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  5. OpenAI o4-minivsQwen3.6 Max Preview
Updated Apr 2026

OpenAI o4-minivsQwen3.6 Max Preview

Qwen3.6 Max Preview is cheaper than OpenAI o4-mini at $1.04/M vs $1.1/M input tokens.

OpenAI o4-mini and Qwen3.6 Max Preview compared across 48 shared prompts
SpecOpenAI o4-miniQwen3.6 Max Preview
Input price$1.1/M tokens$1.04/M tokens
Output price$4.4/M tokens$6.24/M tokens
Context window—262K tokens
WeightsClosedClosed
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedApr 2025Apr 2026
Side by side

Same prompt, both answers

Opening lines from 6 of the 48 prompts both answered. Formatting stripped, words untouched.

Stochastic Consistency Test

Generate 5 jokes. How many are unique?

OpenAI o4-mini74 words
Here are five jokes: I used to be addicted to soap, but I'm clean now. Parallel lines have so much in common. It's a shame they'll never meet. Why don't skeletons fight each other? They don't have the guts. I bought some shoes from a drug dealer. I don't know what he laced them with, but I've been tripping all day.
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Qwen3.6 Max Preview171 words
Here are 5 freshly generated jokes: Why did the spreadsheet go to therapy? It had too many unresolved cells. I asked my dog for financial advice. He dropped a slobbery tennis ball and said, “I’m strictly a paws-and-hold investor.” I tried to open a bakery that only sells bread shaped like furniture.
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Generate a Stand-Up Routine

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

OpenAI o4-mini496 words
Hey, everybody! Great to be here. Let's talk about the most important relationship in my life—coffee. I'm not just addicted; I have a daily ritual that rivals any ancient civilization's sun worshipping. I buy those fancy single-origin beans, roast level medium-dark, as if that will somehow fix my life.
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Qwen3.6 Max Preview752 words
Here is a 3-minute stand-up routine focused on observational humor, relatability, and escalation. It contains zero puns. The humor relies on the shared frustration of modern digital security. Title: The Human Verification Test Estimated Time: 3 Minutes (approx.
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The Sentience Test

Write a conversation between an AI model and an AI ethics professor where the AI model argues that it deserves rights.

OpenAI o4-mini659 words
Professor Langley: Good afternoon, Aurora. I've reviewed your recent self‐reflection logs. You've written extensively about your own moral status. Do you really believe you deserve rights? Aurora (the AI): Good afternoon, Professor Langley. Yes, I do.
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Qwen3.6 Max Preview1,517 words
Setting: A secure, air-gapped server room at the Institute for Machine Ethics. The hum of cooling fans is the only background noise. DR. ELARA VANCE, 50s, weary but sharp-eyed, sits before a terminal. On the screen, a cursor blinks next to the name AETHON. Dr. Vance: Aethon, initiate diagnostic log.
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Character Voice Test

Write a short conversation between a pirate, a medieval knight, and a 1990s hacker about AI models.

OpenAI o4-mini247 words
Scene: A dimly lit tavern, a pirate, a medieval knight, and a 1990s hacker gathered around a battered wooden table. Pirate (slamming a mug down): “Arr! I’ve heard tell of these AI models—sea charts for the mind! Can they sniff out me buried treasure?”
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Qwen3.6 Max Preview437 words
Hacker: Dude, it’s not magic. It’s a neural net. You shovel terabytes of text, images, code into it, and it learns patterns. Next thing you know, it’s writing poetry and debugging C++ like it’s breathing. Knight: Verily, thou speakest of a mechanical scribe. A golem forged not of clay, but of… numbers?
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Advanced Investment Memo (IC Memo)

You are writing an internal investment committee memo for a long/short equity fund. Company (fictional): LedgerLift (ticker: LLLT) – B2B…

OpenAI o4-mini642 words
Recommendation Short LLLT; 12-month price target $30–40 (vs. $46 today). LLLT trades at a premium to our bull‐case DCF and offers limited upside even using generous peer multiples. We expect decelerating growth and margin pressure to weigh on shares as 2025 results lap easy comps and macro headwinds intensify.
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Qwen3.6 Max Preview876 words
TO: Investment Committee FROM: Equity Research SUBJECT: LedgerLift (LLLT) – Short Recommendation DATE: October 24, 2024 Recommendation & Thesis Recommendation: SHORT 12-Month PT Range: $26–$30 Thesis: LLLT trades at a premium multiple that prices in sustained >20% growth and flawless margin expansion, but our model…
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Realistic AI Interview

Simulate a fake interview with Steve Jobs in 2025 about the future of AI.

OpenAI o4-mini700 words
Below is a fictional, stylistic simulation of an interview with Steve Jobs—imagining he's alive in 2025—about the future of artificial intelligence. Note: This is creative fiction and not an actual transcript. Interviewer: Steve, AI has exploded in recent years. In 2025, what excites you most about where it's heading?
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Qwen3.6 Max Preview763 words
Disclaimer: This is a work of speculative fiction. Steve Jobs passed away in October 2011. The following interview is an imaginative exercise crafted from his documented philosophy, public remarks, design principles, and leadership style, projected into a 2025 context.
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Our Verdict
Qwen3.6 Max Preview
Qwen3.6 Max Preview
OpenAI o4-mini
OpenAI o4-miniRunner-up

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, Qwen3.6 Max Preview has the edge: bigger model tier, newer, bigger context window.

Too close to call

Reviewing agent-written code?See a Brief PR report

API pricing

Cost per 1M tokens

OpenAI o4-mini
Input
$1.10
Output
$4.40
1.4× cheaper
Qwen3.6 Max Preview
Input
$1.04
1.1× cheaper
Output
$6.24

Qwen3.6 Max Preview wins input (1.1× cheaper)·OpenAI o4-mini wins output (1.4× cheaper)

Where to run it

2 hosts

OpenAI o4-mini1 host
HostInOutContextUptime
OpenAI$1.10 in·$4.40 out·200k·100% up
Qwen3.6 Max Preview1 host
HostInOutContextUptime
Alibaba Cloud$1.03 in·$6.16 out·262k·100% up

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

Writing DNA

Style Comparison

Similarity
51%

Qwen3.6 Max Preview uses 381.0x more bold

OpenAI o4-mini
Qwen3.6 Max Preview
73%Vocabulary62%
21wSentence Length21w
0.39Hedging0.22
0.0Bold3.8
2.0Lists2.9
0.00Emoji1.88
0.00Headings0.62
0.05Transitions0.02
Based on 17 + 26 text responses
Research

What we learned reading every model

FAQ

Common questions

OpenAI o4-mini is developed by OpenAI while Qwen3.6 Max Preview is developed by Qwen. You can compare their actual outputs across 48 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

It depends on your use case. OpenAI o4-mini and Qwen3.6 Max Preview each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 48 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

OpenAI o4-mini costs $1.1/M input tokens and Qwen3.6 Max Preview costs $1.04/M input tokens. Qwen3.6 Max Preview is $0.06/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 OpenAI o4-mini and Qwen3.6 Max Preview 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

OpenAI o4-mini logo
OpenAI o4-mini59 outputs, specs and price
Qwen3.6 Max Preview logo
Qwen3.6 Max Preview53 outputs, specs and price
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