GPT-4.1 mini vs Qwen3 Coder Next
Which is better for the money: GPT-4.1 mini by OpenAI or Qwen3 Coder Next by Alibaba? Intelligence, total benchmark cost, and end-to-end time from Artificial Analysis & other sources, snapshot 2026-07-17.
Trade-off
Verdict
Depends on your budget
Qwen3 Coder Next scores 6.3 points higher (21.1 vs 14.8) but costs 3.3× as much to run the benchmark ($247 vs $74.7; both mid-range class). They are not alternatives at one budget: pick Qwen3 Coder Next when you need intelligence above 14.8, and GPT-4.1 mini when 14.8 is enough.
| Metric | GPT-4.1 mini | Qwen3 Coder Next | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence (higher is better) | 14.8 | 21.1 | +42.6% Qwen3 Coder Next is 42.6% more intelligent |
| Total AA cost (lower is better) | $74.67 | $247.26 | +231.1% Qwen3 Coder Next is 3.3× more expensive |
| End-to-end time (lower is better) | 7.65s | 6.61s | −13.6% Qwen3 Coder Next is 13.6% faster |
| Price per 1M tokens (in / out) | $0.40 / $1.60 | $0.35 / $1.20 | |
| Input modalities | Not reported | Not reported |
Qwen3 Coder Next vs GPT-4.1 mini: 42.6% more intelligence, 231.1% more cost to run the AA benchmark, and 13.6% faster end-to-end.
Today's Pareto frontier
Against the frontier
- GPT-4.1 mini is off the frontier: at the same or lower cost, DeepSeek V4 Flash (Reasoning, Max Effort) scores 40.30 for $74.3.
- Qwen3 Coder Next is off the frontier: at the same or lower cost, GPT-5.6 Terra (medium) scores 45.60 for $240.
GPT-4.1 miniQwen3 Coder NextToday's Pareto frontierEvery other model
Matchup
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