open-source
Qwen Max vs Gpt 4.1
Side-by-side pricing, context window, features, and per-use-case verdict. Data sourced from LiteLLM, updated regularly.
Specifications
| Feature | Qwen Max | Gpt 4.1 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | dashscope | openai |
| Model ID | dashscope/qwen-max | gpt-4.1 |
| Input / 1M tokens | $1.60 (20% cheaper) | $2.00 |
| Output / 1M tokens | $6.40 (20% cheaper) | $8.00 |
| Cached input / 1M | — | $0.50 |
| Context window | 31kk tokens | 1048kk tokens |
| Max output | 8kk tokens | 33kk tokens |
| Vision | ⬜ | ✅ |
| Function calling | ✅ | ✅ |
| Prompt caching | ⬜ | ✅ |
| Web search | ⬜ | ✅ |
| JSON schema | ⬜ | ✅ |
Monthly cost comparison
No cache discount applied — pure token costs at three usage scales.
| Scale | Qwen Max | Gpt 4.1 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small 1M in / 0.2M out | $2.88 | $3.60 | Qwen Max saves 20% |
| Medium 10M in / 2M out | $28.80 | $36.00 | Qwen Max saves 20% |
| Large 100M in / 20M out | $288 | $360 | Qwen Max saves 20% |
Category winners
Cheapest input
Qwen Max
$1.60/M
· 20% less than the other
Cheapest output
Qwen Max
$6.40/M
· 20% less than the other
Larger context
Gpt 4.1
1048kk tokens · 3310% larger window
More features
Gpt 4.1
5 / 5 capabilities
Better for…
High-volume RAG & repeated context
$0.50/M cached input — prompt caching makes repeated context retrieval significantly cheaper
Gpt 4.1
Short interactions & high-throughput APIs
$6.40/M output — 20% cheaper on output at scale
Qwen Max
Long-document processing & large codebases
1048k context window vs 31k — 3310% larger context
Gpt 4.1
Agentic workflows & tool use
Supports 5 of 5 tracked capabilities (vision, function calling, caching, web search, JSON schema)
Gpt 4.1
Deep-dive on each model
Pricing data sourced from LiteLLM and refreshed regularly. Always verify with each provider's official pricing page before making business decisions.