Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B vs Qwen3.6 Max Preview
Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B (2026) and Qwen3.6 Max Preview (2026) are frontier reasoning models from Microsoft Research and Alibaba. Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B ships a not-yet-sourced context window, while Qwen3.6 Max Preview ships a 256k-token context window. On Massive Multi-discipline Multimodal Understanding, Qwen3.6 Max Preview leads by 27.7 pts. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
Qwen3.6 Max Preview is safer overall; choose Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B when vision-heavy evaluation matters.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B | Qwen3.6 Max Preview |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | multimodal apps | reasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agents |
| Decision fit | Vision | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | — | 256k |
| Cheapest output | - | $6.24/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 0 tracked | 3 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 1 shared | Massive Multi-discipline Multimodal Understanding leader |
Decision tradeoffs
- Local decision data tags Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B for Vision.
- Qwen3.6 Max Preview holds a shared-benchmark lead on Massive Multi-discipline Multimodal Understanding, ahead by 27.7 points.
- Qwen3.6 Max Preview has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Qwen3.6 Max Preview has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and route flexibility.
- Qwen3.6 Max Preview uniquely exposes Reasoning, JSON / Tool use, and Structured outputs in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Qwen3.6 Max Preview for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B
Unavailable
No complete token price in local provider data
Qwen3.6 Max Preview
$2,392
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Cost delta unavailable until both models have sourced input and output token prices.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B and Qwen3.6 Max Preview; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Qwen3.6 Max Preview adds Reasoning, JSON / Tool use, and Structured outputs in local capability data.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Qwen3.6 Max Preview and Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Check replacement coverage for Reasoning, JSON / Tool use, and Structured outputs before moving production traffic.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-03-12 | 2026-04-20 |
| Context window | — | 256k |
| Parameters | 15B | — |
| Architecture | - | Mixture of Experts |
| License | MITOSI-approved | Apache 2.0OSI-approved |
| Openness | Open source | Open source |
| Weights | Unknown | Unknown |
| Code | Unknown | Unknown |
| Commercial use | Commercial use: permitted | Commercial use: permitted |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2025-03 | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B | Qwen3.6 Max Preview |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | - |
|
| Output price | - |
|
| Providers | - |
Capabilities
| Capability | Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B | Qwen3.6 Max Preview |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | Yes |
| Multimodal | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning | No | Yes |
| JSON / Tool use | No | Yes |
| Structured outputs | No | Yes |
| Code execution | No | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | Phi-4 Reasoning Vision 15B | Qwen3.6 Max Preview |
|---|---|---|
| Massive Multi-discipline Multimodal Understanding | 54.3 | 82.0 |
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Last reviewed: 2026-06-29. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.