gpt-5 vs qwen-3-max
On a 1,500-input, 500-output call at 10,000 calls a day, gpt-5 costs about $3,150 a month and qwen-3-max about $180 — qwen-3-max is roughly 94% cheaper than gpt-5. gpt-5 lists $12.00 per 1M output tokens against qwen-3-max at $0.60.
gpt-5 costs $3.00/1M in and $12.00/1M out; qwen-3-max costs $0.20/1M in and $0.60/1M out.
Last updated . Model pricing is refreshed twice daily.
Price per 1M tokens
gpt-5: input $3.00, output $12.00. qwen-3-max: input $0.20, output $0.60.
- Monthly at 10,000 calls/day — gpt-5: $3,150, qwen-3-max: $180
- Monthly at 100,000 calls/day — gpt-5: $31,500, qwen-3-max: $1,800
- Time to first token — gpt-5: 250 ms, qwen-3-max: 350 ms
- Throughput — gpt-5: 180 tok/s, qwen-3-max: 35 tok/s
Which one to run
If your workload tolerates qwen-3-max's quality, the saving is immediate. If it does not, route: send the easy calls to qwen-3-max and keep gpt-5 for the hard ones.
Frequently asked questions
Is gpt-5 cheaper than qwen-3-max?
qwen-3-max is cheaper. At 10,000 calls a day with 1,500 input and 500 output tokens, gpt-5 costs about $3,150 a month and qwen-3-max about $180.
What is the price difference between gpt-5 and qwen-3-max?
About 94% on the same workload, using list prices with no caching or batch discounts.