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 2026-08-07.
Trade-off
Verdict
Depends on your budget
Qwen3 Coder Next scores 6.5 points higher (21.3 vs 14.8) but costs 3.9× as much to run the benchmark ($250 vs $64.2; 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 | 21.3 | +43.9% Qwen3 Coder Next is 43.9% more intelligent |
| Total AA cost (lower is better) | $64.23 | $250.18 | +289.5% Qwen3 Coder Next is 3.9× more expensive |
| End-to-end time (lower is better) | 8.10s | 5.28s | −34.8% Qwen3 Coder Next is 34.8% 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: 43.9% more intelligence, 289.5% more cost to run the AA benchmark, and 34.8% 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, GPT-5.6 Luna (high) scores 47.00 for $55.0.
- Qwen3 Coder Next is off the frontier: at the same or lower cost, GPT-5.6 Luna (max) scores 52.30 for $172.
GPT-4.1 miniQwen3 Coder NextToday's Pareto frontierEvery other model
Matchup
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Accept: text/markdown or ?format=md returns this page as Markdown. JSON: /api/v1/compare/gpt-4-1-mini/qwen3-coder-next · Markdown: /api/v1/compare/gpt-4-1-mini/qwen3-coder-next?format=md · llms.txt · agent skill