Qwen 3 235B-A22BvsLlama 4 Maverick 400B
Complete comparison between Qwen 3 235B-A22B (235B parameters, Alibaba) and Llama 4 Maverick 400B (400B, Meta). VRAM required by quantization, tokens per second measured on 4 reference GPUs, verdict by use case, license, installation commands. All figures are calculated from catalog data — no copy-pasting between pages.
In brief
| Feature | Qwen 3 235B-A22B | Llama 4 Maverick 400B |
|---|---|---|
| Settings | 235B | 400B |
| Family | Qwen | Llama |
| Author | Alibaba | Meta |
| Origin | CN | US |
| License | Apache 2.0 | Llama 4 Community |
| Context | 131,072 tokens | 1,000,000 tokens |
| Output | April 2025 | April 2025 |
Memory footprint
Approximate VRAM required for inference with an average context window. The winner (in green) is the model that uses less — smaller models have the edge.
| Quantization | Qwen 3 235B-A22B | Llama 4 Maverick 400B |
|---|---|---|
| Q4_K_M (lightweight) | 142 GB | 240 GB |
| Q5_K_M (balanced) | 170 GB | 285 GB |
| Q8 (near-lossless) | 250 GB | 425 GB |
| FP16 (max quality) | 470 GB | 800 GB |
| CPU-only RAM | 160 GB | 280 GB |
Estimated speed (tokens/second)
Estimates based on the best quantization that can fit on each GPU. Actual figures depend on the prompt, context, and engine (llama.cpp, vLLM, MLX). Methodology.
| Reference GPU | Qwen 3 235B-A22B | Llama 4 Maverick 400B |
|---|---|---|
| RTX 4090 (24 GB) | ✗ too heavy | ✗ too heavy |
| RTX 4080 (16 GB) | ✗ too heavy | ✗ too heavy |
| RTX 3060 12GB (12 GB) | ✗ too heavy | ✗ too heavy |
| Apple M4 Pro (48 GB) (36 GB) | ✗ too heavy | ✗ too heavy |
Verdict by use case
For each common use case, we indicate which of the two is better suited based on its tags, size, and specialization.
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Strengths and weaknesses
Qwen 3 235B-A22B
235B/22B active MoE (128 experts, 8 active). AIME 2024 85.7, LiveCodeBench 70.7.
- Best open MoE at the time
- Active 22B → fast for its size
- AIME 2024 85.7
- At least 142 GB in Q4
- Multi-GPU deployment or Mac Studio required
Installation
Llama 4 Maverick 400B
400B/17B active MoE (128 experts), natively multimodal. LMArena 1417. 245 GB to download.
- LMArena 1417
- MMLU-Pro 80
- 1M context
- Multimodal
- 245 GB download
- HF gated
- Clause >700M MAU
Installation
Frequently asked questions
Which model runs best on RTX 4090 (24 GB): Qwen 3 235B-A22B or Llama 4 Maverick 400B?
On a RTX 4090, Qwen 3 235B-A22B does not fit in 24 GB — part of it must be offloaded to the CPU; Llama 4 Maverick 400B does not fit in 24 GB either. See the configurator to test your exact GPU.
Which uses the least VRAM?
In Q4_K_M, Qwen 3 235B-A22B fits in 142 GB versus 240 GB for its rival—a 98 GB gap, significant if you are targeting an RTX 3060 or a 4060 Ti 8 GB.
Can these models be used in commercial production?
Qwen 3 235B-A22B is under Apache 2.0 — free for commercial use. Llama 4 Maverick 400B is under Llama 4 Community — also check the terms. For SaaS, prefer Apache 2.0 or MIT.
Which one should you choose in 2026?
Depends on your primary constraint. Smaller / faster: Qwen 3 235B-A22B (235B). More capable: Llama 4 Maverick 400B (400B). If you're unsure, run it configurator with your GPU and use case — it will decide based on both.
Alternatives to consider
If neither works for you, here are some neighboring models you could explore.