Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 16, 2026
This page compares Claude Sonnet 4 (Anthropic) and Qwen 3 Max (Alibaba) using the latest snapshots we have as of Aug 16, 2026. On preference Elo, Qwen 3 Max is ahead by 63 points (1,518 vs 1,455; seed-bootstrap (Aug 1, 2026)). On SWE-bench coding, Qwen 3 Max resolves 67.8% versus 62.8% (seed-bootstrap (Aug 1, 2026)). Claude Sonnet 4 streams faster (92 tok/s) while Qwen 3 Max is the cheaper output token ($3.9/1M). Claude Sonnet 4 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 4First Sonnet 4 generation. Bridge between 3.5/3.7 and Sonnet 5.
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.
63 pts advantage
12 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 (67.8%).
Lower output list price ($3.9/1M).
Lower TTFT (220 ms).
Larger window (1M).
Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Qwen 3 Max).
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | Qwen 3 Max | Higher SWE-bench (67.8%). |
| High-volume chat | Qwen 3 Max | Lower output list price ($3.9/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | Claude Sonnet 4 | Lower TTFT (220 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | Claude Sonnet 4 | Larger window (1M). |
| Screenshots / vision | Qwen 3 Max | Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (Qwen 3 Max). |
Closed flagship. Strong math. Compare to Sol and Opus on GPQA and SWE-bench, not on brand heat.
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-vs-qwen-3-max/opengraph-image for crawlers.
Verified head-to-head card
