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Qwen3-Max

Alibaba · Qwen3

Alibaba's top Qwen API model for high-end multilingual reasoning, coding, and enterprise assistant workloads.

Type
language
Context
262K tokens
Max Output
33K tokens
Status
current
Input
$1.2/1M tok
Output
$6/1M tok
API Access
Yes
License
proprietary
reasoning multilingual tool-use enterprise coding agentic
Released January 2026 · Updated February 15, 2026

Overview

Freshness note: Model capabilities, limits, and pricing can change quickly. This profile is a point-in-time snapshot last verified on February 15, 2026.

Qwen3-Max is Alibaba Cloud’s flagship API model in the Qwen3 family. It is positioned as the highest-capability option for production tasks that need stronger reasoning, richer instruction following, and better multilingual behavior than lighter Qwen tiers.

For teams targeting APAC-heavy deployments or bilingual/multilingual assistants, Qwen3-Max is one of the most important current models to track.

Capabilities

Qwen3-Max is strongest in:

  • Complex reasoning and long-form analytical tasks.
  • Strong Chinese-English multilingual performance.
  • Coding and technical support workflows.
  • Enterprise assistants that need tool integration and structured outputs.
  • Domain-specific adaptation through prompt and retrieval design.

It is commonly used as a premium route, with smaller Qwen variants handling bulk traffic.

Technical Details

Alibaba Cloud model docs list for Qwen3-Max:

  • Up to 262,144 token context.
  • Up to 32,768 output tokens in thinking mode (with higher non-thinking output limits in some configs).
  • Distinct pricing and token limits by mode and deployment route.
  • API-first availability through DashScope/Alibaba Cloud model services.

Because mode settings can affect both output limits and pricing, production routing should make model mode explicit rather than implicit. This model is also commonly evaluated in bilingual benchmark suites because mode and prompt strategy can affect Chinese and English quality differently.

Pricing & Access

Representative international pricing (per 1M tokens, <=32K input tier):

  • Input: $1.20
  • Output: $6.00

Higher input-length tiers and mode variations can change effective cost.

Access paths:

  • Alibaba Cloud DashScope / Model Studio APIs
  • Related managed deployment surfaces in Alibaba Cloud ecosystems

For predictable cost, teams should enforce context caps and separate lightweight routes from premium routes.

Best Use Cases

Use Qwen3-Max when you need:

  • High-quality Chinese-English reasoning in one model.
  • Production-grade technical support assistants.
  • Complex agent steps that need stronger planner behavior.
  • Better multilingual output quality than lower-tier options.

For simple summarization or classification at very high volume, smaller Qwen models are usually more efficient. A practical deployment pattern is to use Qwen3-Max as the escalation tier after cheaper models fail confidence checks or structured-output validation.

Comparisons

  • DeepSeek-Reasoner (DeepSeek): DeepSeek is often cheaper for pure reasoning throughput; Qwen3-Max is broader for multilingual and enterprise assistant coverage.
  • GPT-5 (OpenAI): GPT-5 offers strong global ecosystem support; Qwen3-Max can be attractive for regional deployment and Chinese-language excellence.
  • Claude Opus 4.6 (Anthropic): Opus is a premium enterprise benchmark for difficult tasks; Qwen3-Max is competitive where multilingual regional performance and Alibaba cloud alignment are priorities.