AI Compare · AI tools
Qwen Chat: plans, prices, strengths and limits
Qwen Chat, Alibaba's AI assistant, is free on the web, iOS, Android, macOS and Windows, with no published usage limits. Its Service Agreement describes paid subscription tiers, but no public page lists their names or US prices.
Prices for United States, before sales tax Data release 2026.11.07-2, Nov 7, 2026 Rules 2.5.0
- Made by
- Alibaba Cloud (Qwen)
- Individual plans
- 1, one free
- Paid plans
- Not verified
- Facts checked
- Nov 4, 2026
Quick verdict
Qwen Chat is a free assistant from Alibaba Cloud, powered by Qwen series models; Qwen's flagship list names Qwen3.8-Max and Qwen3.8-Flash, but which models the chat offers is shown only in the app. The feature list is broad for a free plan: real-time web search, Deep Research reports, image generation and editing with Qwen VLo, video generation, voice conversations in the mobile app, Web Dev, which builds a webpage from a plain-language prompt, and a Memory feature. Qwen publishes no usage limits for any of them.
There is nothing to buy on a public page. Qwen's Service Agreement, effective September 10, 2026, describes paid subscription tiers with usage allowances billed by Apple, Google or Stripe, but no official public page lists the tier names or US prices, so check the subscription screen in the app.
The decisive limit is use. The Service Agreement says "The Services are for private and non-commercial use only", even though it assigns Output rights to you, so Qwen does not fit client work or products you sell. Model training is opt-out by email to privacy@qwen.com, not by a setting. This verdict rests on what Qwen documents, not on our tests, which we have not run yet.
Strengths and limits
Strengths
- Free on five platformsQwen Chat is free on the web, iOS, Android, macOS and Windows, and Qwen publishes no usage limit. The desktop app lets you chat about email, screenshots, files and anything on your screen.
- Deep Research and web searchQwen can search the internet in real time, and Deep Research runs multi-step web searches and delivers a report. No page states whether answers show links to their sources.
- Images and video in the same chatQwen VLo generates images from scratch, modifies images, transfers styles and combines elements, and Video Generation is listed as a Qwen Chat feature. No limits are stated for either.
- Webpages from a descriptionWeb Dev turns a plain-language description into a complete, ready-to-use webpage with its code. Shared pages appear under chat.qwen.ai links, though no page describes publishing to a live address.
- Voice and memoryThe mobile app offers voice conversations and questions about photos, and a Memory feature retains details from your conversations for future responses.
Limits
- Private and non-commercial use onlyDocumented as not offered: the Service Agreement says "The Services are for private and non-commercial use only", even though Output rights are assigned to you. That rules out client work and products you sell.
- Paid tiers with no public pricesNot verified. The Service Agreement describes paid subscription tiers with usage allowances, billed by Apple, Google or Stripe, but no official public page lists their names or US prices, and no page gives the free plan's limits.
- Training opt-out by email onlyPrivacy limit. You opt out of model training by emailing privacy@qwen.com, and Feedback you give is still used. There is no setting described for it.
- An old feature listNot verified. The qwen.ai feature list, covering Image Edit, Web Dev, Artifacts, Deep Research and Video Generation, is dated March 28, 2025, and no page gives per-feature limits or a context window for Qwen Chat.
- Only Qwen's own modelsDocumented as not offered: models from other companies. Coding tools such as Qwen Code and Qwen Coder are separate developer products, and no page says they come with a Qwen Chat account.
Based on what Alibaba Cloud (Qwen) documents for each plan, not on our tests.
Who it suits
A good fit if you
- Personal research with Deep Research reports at no cost
- Making and editing images for personal projects
- Drafting a simple webpage from a description with Web Dev
- Using one free assistant on phone, web and desktop
Look elsewhere if you
- Commercial work: the Service Agreement allows private and non-commercial use only
- Comparing paid plans: no public page lists tier names or US prices
- Opting out of training with a setting: it is by email only
- Choosing models from other companies: Qwen series models only
Plans and prices
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qwen (free) | Free | Nov 4, 2026 |
Prices for United States, before sales tax unless a plan says otherwise. A yearly plan is paid up front and is not cancel-any-time.
Features by plan
What Alibaba Cloud (Qwen) documents for each plan. A hatched mark means we could not verify it, which is not the same as "not offered".
| Feature | Qwen (free) |
|---|---|
| Models and limits | |
| Top models included | Yes |
| Context window | Unclear |
| Models from several companies | No |
| General-purpose assistant | Yes |
| Research and sources | |
| Web search with sources | Yes |
| Deep research reports | Yes |
| Research paper search | Unclear |
| Files and data | |
| File and document uploads | Yes |
| Spreadsheet and data analysis | Unclear |
| Coding | |
| Coding agent | Unclear |
| Works in your code editor | Unclear |
| Code completions as you type | Unclear |
| Background coding agent | Unclear |
| Pull request review | Unclear |
| Images, video and voice | |
| Image generation | Yes |
| Video generation | Yes |
| Real-time voice | Yes |
| Image editing and design | |
| Photo editing | Yes |
| Background removal | Unclear |
| Text inside images | Unclear |
| Logo maker | Unclear |
| Vector (SVG) files | Unclear |
| Upscaling | Unclear |
| Diagrams from text | Unclear |
| Video editing and presenters | |
| Photo to video | Unclear |
| Footage editing | Not applicable |
| Avatar presenters | Not applicable |
| Lip sync | Not applicable |
| Automatic captions | Not applicable |
| Clips from long videos | Not applicable |
| Exports without a watermark | Unclear |
| App building and hosting | |
| Apps from a description | Yes |
| Hosting and publishing | Unclear |
| Custom domain | Unclear |
| Database and sign-in | Unclear |
| Code export | Unclear |
| Music, voice and transcription | |
| Songs with vocals | Not applicable |
| Instrumental music | Not applicable |
| Separate stems | Not applicable |
| Voiceover from text | Unclear |
| Voice cloning | Unclear |
| Dubbing into other languages | Unclear |
| Sound effects | Not applicable |
| Transcription | Unclear |
| Meeting notes | Unclear |
| Dictation into any app | Unclear |
| Writing and slides | |
| Slides from a prompt | Unclear |
| Grammar and spelling checks | Yes |
| Paraphrasing and tone changes | Yes |
| Projects and memory | |
| Projects | Unclear |
| Custom assistants | Unclear |
| Memory across chats | Yes |
| Integrations and agents | |
| Connectors to other apps | Unclear |
| Inside Gmail | Unclear |
| Inside Google Docs | Unclear |
| Inside Google Sheets | Unclear |
| Inside Word | Unclear |
| Inside Excel | Unclear |
| Inside PowerPoint | Unclear |
| Inside Outlook | Unclear |
| Browser agent | Unclear |
| Privacy and control | |
| Opt out of model training | Yes |
| Export your data | Yes |
| Shows ads | Unclear |
| Rights and licensing | |
| Commercial use of outputs | No |
| Apps and extras | |
| Cloud storage included | Unclear |
| Apps | Yes |
| Usage included | Yes |
The details and sources of every row are in Compare two AIs and the data release.
What it documents for each use
- Research & Search Research a question with sources that hold up · Check claims against reliable sources · Get a research report from many sources · Summarize a report with traceable facts
- Writing & Content Edit an email without losing a detail · Edit an article without changing its facts · Draft long pieces that stay consistent · Write ads, posts and short copy · Fix grammar and tone in my writing
- Images & Design Create images from a description · Make graphics for posts and slides · Edit my own photos
- Coding & Development Get help with code questions · Diagnose and repair a small program · Build an app without writing code
- Video & Animation Make short videos from a description
- Audio & Voice Talk it through by voice
A use is listed when at least one plan documents every feature a task needs. Answer quality is a separate question: see below.
Using it day to day
Qwen Chat runs on the web and in apps for iOS, Android, macOS and Windows. The mobile app adds voice conversations and questions about photos; the desktop app lets you chat about email, screenshots, files and anything on your screen. Which Qwen models you can pick is shown only in the app; Qwen's API lists a 1,000,000 token context for Qwen3.8-Max, but no page states the context window in Qwen Chat.
Usage is free with no published limit, and no page gives limits per feature for image generation, video generation, Deep Research or file uploads. The Service Agreement describes paid tiers with allowances, billed by Apple, Google or Stripe; look for them in the app's subscription screen. Whether generated videos carry a watermark, and whether video generation can start from your own image, are not verified.
Privacy, data and ads
Qwen's privacy policy says you may opt out of model training by notifying Qwen at privacy@qwen.com; Feedback you submit is still used. Memory retains details from your conversations for future responses. You can request a copy of the personal data Qwen holds about you, and data portability, by contacting Qwen; no in-app download is described. Whether Qwen Chat shows ads is not verified; the privacy policy covers ads for Qwen on third-party platforms. The provider is Alibaba Cloud, so read Qwen's privacy policy before you upload anything confidential.
Read the vendor's own page: Qwen Chat privacy and data controls. We make no legal or compliance claim.
Test results
We have not tested Qwen Chat yet, so this page makes no claim about answer quality, and we show no example outputs. Run the same kit in it and in the alternatives, in your own account:
- Summarize a report with traceable facts
- Analyze a spreadsheet and get the numbers right
- Edit an email without losing a detail
- Diagnose and repair a small program
- Research a question with sources that support the answer
- Make sense of documents that disagree
- Research a current question within a date window
- Edit an article without changing its facts
- Turn project notes into a report that agrees with itself
- Implement a small specification
- Refactor code without changing what it does
- Make a picture that follows a detailed brief
- Put exact text into a graphic
- Change one thing in a picture and nothing else
- Make a short clip that follows a brief
- Make a song that sings your lyrics exactly
- Read a script with names, numbers and abbreviations
- Design a logo with an exact name
Getting started
- Open Qwen Chat on the web or in the app for your phone or computer. There is no public paid plan to choose.
- If you do not want your chats used for training, email privacy@qwen.com to opt out before you share anything personal.
- Use Qwen only for private, non-commercial work, as its Service Agreement requires.
- Try Deep Research, an image and a Web Dev page on a task you know, and check the results yourself.
- Compare Qwen with other free assistants on our tools page, and read how we check vendor claims.
Your fit
Tell Find my AI what you do and what matters; it checks every plan of Qwen Chat against your priorities, next to the alternatives.
Alternatives
- DeepSeek DeepSeek is also free with no published caps, and its Terms assign rights in Outputs to you and allow derivative product development, with a training opt-out setting rather than an email. About DeepSeek
- ChatGPT ChatGPT Free includes web search, limited deep research and limited data analysis, and OpenAI's terms assign you its rights in Output on every plan, though ads may appear on Free. About ChatGPT
- Gemini Gemini's free plan includes Deep Research and Canvas, which builds apps and web pages from a prompt, and Google's terms say Google won't claim ownership of generated content. About Gemini
Recent changes
- Qwen (free) added
Every change is in the change log.
Questions
Is Qwen free?
Yes. Qwen Chat is free on the web, iOS, Android, macOS and Windows, and Qwen publishes no usage limits.
How much does Qwen cost?
Nothing on any public page. Qwen's Service Agreement describes paid subscription tiers with usage allowances, billed by Apple, Google or Stripe, but no official page lists their names or US prices; check the subscription screen in the app.
Can I use Qwen for commercial work?
No. Qwen's Service Agreement says "The Services are for private and non-commercial use only", even though it assigns Output rights to you.
Can Qwen generate images and videos?
Yes. Qwen VLo generates and edits images, and Video Generation is listed as a Qwen Chat feature. Qwen states no limits for either, and whether videos carry a watermark is not verified.
Does Qwen train on my chats?
You can opt out of model training by emailing privacy@qwen.com. Feedback you submit is still used, and no in-app setting for the opt-out is described.
Sources
5 official pages, checked Nov 4, 2026. This page was written by the What the tech desk with AI assistance from the facts in our data release; no company paid for or reviewed it.
- https://qwen.ai/apiplatform
- QwenAlibaba Cloud (Qwen)
- Qwen Service AgreementAlibaba Cloud (Qwen)
- Download QwenAlibaba Cloud (Qwen)
- Qwen Privacy PolicyAlibaba Cloud (Qwen)
About this page
- Published by
- What the tech, Helsinki, Finland
- Author
- What the tech
- Reviewed by
- Peyman Khosravani
- Review scope
- Checked that this page matches the facts in data release 2026.11.07-2: a check against documented sources, not a hands-on test of the product.
- Evidence
- Facts documented by each company, each linked to its official source and dated. Test results appear only where an editor ran the test.
- Data release
- 2026.11.07-2, Nov 7, 2026
Product ownership is separate from publication: What the tech publishes this page; Alibaba Cloud (Qwen) supplies Qwen Chat. Official Qwen Chat website. Product names and logos do not imply endorsement of this publication.