Shortlist by what you need
Start here if you know why you are leaving Qwen Chat.
Want the closest match?
Meta AIMost similar to Qwen Chat in what it does, its category and its price.
Visit (opens Meta AI in a new tab)Need a free plan?
DeepSeekHas a free plan, rated 4.5 out of 5.
Visit (opens DeepSeek in a new tab)Want the lowest price?
HuggingChat
From $9/mo, the lowest starting price here.
Visit (opens HuggingChat in a new tab)Want the best rated?
Mistral Le ChatRated 4.4 out of 5 in our review, against 4.3 for Qwen Chat.
Visit (opens Mistral Le Chat in a new tab)
At a glance
Green means better than Qwen Chat, red means worse. Prices are starting prices per month.
| Tool | Our rating | Starts at | Free plan | Best for | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Qwen ChatBaseline | 4.3 | Free | Yes | The consumer face of one of the world's most-downloaded open models | |
| Meta AI | 4.2−0.1 | Free | Yes | Built into Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook by default | vs Qwen Chat |
 ERNIE Bot | 4.1−0.2 | Free | Yes | Repositioned as a search assistant under a new Chinese name | vs Qwen Chat |
| Mistral Le Chat | 4.4+0.1 | $14/mo | Yes | Europe's answer to US and Chinese AI labs | vs Qwen Chat |
 Doubao | 4.2−0.1 | Free | Yes | ByteDance's chatbot, dominant in China the way ChatGPT is in the West | vs Qwen Chat |
 Kimi | 4.3Same | $19/mo | Yes | Moonshot AI's long-context model, with a 2025 coding breakout | vs Qwen Chat |
| HuggingChat | 4.0−0.3 | $9/mo | Yes | A neutral interface for trying open-weight models, not one house model | vs Qwen Chat |
 Nova AI App | 3.2−1.1 | Free | Yes | A mobile AI assistant built on ChatGPT, available across phone, tablet and watch. | vs Qwen Chat |
| DeepSeek | 4.5+0.2 | Free | Yes | The 2025 model that rattled markets with its training cost claims | vs Qwen Chat |
The alternatives in detail
In order of how closely each one matches Qwen Chat.
Meta AI
4.2Free
vs Qwen Chat−0.1
Built into Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook by default.
- Built directly into Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook
- Built on Meta's Llama model family
- In-conversation access within existing chat threads
Unmatched built-in distribution across widely used social apps
Less specialized for professional or technical tasks than dedicated competitors
ERNIE Bot
4.1Free
vs Qwen Chat−0.2
Repositioned as a search assistant under a new Chinese name.
- Built on Baidu's ERNIE model family
- One of the earliest major Chinese ChatGPT competitors
- Rebranded as Wenxiaoyan in China, repositioned as a search assistant
Backed by China's largest search engine and its data advantages
Recent rebranding may cause confusion between old and new naming
Mistral Le Chat
4.4$14/mo
vs Qwen Chat+0.1
Europe's answer to US and Chinese AI labs.
- Built by Europe's leading independent AI lab
- Open-weight model releases alongside proprietary options
- Strong multilingual performance across European languages
Clear alternative for data sovereignty and non-US, non-Chinese AI needs
Smaller consumer feature set than the largest US competitors
Doubao
4.2Free
vs Qwen Chat−0.1
ByteDance's chatbot, dominant in China the way ChatGPT is in the West.
- One of the most widely used chatbots in China
- Backed by ByteDance's existing consumer app distribution
- General chat, image generation, and voice interaction
Massive existing user base through ByteDance's distribution
Primary relevance and user base centers on the Chinese market
Kimi
4.3$19/mo
vs Qwen ChatSame
Moonshot AI's long-context model, with a 2025 coding breakout.
- Unusually long context window for processing lengthy documents
- Kimi K2 model release noted for strong coding and agentic performance
- Open-weight model availability
Long context window handles lengthy documents other models struggle with
Less mature consumer feature set than longer-established Western competitors
HuggingChat
4.0$9/mo
vs Qwen Chat−0.3
A neutral interface for trying open-weight models, not one house model.
- Chat interface for multiple open-weight models
- No single proprietary house model, model-agnostic by design
- Tool integrations for web search and code execution
Genuinely open, model-agnostic design unlike proprietary competitors
Open-weight models can trail top proprietary models on some benchmarks
Nova AI App
3.2Free
vs Qwen Chat−1.1
A mobile AI assistant built on ChatGPT, available across phone, tablet and watch.
- AI assistant powered by an underlying ChatGPT model
- Available across phone, tablet and watch
- Consumer interface requiring no API keys or setup
Broad device coverage including wearables
Depends entirely on an upstream model provider
DeepSeek
4.5Free
vs Qwen Chat+0.2
The 2025 model that rattled markets with its training cost claims.
- Open-weight models available for independent deployment
- Reasoning-focused model variants alongside general chat
- Backed by quantitative hedge fund High-Flyer
Open-weight release allows independent verification and deployment
Data handling and privacy practices warrant independent research given its origin
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is Qwen Chat free?
Qwen Chat has a free plan.
What is the best free alternative to Qwen Chat?
DeepSeek is the highest-rated alternative here with a free plan (4.5 out of 5). Other free options: Mistral Le Chat, Kimi, Meta AI.
What is the cheapest alternative to Qwen Chat?
Among paid plans, HuggingChat has the lowest starting price (from $9/mo). If you need it free, start with DeepSeek.
How did you pick these alternatives?
We match tools on what they do, their category and their price, using the details in our directory. Ratings come from our reviews and reader reviews.