GPT-5.4 vs Qwen3-Max
GPT-5.4 (2026) and Qwen3-Max (2026) are frontier reasoning models from OpenAI and Alibaba. GPT-5.4 ships a not-yet-sourced context window, while Qwen3-Max ships a 128K-token context window. On MultiChallenge, GPT-5.4 leads by 28.0 pts. On pricing, Qwen3-Max costs $0.78/1M input tokens versus $2.5/1M 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-Max is ~221% cheaper at $0.78/1M; pay for GPT-5.4 only for coding workflow support.
Specs
Pricing and availability
| GPT-5.4 | Qwen3-Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $2.5/1M tokens | $0.78/1M tokens |
| Output price | $15/1M tokens | $3.9/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| GPT-5.4 | Qwen3-Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | ||
| Multimodal | ||
| Reasoning | ||
| Function calling | ||
| Tool use | ||
| Structured outputs | ||
| Code execution |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | GPT-5.4 | Qwen3-Max |
|---|---|---|
| MultiChallenge | 69.2 | 41.2 |
| τ-bench | 78.3 | 76.8 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, MultiChallenge has GPT-5.4 at 69.2 and Qwen3-Max at 41.2, with GPT-5.4 ahead by 28.0 points; τ-bench has GPT-5.4 at 78.3 and Qwen3-Max at 76.8, with GPT-5.4 ahead by 1.5 points. The largest visible gap is 28.0 points on MultiChallenge, which matters most when that benchmark mirrors your workload. Treat isolated benchmark wins as directional, because provider routing, prompt style, and tool access can move real application results.
The capability footprint differs most on vision: Qwen3-Max, reasoning mode: GPT-5.4, and code execution: GPT-5.4. Both models share multimodal input, function calling, tool use, and structured outputs, so the practical split is not just feature count. Use those differences to decide whether the page is about raw model quality, agentic coding support, multimodal ingestion, or predictable structured API behavior.
For cost, GPT-5.4 lists $2.5/1M input and $15/1M output tokens, while Qwen3-Max lists $0.78/1M input and $3.9/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Qwen3-Max lower by about $4.53 per million blended tokens. Availability is 2 providers versus 1, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose GPT-5.4 when coding workflow support and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Qwen3-Max when vision-heavy evaluation and lower input-token cost are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, GPT-5.4 or Qwen3-Max?
Qwen3-Max is cheaper on tracked token pricing. GPT-5.4 costs $2.5/1M input and $15/1M output tokens. Qwen3-Max costs $0.78/1M input and $3.9/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is GPT-5.4 or Qwen3-Max open source?
GPT-5.4 is listed under Proprietary. Qwen3-Max 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 vision, GPT-5.4 or Qwen3-Max?
Qwen3-Max has the clearer documented vision signal in this comparison. If vision is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Which is better for multimodal input, GPT-5.4 or Qwen3-Max?
Both GPT-5.4 and Qwen3-Max expose multimodal input. 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.
Which is better for reasoning mode, GPT-5.4 or Qwen3-Max?
GPT-5.4 has the clearer documented reasoning mode signal in this comparison. If reasoning mode is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run GPT-5.4 and Qwen3-Max?
GPT-5.4 is available on OpenAI API and OpenRouter. Qwen3-Max is available on OpenRouter. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-04-24. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.