This model is deprecated. We only continue performance benchmarking for the default 10k input token workload. Results for other workloads are historical and no longer updated.
Alibaba has launched a newer model, Qwen3 Max Thinking. We suggest considering it instead.
For more information, see comparison of Qwen3 Max Thinking to other models and API provider benchmarks for Qwen3 Max Thinking.
Qwen3 Max API Provider Benchmarking & Analysis
This analysis is intended to support you in choosing the best API provider of Qwen3 Max for your use-case.
Fastest
Novita
Alibaba CloudOutput speed
Total 2 providers
Lowest Latency
Alibaba CloudNovitaTime to first token
Total 2 providers
Lowest Price
Alibaba CloudNovitaBlended price (per 1M tokens)
Total 2 providers
Qwen3 Max is available through 2 API providers, each offering different performance characteristics and pricing. Below is a comparison of the key metrics across providers.
- For output speed, the top providers are Novita (64.8 t/s) and Alibaba Cloud (55.7 t/s).
- For latency, Alibaba Cloud (2.17s) and Novita (3.01s) offer the lowest time to first token.
- For pricing, Alibaba Cloud (1.68) and Novita (2.74) offer the lowest blended prices per 1M tokens.
- Alibaba Cloud offers both the lowest latency and best pricing, making it attractive for cost-conscious applications. Novita is the fastest option for throughput-intensive workloads.
Highlights
Pricing
Pricing: Cache Hit, Input, and Output
Pricing: Blended Price
Output Speed vs. Price
Speed
Measured by Output Speed (tokens per second)
Output Speed: Qwen3 Max
Latency vs. Output Speed
Latency
Measured by Time (seconds) to First Token
Time to First Token
End-to-End Response Time
Seconds to output 500 tokens, calculated based on time to first token, 'thinking' time for reasoning models, and output speed
End-to-End Response Time
Key Comparison Metrics & API Features
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Qwen3 Max providers
Qwen3 Max is available through 2 API providers: Alibaba Cloud and Novita. Each provider offers different performance characteristics and pricing.
Qwen3 Max is currently available through 2 API providers that we benchmark and track.
The fastest providers for Qwen3 Max by output speed are Novita (64.8 t/s) and Alibaba Cloud (55.7 t/s). Output speed measures how quickly tokens are generated after the model starts responding.
The providers with the lowest time to first token for Qwen3 Max are Alibaba Cloud (2.17s) and Novita (3.01s). Lower latency means faster initial response time.
The most affordable providers for Qwen3 Max by blended price are Alibaba Cloud ($1.68 per 1M tokens) and Novita ($2.74 per 1M tokens). Blended price uses a 7:2:1 cache hit/input/output token ratio.
The providers with the lowest input token pricing for Qwen3 Max are Alibaba Cloud ($1.20 per 1M input tokens) and Novita ($2.11 per 1M input tokens).
The providers with the lowest output token pricing for Qwen3 Max are Alibaba Cloud ($6.00 per 1M output tokens) and Novita ($8.45 per 1M output tokens).
Prices for Qwen3 Max vary up to 1.6x across providers. The most affordable is Alibaba Cloud at $1.68 per 1M tokens, while Novita charges $2.74 per 1M tokens.
All 2 providers of Qwen3 Max support JSON mode for structured output.
All 2 providers of Qwen3 Max support function calling (tool use).
The best provider for Qwen3 Max depends on your priorities: Novita offers the highest output speed, Alibaba Cloud has the lowest latency, and Alibaba Cloud provides the most competitive pricing.
When choosing a provider for Qwen3 Max, consider: output speed (for throughput-intensive tasks), latency (for interactive applications requiring quick first responses), pricing (for cost-sensitive workloads), and API features like JSON mode or function calling.
Yes, provider performance can vary over time due to infrastructure changes, load balancing, and updates. We continuously benchmark all providers and display historical performance trends in the "Over Time" charts.
For information about Qwen3 Max's intelligence, capabilities, modalities, and how it compares to other models, see the model overview page. View model overview