Qwen Chat by Alibaba

Name: Qwen Chat
Author: Alibaba

Alibaba's AI assistant, designed to handle text, images, audio, and video

Qwen Chat is Alibaba’s AI assistant, designed to handle text, images, audio, and video. As of June 2025, it is powered by the Qwen 2.5 and Qwen 3 models, which are open-source and support 119 languages. This makes it useful for all kinds of tasks, from writing and coding to analyzing media.

Qwen Chat’s multimodal capabilities mean it can generate images and videos, analyze documents, and even understand audio inputs. This broad range of functions positions it as a strong competitor to other AI services like ChatGPT, Claude, and DeepSeek.

One thing to note is that Qwen Chat is really fast, with an average response time of 0.3 seconds — making it suitable for time-sensitive applications. In addition, it’s free to use, providing access to advanced AI capabilities without subscriptions.

When it comes to coding tasks, Qwen Chat can generate code snippets, suggest optimizations, and debug errors. This makes it a valuable tool for developers looking to enhance productivity and reduce development time.

When it comes to business applications, Qwen Chat offers integration with Alibaba Cloud services, allowing for seamless deployment in various workflows. Lastly, the fact that it is open-source nature and can sing along OpenAI’s APIs makes it adaptable to different needs.

Homepage Screenshot 📸

Video Overview 🎬

What are the key features? ✨

Multimodal capabilities: Qwen Chat can process and generate text, images, audio, and video - allowing users to interact with the AI in various formats.
Fast response time: With an average response time of 0.3 seconds, Qwen Chat delivers quick interactions, making it suitable for real-time applications.
Coding assistance: It can generate code, suggest improvements, and debug errors.
Open-source & free: Qwen Chat is open-source and free to use, providing access to advanced AI without subscriptions.
Multilingual support: By supporting 119 languages, Qwen Chat caters to a global audience.

Who is it for? 🤔

Qwen Chat is aimed at a broad audience, including content creators, developers, businesses, and educators. Its multilingual support and multimodal capabilities make it suitable for global users looking for a versatile AI assistant. Plus, its open-source "nature" and free access appeal to individuals and organizations looking for cost-effective AI solutions.

Examples of what you can use it for 💡

Generate articles, social media posts, and marketing materials using Qwen Chat's text generation capabilities
Analyze images and videos, providing insights and summaries
Businesses can deploy Qwen Chat to handle customer inquiries
Students and educators can use Qwen Chat for explanations, tutoring, and generating study materials
Developers can leverage its coding assistance for writing and debugging code

Pros & Cons ⚖️

Multimodal capabilities that span text, images, audio, and video
Quick response times
Offers coding assistance and integrates with existing workflows
Free and open-source!

Other (western) AI assistants are more powerful

FAQs 💬

What models does Qwen Chat support?

It includes Qwen3 series up to 1T parameters, Qwen2.5-Coder for programming, and multimodal variants like Qwen3-Omni.

Is Qwen Chat free to use?

Yes, basic chatting and features like Deep Research are free, with optional paid API for higher volumes.

How does Deep Research work?

Users input a topic; it refines scope, researches, and outputs reports with visuals, webpages, or podcasts.

Can it handle coding tasks?

Absolutely, Qwen2.5-Coder generates, debugs, and optimizes code, often matching or exceeding GPT-4o in benchmarks.

What languages does it support?

Up to 29 for text, 19 for speech, including dialects like Cantonese, with strong Chinese and English performance.

Does it have a mobile app?

Yes, available on iOS and Android for on-the-go chats with image and voice features.

How is privacy handled?

Chats are processed on Alibaba servers; opt for local Hugging Face deployments for offline privacy.

What's the context length?

Up to 1M tokens in Qwen2.5-1M, ideal for long documents or conversations.

Can I integrate it via API?

Yes, Qwen API supports custom apps with low per-token costs compared to competitors.

How does it compare to ChatGPT?

Qwen offers free unlimited access and open weights, excelling in coding but with occasional censorship on sensitive topics.

Ready to try Qwen Chat?