Llama 4 405B vs Qwen 3 Max for creative writing: which is better in 2026?

A head-to-head look at Llama 4 405B and Qwen 3 Max for creative writing. Benchmarks via artificialanalysis.ai, pricing as of May 2026. Compare AI models like these inside Admix.

Quick verdict

For creative writing in May 2026, Qwen 3 Max edges out Llama 4 405B on the intelligenceIndex metric. Strong open-source alternative.

Side-by-side specs

Spec	Llama	Qwen
Intelligence index	71.5	72.1
Coding index	69.0	71.0
Context window	256K tokens	1M tokens
Speed (tok/s)	95	130
Input $/M	$0.90	$0.50
Output $/M	$2.70	$2.00
Released	Nov 5, 2025	Feb 28, 2026

How they handle creative writing

Llama 4 405B: Best fully open-weights model. The main caveat is trails closed flagships on coding.

Qwen 3 Max: Strong open-source alternative. The main caveat is less polished english writing.

Cost per 1,000 queries

Assuming 1,500 input and 800 output tokens per query:

Llama 4 405B: $3.51 per 1,000 queries
Qwen 3 Max: $2.35 per 1,000 queries

Verdict by sub-task

Best raw quality on creative writing:
Best price: Qwen 3 Max
Longest context: Qwen 3 Max
Fastest: Qwen 3 Max

FAQ

Is Llama 4 405B better than Qwen 3 Max for creative writing?

On May 2026 benchmarks (artificialanalysis.ai), Qwen 3 Max ranks higher than Llama 4 405B for creative writing on the intelligenceIndex metric. The gap is small enough that the choice often comes down to price, context length, and tone.

Which is cheaper, Llama 4 405B or Qwen 3 Max?

Llama 4 405B costs $0.90 input and $2.70 output per million tokens. Qwen 3 Max costs $0.50 input and $2.00 output per million tokens.

Can I use both Llama and Qwen in one app?

Yes. Admix is a multi model AI chat aggregator that lets you run Llama 4 405B and Qwen 3 Max side by side under one subscription.

Sources

Benchmarks from artificialanalysis.ai (May 2026).

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