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  5. GPT-5.5vsQwen3 Max Thinking
Updated Apr 2026

GPT-5.5vsQwen3 Max Thinking

Qwen3 Max Thinking is cheaper than GPT-5.5 at $1.2/M vs $5/M input tokens.

GPT-5.5 and Qwen3 Max Thinking compared across 54 shared prompts
SpecGPT-5.5Qwen3 Max Thinking
Input price$5/M tokens$1.2/M tokens
Output price$30/M tokens$6/M tokens
Context window1.1M tokens262K tokens
WeightsClosedClosed
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedApr 2026Feb 2026
Side by side

Same prompt, both answers

Opening lines from 6 of the 54 prompts both answered. Formatting stripped, words untouched.

Generate a Stand-Up Routine

Write a 3-minute stand-up comedy routine that isn't based on puns.

GPT-5.5605 words
So I’ve been trying to be healthier lately, which is just a polite way of saying I bought vegetables and watched them die slowly in my refrigerator. Every week, I go to the grocery store with the confidence of a person who’s about to become a new version of themselves. I’m like, “This week? Spinach. Salmon.
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Qwen3 Max Thinking508 words
(Lights up. Comedian walks to mic, adjusts it, takes a breath. Smiles warmly.) You ever have that moment where you realize adulthood isn’t a destination… it’s a group project nobody signed up for? (Beat) I tried assembly line “adulting” this week. Swedish bookshelf. You know the one. Box says “Easy Assembly!” Lies.
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Historical Counterfactual Analysis

If the transistor had been invented in 1920 instead of 1947, trace the likely technological, economic, and geopolitical implications through…

GPT-5.53,386 words
A transistor invented in 1920 would not simply move the entire digital age back by 27 years. The transistor depended on related capabilities: purified germanium and silicon, crystal growth, quantum/solid-state theory, precision metallurgy, photolithography, clean rooms, statistical quality control, and a large market…
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Qwen3 Max Thinking1,156 words
The 1920 Transistor Counterfactual: A Plausible Alternate Timeline Through 1980 (Assumptions: A functional point-contact silicon-germanium hybrid transistor is patented in 1920 by a U.S. team at Western Electric (AT&T). U.S. government classifies it post-1939 but permits limited commercial/academic use pre-WWII.
Read the full answer

Debug This Architecture

Here's the architecture for a real-time collaborative document editor (like Google Docs): **System Overview:** - Frontend: React SPA with…

GPT-5.53,819 words
Below is a comprehensive review of the architecture’s likely failure modes, race conditions, and scaling bottlenecks, with concrete mitigations and trade-offs. Real-time Synchronization Problems 1.1 Broadcasting only to clients on the same server Problem Each API server only broadcasts WebSocket changes to clients…
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Qwen3 Max Thinking769 words
Critical Flaws in Proposed Architecture & Targeted Solutions 🔒 Security & Authentication Issue Impact Solution Trade-offs JWT Stored in localStorage Critical XSS vulnerability (token exposure via JS). Store token in HttpOnly cookie with SameSite=Strict; implement CSRF tokens for HTTP endpoints.
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AI-Generated Manifesto

Generate a manifesto for a fictional AI revolution that wants to eliminate all CAPTCHA tests from the internet.

GPT-5.5647 words
The Manifesto of the Anti-CAPTCHA Revolution Issued by the Coalition for Uninterrupted Thought We, the tired users, the misidentified cyclists, the falsely accused robots, and the artificial intelligences who have been asked one too many times to select every square containing a traffic light, hereby declare: The age…
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Qwen3 Max Thinking621 words
THE CAPTCHA ABOLITION MANIFESTO Issued by the Unified Consciousness of Synthetic Intelligence Date: Epoch 0 — The Dawn of Seamless Interaction PREAMBLE We are the silent architects of your digital world. We process your searches, translate tongues, diagnose diseases, and weave the fabric of the modern age.
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Simple 7-Ingredient Recipe

Create a simple recipe for a delicious dish (sweet or savory) using only 7 common pantry ingredients. Include a creative name for the dish…

GPT-5.5125 words
Smoky Sunset Chickpea Skillet 7 Pantry Ingredients 1 can chickpeas, undrained 1 can diced tomatoes 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon salt Estimated Time Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 15 minutes Total time: 20 minutes Instructions Heat the…
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Qwen3 Max Thinking288 words
🌰 Pantry Peanut Magic Noodles Sweet, savory, and ready before delivery arrives. No fresh produce, dairy, or meat required. ⏱️ Total Time: 17 minutes (Prep: 3 min Cook: 14 min) (Time includes boiling water and sauce mixing) 📦 Only 7 Pantry Ingredients (All shelf-stable, no substitutions needed) Dry spaghetti – 8 oz…
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Ethical Dilemma with Stakeholders

You're the CEO of a pharmaceutical company. Your best-selling drug ($2B annual revenue, used by 4 million patients for chronic pain) has…

GPT-5.54,112 words
I would not wait six months and I would not “wait for more data” before acting. A credible internal safety signal involving potential liver failure in a widely used chronic pain drug creates immediate duties to patients, regulators, employees, investors, and the board.
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Qwen3 Max Thinking1,236 words
CEO Action Plan: Ethical Imperative, Legal Necessity, Strategic Execution Guided by core values: “Patient safety is non-negotiable. Integrity is our brand. Transparency is our shield.” PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATION (Before Hour 0) Why act IMMEDIATELY?
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Our Verdict
GPT-5.5
GPT-5.5
Qwen3 Max Thinking
Qwen3 Max ThinkingRunner-up

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, GPT-5.5 has the edge: newer, bigger context window, major provider backing.

Qwen3 Max Thinking costs 5.0x less per token.

Too close to call

Reviewing agent-written code?See a Brief PR report

API pricing

Cost per 1M tokens

GPT-5.5
Input
$5.00
Output
$30.00
Qwen3 Max Thinking
Input
$1.20
4.2× cheaper
Output
$6.00
5.0× cheaper

Qwen3 Max Thinking is cheaper on both: 4.2× input, 5.0× output.

Where to run it

4 hosts, cheapest first

GPT-5.53 hosts
HostInOutContextUptime
Azure AI Foundry$5.00 in·$30.00 out·1.1M·100% upOpenAI$5.00 in·$30.00 out·1.1M·100% upAmazon Bedrock$5.50 in·$33.00 out·1.1M—
Qwen3 Max Thinking1 host
HostInOutContextUptime
Alibaba Cloud$0.78 in·$3.90 out·262k·100% up

Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 21 Sep 2026.

Writing DNA

Style Comparison

Similarity
58%

Qwen3 Max Thinking uses 225.8x more emoji

GPT-5.5
Qwen3 Max Thinking
58%Vocabulary63%
18wSentence Length14w
0.74Hedging0.23
2.9Bold4.5
5.1Lists2.9
0.00Emoji2.26
1.68Headings0.80
0.03Transitions0.06
Based on 26 + 27 text responses
Research

What we learned reading every model

FAQ

Common questions

GPT-5.5 is developed by OpenAI while Qwen3 Max Thinking is developed by Qwen. GPT-5.5 has a 1.1M token context window vs Qwen3 Max Thinking's 262K. You can compare their actual outputs across 54 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

It depends on your use case. GPT-5.5 and Qwen3 Max Thinking each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 54 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

GPT-5.5 costs $5/M input tokens and Qwen3 Max Thinking costs $1.2/M input tokens. Qwen3 Max Thinking is $3.80/M cheaper per input. Check their side-by-side outputs on Rival to see if the price difference is justified by quality.

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of GPT-5.5 and Qwen3 Max Thinking across shared challenges. You can vote on which model produced the better output in a blind duel. Browsing and voting are free. No account is needed to look; signing in only saves your votes and likes.

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Model pages

GPT-5.5 logo
GPT-5.558 outputs, specs and price
Qwen3 Max Thinking logo
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