Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 16, 2026
This page compares GPT-5 mini (OpenAI) and Qwen3.8 27B (Alibaba) using the latest snapshots we have as of Aug 16, 2026. On preference Elo, GPT-5 mini is ahead by 12 points (1,410 vs 1,398; seed-bootstrap (Aug 1, 2026)). On SWE-bench coding, Qwen3.8 27B resolves 58.8% versus 52.4% (seed-bootstrap (Aug 16, 2026)). GPT-5 mini streams faster (155 tok/s) while GPT-5 mini is the cheaper output token ($2/1M). GPT-5 mini has the larger context window (400k 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.
Alibaba
Qwen3.8 27BAlibaba open-weight 27B drop dated Aug 14 2026. Dense enough to self-host; not a frontier MoE.
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.
12 pts advantage
3 tok/s faster
$1.20/1M cheaper
Simulate monthly production API costs based on published $/1M tokens.
GPT-5 mini is estimated to save $25.00/month ($300/year).
Higher SWE-bench (58.8%).
Lower output list price ($2/1M).
Lower TTFT (140 ms).
Larger window (400k).
GPT-5 mini is the side marked multimodal in the catalog.
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | Qwen3.8 27B | Higher SWE-bench (58.8%). |
| High-volume chat | GPT-5 mini | Lower output list price ($2/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | GPT-5 mini | Lower TTFT (140 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | GPT-5 mini | Larger window (400k). |
| Screenshots / vision | GPT-5 mini | GPT-5 mini is the side marked multimodal in the catalog. |
Alibaba open-weight 27B drop. Local/open-weight lists should see it. It will not win frontier-agents.
High-volume agents that cannot pay Sol. Compare to Luna before you assume the new cheap SKU wins.
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The real PNG is generated at /compare/gpt-5-mini-vs-qwen-3-8-27b/opengraph-image for crawlers.
Verified head-to-head card