Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 1, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, Llama 4 Maverick delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,468 vs 1,440), while Qwen3 235B leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (59.4%), while Llama 4 Maverick is more budget-friendly at $0.6/1M per 1M output tokens. Review the complete breakdown below to determine which model best fits your performance and budget requirements.
9 direct benchmark disciplines evaluated across capability, speed, and cost
Meta natively multimodal open-weight flagship.
Open-weight Qwen3 mixture-of-experts.
Currently comparing Llama 4 Maverick vs Qwen3 235B. Alternative family tiers available.
Δ 28 Arena Elo pts
130 tok/s
$0.6 / 1M output
Relative percentile scores computed across all active models in the benchmark catalog.
Comparing top Western standard models with China's leading frontier rival across 6 skill dimensions. Tap any spoke or dot to inspect.
Category wins across reasoning intelligence, generation speed, and token cost.
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
| Benchmark | Llama 4 Maverick | Qwen3 235B | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +28 | ||
| Coding Elo | — | — | |
| LiveBench | +0.7% | ||
| SWE-bench | +2.3% | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +2.2% | ||
| Time to first token | +150 ms | ||
| Output speed | 130 tok/s | 74 tok/s | +56 tok/s |
| Input price | $0.2/1M | $0.22/1M | +$0.02/1M |
| Output price | $0.6/1M | $0.88/1M | +$0.28/1M |
| Context window | +918k |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
Llama 4 Maverick is estimated to save $4.90/month ($59/year).
Higher SWE-bench (59.4%).
Lower output list price ($0.6/1M).
Lower TTFT (170 ms).
Larger window (1M).
Llama 4 Maverick is the side marked multimodal in the catalog.
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | Qwen3 235B | Higher SWE-bench (59.4%). |
| High-volume chat | Llama 4 Maverick | Lower output list price ($0.6/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | Llama 4 Maverick | Lower TTFT (170 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | Llama 4 Maverick | Larger window (1M). |
| Screenshots / vision | Llama 4 Maverick | Llama 4 Maverick is the side marked multimodal in the catalog. |
Hub remaps to top Meta vs top Anthropic Elo. Usually Maverick vs Opus 5.
Apr 2026. The Llama vs Claude hub uses the top Meta Elo row — usually Maverick.
Sep 2025 open-weight mixture-of-experts. Self-host path. Don’t confuse it with Qwen 3 Max.
Dec 2024 instruct 70B. Still a self-host baseline. Llama 4 is the 2026 buy.
No comments posted on this matchup yet. Be the first to share an evaluation note!
Dynamic OpenGraph banner generated at /compare/llama-4-maverick-vs-qwen-3-235b/opengraph-image
Verified Head-to-Head Telemetry
compare · Apr 9, 2026
Llama vs Claude: open-weight Meta versus the Anthropic crown
launch · Apr 8, 2026
Llama 4 Maverick: Meta’s natively multimodal open-weight flagship
launch · Sep 20, 2025
Qwen3 235B: the open MoE Qwen, not the Max SKU
launch · Dec 6, 2024
Llama 3.3 70B stays as the previous Meta 70B workhorse