Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 16, 2026
This page compares Claude Sonnet 4.5 (Anthropic) and Qwen 3 Max (Alibaba) using the latest snapshots we have as of Aug 16, 2026. On preference Elo, Claude Sonnet 4.5 is ahead by 6 points (1,524 vs 1,518; seed-bootstrap (Aug 1, 2026)). On SWE-bench coding, Claude Sonnet 4.5 resolves 70.1% versus 67.8% (seed-bootstrap (Aug 1, 2026)). Claude Sonnet 4.5 streams faster (88 tok/s) while Qwen 3 Max is the cheaper output token ($3.9/1M). Claude Sonnet 4.5 has the larger context window (1M tokens). Every cell below is a dated snapshot from a named public source — we do not invent missing scores, and we do not run SWE-bench ourselves.
Anthropic
Claude Sonnet 4.5Workhorse Anthropic model: most of Opus coding quality at a mid-tier price.
Instant pairwise benchmark recalculation across 400+ LLMs
Category wins across intelligence, speed, and pricing efficiency.
Preference Elo, Coding proficiency, SWE-bench & LiveBench accuracy
Generation throughput and time to first token responsiveness
Cost per million tokens and max context window length
Each spoke is a skill. Farther from the center is better (0–100th percentile). Tap any dot to inspect details.
6 pts advantage
8 tok/s faster
$11.10/1M cheaper
Simulate monthly production API costs based on published $/1M tokens.
Qwen 3 Max is estimated to save $244.20/month ($2,930/year).
Higher SWE-bench (70.1%).
Lower output list price ($3.9/1M).
Lower TTFT (240 ms).
Larger window (1M).
Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Claude Sonnet 4.5).
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | Claude Sonnet 4.5 | Higher SWE-bench (70.1%). |
| High-volume chat | Qwen 3 Max | Lower output list price ($3.9/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | Claude Sonnet 4.5 | Lower TTFT (240 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | Claude Sonnet 4.5 | Larger window (1M). |
| Screenshots / vision | Claude Sonnet 4.5 | Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Claude Sonnet 4.5). |
Closed flagship. Strong math. Compare to Sol and Opus on GPQA and SWE-bench, not on brand heat.
Most of Opus 4.5 coding at a mid-tier price. Sonnet 5 replaced it as the buy; 4.5 remains a compare baseline.
Sep 2025 open-weight mixture-of-experts. Self-host path. Don’t confuse it with Qwen 3 Max.
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The real PNG is generated at /compare/claude-sonnet-4-5-vs-qwen-3-max/opengraph-image for crawlers.
Verified head-to-head card
