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Head-to-head comparison

GPT-5.3-Codex vs Qwen3.8 Max

GPT-5.3-Codex (OpenAI) and Qwen3.8 Max (Qwen) compared on the ModelCap Index, API price, context window, provider availability, weight access and every public benchmark board they share. Figures are the same ones shown on the live rankings; nothing here is a hidden score.

Snapshot as of 17 August 2026

As of 17 August 2026, Qwen3.8 Max holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#5 vs #20); Qwen3.8 Max is 2.3× cheaper per output token ($6.00/1M vs $14.00/1M); and Qwen3.8 Max offers the longer context window (1M vs 400K tokens).

Which should you choose?

Choose GPT-5.3-Codex if…

  • your workload is prompt-heavy — input tokens cost $1.75/1M against $2.00/1M.
  • you want provider choice — 2 listed API providers against 1.

Choose Qwen3.8 Max if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #5 against #20 (80.5 vs 66.4 points).
  • API cost matters — $6.00/1M output tokens against $14.00/1M, about 2.3× cheaper.
  • you need the longer context window — 1M tokens against 400K.
  • Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index is your yardstick — 58.1 against 45.5.
  • you want the more recently listed model — Qwen3.8 Max was listed 3 August 2026, GPT-5.3-Codex 24 February 2026.

GPT-5.3-Codex vs Qwen3.8 Max: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of GPT-5.3-Codex and Qwen3.8 Max
FieldGPT-5.3-CodexOpenAIQwen3.8 MaxQwen
ModelCap Index position#20#5
Index score66.480.5
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokens$1.75$2.00
Output price / 1M tokens$14.00$6.00
Context window400K tokens1M tokens
Max output tokens128K131K
API providers listed21
Weight accessAPI onlyAPI only
Input modalitiesText, Image, FileText, Image, Video
First listed24 February 20263 August 2026
PublisherOpenAIQwen

Evidence: 1 public benchmark observation across 1 board · 4 public benchmark observations across 4 boards. Prices are the lowest listed API offer per million tokens observed on the OpenRouter catalogue.

Benchmark scores: GPT-5.3-Codex vs Qwen3.8 Max

Public benchmark boards where GPT-5.3-Codex or Qwen3.8 Max has a published result
BoardGPT-5.3-CodexQwen3.8 MaxLeads
Arena codingArena (LMArena)—15291516–1542Only one result
LMArena AgentLMArena—7.6%6.0%–9.2%Only one result
Artificial Analysis Intelligence IndexArtificial Analysis45.5intelligence-index58.1intelligence-indexQwen3.8 Max

Scores are the sources' own published figures for each model's best evaluated configuration; ModelCap never re-runs a benchmark.

Want a different pairing? Open the interactive comparison tool to swap either model for any current ranked language model.

GPT-5.3-Codex vs Qwen3.8 Max: common questions

Is GPT-5.3-Codex better than Qwen3.8 Max?

Qwen3.8 Max ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 17 August 2026: #5 against #20. That is a capability ranking built from public benchmark evidence with published uncertainty; whether it is "better" for you also depends on price, context and where you can run it.

Is GPT-5.3-Codex cheaper than Qwen3.8 Max?

Qwen3.8 Max is cheaper on output tokens: $6.00/1M against $14.00/1M. Input tokens are $1.75/1M for GPT-5.3-Codex and $2.00/1M for Qwen3.8 Max. Prices are the lowest listed API offer ModelCap observed, in USD per million tokens.

Which has the bigger context window, GPT-5.3-Codex or Qwen3.8 Max?

Qwen3.8 Max has the larger context window: 1M tokens against 400K.

Which is better for coding, GPT-5.3-Codex or Qwen3.8 Max?

The two models do not share a coding benchmark board on ModelCap yet, so no head-to-head coding score is published; the ModelCap Index position is the closest overall signal.

Are GPT-5.3-Codex and Qwen3.8 Max open-weight models?

GPT-5.3-Codex: API only. Qwen3.8 Max: API only. Open weights mean the checkpoint can be downloaded and self-hosted under its licence; API-only models are available solely through hosted endpoints.

Where can I run GPT-5.3-Codex and Qwen3.8 Max?

ModelCap currently lists 2 API providers for GPT-5.3-Codex and 1 for Qwen3.8 Max, from the OpenRouter catalogue snapshot the site serves; each model page lists the providers and their prices.

How current is this GPT-5.3-Codex vs Qwen3.8 Max comparison?

Every figure comes from the sealed ModelCap dataset published 17 August 2026; the page re-renders within a minute of each data refresh, and the ModelCap Index positions are the same ones shown on the live rankings.

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