OpenAI o3 vs Qwen Max
Performance benchmarks + pricing comparison — updated April 2026
OpenAI o3
OpenAINext generation reasoning model. Improved coding and math over o1.
| Input | $10.00/M |
| Output | $40.00/M |
| Context | 200K tokens |
| Best For | Advanced coding, complex problem-solving |
| Benchmark | 85/100 |
Qwen Max
QwenQwen's most powerful model. Strong reasoning and coding capabilities.
| Input | $1.60/M |
| Output | $6.40/M |
| Context | 32K tokens |
| Best For | Complex reasoning, advanced coding |
| Benchmark | 68/100 |
Benchmark Performance Comparison
Third-party benchmark scores — higher is better. Data sourced from SWE-bench, LiveCodeBench, HumanEval, and BigCodeBench.
| Benchmark | OpenAI o3 | Qwen Max | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Score | 85 | 68 | o3 leads by 17pts |
| SWE-bench Verified | 82 | 62 | o3 leads by 20pts |
| LiveCodeBench | 88 | 70 | o3 leads by 18pts |
| HumanEval | 96 | 86 | o3 leads by 10pts |
| BigCodeBench | 74 | 54 | o3 leads by 20pts |
Cost Comparison by Scenario
Estimated cost per project with 30% cache hit rate. Actual costs may vary based on usage patterns.
| Scenario | OpenAI o3 | Qwen Max | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Script (1K lines) | $1.55 | $0.25 | Qwen Max saves $1.30 (84%) |
| Medium Feature (10K lines) | $11.50 | $1.84 | Qwen Max saves $9.66 (84%) |
| Large Project (50K lines) | $57.50 | $9.20 | Qwen Max saves $48.30 (84%) |
| Code Review (5K lines) | $2.75 | $0.44 | Qwen Max saves $2.31 (84%) |
Value Analysis (Price per Benchmark Score Point)
Lower is better — how much you pay for each point of benchmark performance.
| Model | Overall Score | Price per Score Point | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI o3 | 85 | $0.167/pt | Higher cost per point |
| Qwen Max | 68 | $0.024/pt | Better value |
Qwen Max delivers the best value at $0.024 per score point.
Strengths & Weaknesses
OpenAI o3
- + Latest reasoning model
- + Top-tier across all benchmarks
- - Very expensive
- - Slow
Qwen Max
- + Strong Chinese language support
- + Good value
- - Less tested on English coding
Verdict
Qwen Max is cheaper at $1.60/M, but OpenAI o3 scores higher on benchmarks (85 vs 68).
Choose Qwen Max for cost-sensitive projects, OpenAI o3 when performance matters most.
Compare with Other Models
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