Both GPT-4o-mini Search Preview and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B expose structured outputs. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Where can I run GPT-4o-mini Search Preview and Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B?
GPT-4o-mini Search Preview is available on OpenRouter and Vercel AI Gateway. Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B is available on AWS Bedrock, OpenRouter, Venice AI, Novita AI, and Novita AI. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
When should I pick GPT-4o-mini Search Preview over Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B?
Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B is ~54% cheaper at $0.10/1M; pay for GPT-4o-mini Search Preview only for provider fit. If your workload also depends on provider fit, start with GPT-4o-mini Search Preview; if it depends on provider fit, run the same evaluation with Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-22. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.