GPT-5.1 Codex vs Qwen 3 Coder Next for coding
GPT-5.1 Codex is the stronger coder of the two on benchmarks, but Qwen 3 Coder Next can be the better pick when cost, speed, or context window matter more. Below: a side-by-side spec table and exactly when to pick each.
At a glance
| Spec | GPT-5.1 Codex | Qwen 3 Coder Next |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | Alibaba |
| Released | Nov 2025 | 2026 |
| SWE-bench Verified | 75% | 60% |
| HumanEval | 95% | 95% |
| MMLU | 88% | 85% |
| Context window | 400K | 256K |
| Max output | 128K | 32K |
| Input price (per 1M) | $1.25 | Free (self-hosted) |
| Output price (per 1M) | $10 | Free (self-hosted) |
| Price tier | Mid | Free |
| Speed | Medium | Standard |
| Hosting | Closed/API | Open-weights |
| Modality | Text + Vision | Text-only |
| Knowledge cutoff | Oct 2025 | 2026 |
Pick GPT-5.1 Codex if…
- It scores higher on SWE-bench Verified (75% vs 60%), the best proxy for real-world coding.
- It has a larger context window (400K vs 256K).
- It's tuned for codex CLI and long-horizon coding agents; engineered for terminal-driven workflows.
Pick Qwen 3 Coder Next if…
- It's cheaper (Free tier vs Mid).
- It's tuned for next-gen open-source coding model optimized for agentic coding and local dev workflows.
GPT-5.1 Codex vs Qwen 3 Coder Next: which is better for coding?
GPT-5.1 Codex is the stronger coder of the two on benchmarks, but Qwen 3 Coder Next can be the better pick when cost, speed, or context window matter more. See the full spec table for SWE-bench, HumanEval, MMLU, context window, and pricing on both. Benchmarks are a directional signal, not a guarantee for your codebase — the most reliable test is running both on a real task you care about.
Compare these head-to-head with live data, or build a full stack around your pick — Flowpicker shows compatibility and monthly cost.
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See the full model leaderboard ranked by SWE-bench, HumanEval, and MMLU.