GPT-5.6 Sol vs Qwen3.8-Max
Both are Flagship-tier models, from OpenAI 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 $4.00).
- Output price: Qwen3.8-Max is cheaper ($6.00 vs $20.00).
- Blended, 4:1 input:output ratio: Qwen3.8-Max is 61.1% cheaper ($2.80 vs $7.20 per weighted 1M tokens).
Side by side
| Spec | GPT-5.6 Sol | Qwen3.8-Max |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | Alibaba Qwen |
| Tier | Flagship | Flagship |
| Context window | 1.05M | 1M |
| Max output | 128K | — |
| Input $/1M | $4.00 | $2.00 |
| Output $/1M | $20.00 | $6.00 |
| Cache read $/1M | $0.40 | — |
| Cache write $/1M | $5.00 | — |
| Modalities | text, image | text |
GPT-5.6 Sol. Short-context rate, for prompts up to 272K input tokens. Above 272K the rate is $8 input / $30 output, cache read $0.80, cache write $10 per 1M. Promotional pricing, stated to run at least through 21 November 2026.
Qwen3.8-Max. International (Singapore) USD pricing, flat rate 0<tokens<=1M.
Sources
GPT-5.6 Sol — verified August 29, 2026
Qwen3.8-Max — verified August 29, 2026
Full GPT-5.6 Sol pricing page → · Full Qwen3.8-Max pricing page →