Can I run GPT-4o mini or Qwen VL Plus cheaper on another provider?

Some models are available on inference providers like Together AI, Groq, and Fireworks AI at lower prices. Check each model's pricing page for the full provider comparison.

What is the context window difference between GPT-4o mini and Qwen VL Plus?

GPT-4o mini has a larger context window at 128K tokens vs 8K. This matters for long documents, large codebases, and extended conversation histories.

Compare

GPT-4o mini vs Qwen VL Plus

Pricing is only the shared seller matrix below. Best rates and catalog map are separate sections, so no chart is embedded in pricing. Open the calculator for the same workload on each side.

OpenAIGPT-4

Model

GPT-4o mini

Image inputTool calling

Best $0.150 in · $0.600 out

Context window 128K

Pricing

AlibabaQwen

Model

Qwen VL Plus

Image input

Best $0.137 in · $0.409 out

Context window 8K

Pricing

Qwen VL Plus is cheaper across the board — 8% cheaper on input and 31% cheaper on output.

Estimate cost

Pricing matrix

Shared sellers only. Each row is a host that lists both models. Dollar amounts are per 1M tokens. Lowest in each pair of columns is emphasized.

Provider	GPT-4o mini in	GPT-4o mini out	Qwen VL Plus in	Qwen VL Plus out
Azure	$0.150	$0.600	N/A	N/A
Github Copilot	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Gmi	$0.150	$0.600	N/A	N/A
OpenAI	$0.150	$0.600	N/A	N/A
Openrouter	$0.150	$0.600	$0.137	$0.409
Replicate	$0.150	$0.600	N/A	N/A
Vercel Ai Gateway	$0.150	$0.600	N/A	N/A

Best listed rates (this pair)

Same "best row in current pricing" logic as model pages: a compact view of the lowest input and output we show for each side. This is not the seller matrix.

Catalog map · OpenAI · Alibaba

Each chart uses real catalog rows that include both list input and list output ($/1M). Larger green dots are the models on this comparison page; accent dots are other active models from that provider.

OpenAI · input vs output

Scatter chart: X = input $/M, Y = output $/M. This page's models are labeled on the green dots; hover others for detail.

ListedoutputUSD/1M

One dot per catalog row that has both list prices. Green dots are labeled with the models on this page; hover any dot for name and prices. Upper-right means higher cost on both axes ($/1M).

Alibaba · input vs output

ListedoutputUSD/1M

One dot per catalog row that has both list prices. Green dots are labeled with the models on this page; hover any dot for name and prices. Upper-right means higher cost on both axes ($/1M).

Specifications

Each column header is the full model name. Tint marks the favorable value where we compute a winner.

Spec

GPT-4o mini

Qwen VL Plus

Context window: 128,000 tokens; 8,192 tokens
Max output tokens: 16,384 tokens; 2,048 tokens
Vision: Yes; Yes
Function calling: Yes; No
Streaming: Yes; No
Release date: Jul 2024; Feb 2025

Cost calculator

Same requests, input tokens, and output tokens for both columns. Pick the provider row that matches how you buy.

GPT-4o mini

Qwen VL Plus

Requests / day

Input tokens

Output tokens

GPT-4o mini

Monthly

$0.0000

Annual

$0.0000

Qwen VL Plus

Monthly

$102

Annual

$1.2K

Save $102/month with GPT-4o mini

When to pick which

Short takeaways: no cards, just the points. Validate with your own workloads.

Long-context tasks
Use GPT-4o mini. Its 128K context window handles large codebases and documents better than 8K.
High-volume text generation
Use Qwen VL Plus. Output tokens are 31% cheaper, which compounds significantly at scale.
Long output (reports, code files)
Use GPT-4o mini. Its 16K max output limit reduces the need to split requests.

Frequently asked questions

Qwen VL Plus is cheaper on both input and output tokens.

More comparisons

Other popular head-to-head matchups.