Criterion Google GeminiQwen Chat
CategoryAI Chatbots & AssistantsAI Chatbots & Assistants
In one sentenceGoogle's AI assistant, bundled with Google One storage and Workspace apps on paid Google AI plans.Alibaba's free Qwen assistant on web and mobile, with Qwen models also sold per token through Alibaba Cloud Model Studio.
Problem it solvesPuts an AI assistant inside the Google apps people already use, with options for image and video creation.Provides a free general-purpose assistant and a separate low-cost model API for developers.
Free planYesYes
Developer APIYes — docsYes — docs
Open sourceNoNo
PlatformsWeb, Android, iOS, Gmail/Docs/Vids (paid)Web, iOS, Android
Pricing (summary)Gemini is free with a Google Account. Google AI Plus is $4.99/month, AI Pro $19.99/month and AI Ultra starts at $99.99/month (with a $199.99 tier). Gemini Enterprise for businesses is $21 or $30 per seat per month.
Checked 2026-10-23
Qwen's site describes the Qwen Chat app as free. API usage is billed per 1M tokens through Alibaba Cloud Model Studio, with a 1M-token free quota for 90 days in the international (Singapore) region.
Checked 2026-10-23
Strengths
  • Strong free tier
  • Storage bundled with paid plans
  • Free API tier for Flash models
  • Free consumer app
  • Cheap flash-tier API
  • Long context on flagship models
Limitations
  • Free plan uses the Flash-Lite model
  • Annual prices not shown on the subscriptions page
  • Some features limited to select countries
  • Default app model not documented on pages checked
  • App usage limits not published
  • API free quota only in the Singapore region and for 90 days