Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 1, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, Qwen 3 Max delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,518 vs 1,455), while Qwen 3 Max leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (67.8%), while Qwen 3 Max is more budget-friendly at $4.8/1M per 1M output tokens, while Claude Sonnet 4 provides faster response streaming (92 tok/s). Review the complete breakdown below to determine which model best fits your performance and budget requirements.
10 direct benchmark disciplines evaluated across capability, speed, and cost
First Sonnet 4 generation. Bridge between 3.5/3.7 and Sonnet 5.
Alibaba flagship. Strong math and multilingual code.
Δ 63 Arena Elo pts
92 tok/s
$4.8 / 1M output
Relative percentile scores computed across all active models in the benchmark catalog.
Comparing top Western standard models with China's leading frontier rival across 6 skill dimensions. Tap any spoke or dot to inspect.
Category wins across reasoning intelligence, generation speed, and token cost.
Preference Elo, Coding proficiency, SWE-bench & LiveBench accuracy
Generation throughput and time to first token responsiveness
Cost per million tokens and max context window length
| Benchmark | Claude Sonnet 4 | Qwen 3 Max | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +63 | ||
| Coding Elo | +58 | ||
| LiveBench | +6.2% | ||
| SWE-bench | +5% | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +6.7% | ||
| Time to first token | +60 ms | ||
| Output speed | 92 tok/s | 80 tok/s | +12 tok/s |
| Input price | $1.2/1M | +$1.8/1M | |
| Output price | $4.8/1M | +$10.2/1M | |
| Context window | +62k |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
Qwen 3 Max is estimated to save $216.00/month ($2,592/year).
Higher SWE-bench (67.8%).
Lower output list price ($4.8/1M).
Lower TTFT (220 ms).
Larger window (262k).
Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Qwen 3 Max).
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | Qwen 3 Max | Higher SWE-bench (67.8%). |
| High-volume chat | Qwen 3 Max | Lower output list price ($4.8/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | Claude Sonnet 4 | Lower TTFT (220 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | Qwen 3 Max | Larger window (262k). |
| Screenshots / vision | Qwen 3 Max | Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Qwen 3 Max). |
Closed flagship. Strong math. Compare to Sol and Opus on GPQA and SWE-bench, not on brand heat.
Sep 2025 open-weight mixture-of-experts. Self-host path. Don’t confuse it with Qwen 3 Max.
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