Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 17, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, GPT-5 delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,558 vs 1,518), while GPT-5 leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (68.4%), while Qwen 3 Max is more budget-friendly at $3.9/1M per 1M output tokens. 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
OpenAI flagship reasoning model for 2025–26. Strong general preference Elo and multimodal coverage.
Alibaba flagship. Strong math and multilingual code.
Simulate accuracy gains vs added response time & token cost
Reasoning models “think before answering” by generating internal reasoning tokens. Higher effort improves math, coding, and logic accuracy, but increases response delay and token costs.
Δ 40 Arena Elo pts
80 tok/s
$3.9 / 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 | GPT-5 | Qwen 3 Max | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +40 | ||
| Coding Elo | +14 | ||
| LiveBench | +0.4% | ||
| SWE-bench | +0.6% | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +2.1% | ||
| Time to first token | +10 ms | ||
| Output speed | 78 tok/s | 80 tok/s | +2 tok/s |
| Input price | $1.25/1M | $0.78/1M | +$0.47/1M |
| Output price | $3.9/1M | +$6.1/1M | |
| Context window | +138k |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
Qwen 3 Max is estimated to save $107.95/month ($1,295/year).
Higher SWE-bench (68.4%).
Lower output list price ($3.9/1M).
Lower TTFT (280 ms).
Larger window (400k).
Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (GPT-5).
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | GPT-5 | Higher SWE-bench (68.4%). |
| High-volume chat | Qwen 3 Max | Lower output list price ($3.9/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | Qwen 3 Max | Lower TTFT (280 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | GPT-5 | Larger window (400k). |
| Screenshots / vision | GPT-5 | Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (GPT-5). |
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.
Still a common compare target. 5.6 Sol replaced it as the buy; GPT-5 stays for old URLs.
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