Claude Opus 5 vs Qwen3.8-Max
Both are Flagship-tier models, from Anthropic and Alibaba Qwen respectively. Qwen3.8-Max is the cheaper choice overall at a 4:1 input:output ratio.
Which is cheaper
- Input price: Qwen3.8-Max is cheaper ($2.00 vs $5.00).
- Output price: Qwen3.8-Max is cheaper ($6.00 vs $25.00).
- Blended, 4:1 input:output ratio: Qwen3.8-Max is 68.9% cheaper ($2.80 vs $9.00 per weighted 1M tokens).
Side by side
| Spec | Claude Opus 5 | Qwen3.8-Max |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Anthropic | Alibaba Qwen |
| Tier | Flagship | Flagship |
| Context window | 1M | 1M |
| Max output | 128K | — |
| Input $/1M | $5.00 | $2.00 |
| Output $/1M | $25.00 | $6.00 |
| Cache read $/1M | $0.50 | — |
| Cache write $/1M | $6.25 | — |
| Modalities | text, image | text |
Claude Opus 5. 5-minute cache write shown ($6.25 = 1.25x base input); 1-hour cache write is $10/MTok (2x base). Batch API is 50% off ($2.50/$12.50). Context window and max output cross-checked against platform.claude.com/docs/en/about-claude/models/overview.
Qwen3.8-Max. International (Singapore) USD pricing, flat rate 0<tokens<=1M.
Sources
Claude Opus 5 — verified August 29, 2026
Qwen3.8-Max — verified August 29, 2026
Full Claude Opus 5 pricing page → · Full Qwen3.8-Max pricing page →