GPT-5.4 Mini vs Qwen3-Max
GPT-5.4 Mini and Qwen3-Max are both current production-tier models. GPT-5.4 Mini leads on instruction following. Qwen3-Max leads on multilingual.
Specs side by side
| Metric | OpenAI GPT-5.4 Mini | Alibaba Qwen3-Max |
|---|---|---|
| Input price (per 1M) | $0.75 | $0.78 |
| Output price (per 1M) | $4.5 | $3.9 |
| Context window | 400k tokens | 262k tokens |
| Speed tier | fast | balanced |
| Open weights | No | Yes |
| EU region | Yes | No |
| Free tier | No | OpenRouter |
| Prompt caching | Yes | No |
| Vision input | Yes | No |
| Extended thinking | Yes | Yes |
When to choose each
Choose GPT-5.4 Mini if…
- EU data residency is required
- HIPAA eligibility is required
- You need image input / vision
- Instruction following is central to your workload
Choose Qwen3-Max if…
- You need open weights for self-hosting or fine-tuning
- You want a free tier for prototyping
- Multilingual is central to your workload
Benchmark delta
GPT-5.4 Mini leads on
- Instruction following
Qwen3-Max leads on
- Multilingual
FAQ — GPT-5.4 Mini vs Qwen3-Max
GPT-5.4 Mini vs Qwen3-Max — which is better?
GPT-5.4 Mini and Qwen3-Max are both current production-tier models. GPT-5.4 Mini leads on instruction following. Qwen3-Max leads on multilingual. The right pick depends on your use case — see "When to choose each" above for a data-driven decision.
How does GPT-5.4 Mini pricing compare to Qwen3-Max?
GPT-5.4 Mini costs $0.75 / $4.5 per 1M vs Qwen3-Max at $0.78 / $3.9 per 1M. Qwen3-Max is cheaper on output tokens by roughly 15%. Both support prompt caching, which reduces effective cost by 80-90% on repeat system prompts.
Does GPT-5.4 Mini or Qwen3-Max have the bigger context window?
GPT-5.4 Mini has a 400k-token context window — 2× the 262k context of Qwen3-Max. Enough for long reports and multi-document analysis.
Is there a free tier for GPT-5.4 Mini or Qwen3-Max?
GPT-5.4 Mini: no — Near-free at $0.75/$4.50 per 1M; starter credits only. Qwen3-Max: yes — Often available free via OpenRouter; official API is cheap and tiered.
Which is better for coding — GPT-5.4 Mini or Qwen3-Max?
Qwen3-Max leads on coding benchmarks (GPT-5.4 Mini: 84/100, Qwen3-Max: 86/100). For production coding agents also weigh tool-use performance — GPT-5.4 Mini scores 86, Qwen3-Max scores 85.