# Kimi vs Qwen

> Kimi: Chat, research and agent assistant from Moonshot AI, built on its Kimi K3 model
> Qwen: Alibaba's free AI assistant and open-weight model family, on web, mobile and API

- Kimi profile: https://finderatlas.com/tools/kimi
- Qwen profile: https://finderatlas.com/tools/qwen
- Comparison page: https://finderatlas.com/compare/kimi-vs-qwen
- Last reviewed: October 2026

## Verdict

Kimi and Qwen are both AI Assistants tools. Qwen scores higher in FinderAtlas's editorial review (8.7 vs 7.9 out of 10), led by value for money. Both have a free plan or trial. Only Kimi is available on macOS and iOS. Only Qwen is available on Android.

### Choose Kimi if

- You want a tool built for Long-form research, generating slide decks and documents, parallel agent tasks, coding assistance with Kimi Code.
- International USD plans start at $19/month and include Kimi Code and Agent Swarm.
- Broad agent toolset: deep research, slides, documents, spreadsheets, website building and scheduled tasks.

### Choose Qwen if

- You want a tool built for free general-purpose chat.
- Free web assistant with image, video and document features.
- Open-weight models in many sizes on Hugging Face and GitHub.

## Pricing

| | Kimi | Qwen |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Free plan or trial | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | $0 | $0 |

## Features

| Feature | Kimi | Qwen |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kimi K3 Assistant | Yes | Not listed |
| Agent Swarm | Yes | Not listed |
| Deep Research | Yes | Not listed |
| Presentations and Documents | Yes | Not listed |
| App and Website Builder | Yes | Not listed |
| Scheduled Tasks and Projects | Yes | Not listed |
| Kimi Code | Yes | Not listed |
| Plugins | Yes | Not listed |
| Goal Mode | Yes | Not listed |
| Document processing | Not listed | Yes |
| Web search and tool use | Not listed | Yes |
| Voice and video chat | Not listed | Yes |
| Artifacts | Not listed | Yes |
| Multi-model chat | Not listed | Yes |
| Image and video understanding | Not listed | Yes |
| Image generation and editing | Not listed | Yes |
| Open-weight models | Not listed | Yes |
| Model Studio API | Not listed | Yes |

## Platforms

| Platform | Kimi | Qwen |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | No | No |
| macOS | Yes | No |
| iOS | Yes | No |
| Android | No | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Browser Extension | No | No |

## Kimi strengths

- International USD plans start at $19/month and include Kimi Code and Agent Swarm.
- Broad agent toolset: deep research, slides, documents, spreadsheets, website building and scheduled tasks.
- A separate pay-per-token API with a 1M-token context window on K3.
- Rated 4.7 out of 5 from 5.3K ratings on the US App Store.
- Earlier K2-family models were reported to have downloadable weights, which suits self-hosting teams.

## Kimi limitations

- Free-tier limits are not clearly published on the help pages.
- Plan structure is changing: legacy plan names (Moderato, Allegretto, Allegro, Vivace) coexist with Plus, Pro, Max and Ultra, which can confuse buyers.
- Credits do not roll over, and one shared pool covers chat, agents and Kimi Code.
- The site interface and several help pages default to Chinese; I found no confirmed Android or Windows client.

## Qwen strengths

- Free web assistant with image, video and document features
- Open-weight models in many sizes on Hugging Face and GitHub
- Hosted API with Max, Flash and Omni model options
- Strong multilingual coverage, including Chinese
- Many models can be self-hosted, which keeps data on your own hardware

## Qwen limitations

- No published paid consumer tier or stated usage limits for the free assistant
- Open-weight licenses vary by model, so not every model is Apache 2.0
- Hosted chat and API are run by a China-based company, which may not suit sensitive data
- App and model names change often, which can make official apps hard to identify

## FAQ

**Is Kimi better than Qwen?**

It depends on your workflow. Kimi is built for Long-form research, generating slide decks and documents, parallel agent tasks, coding assistance with Kimi Code. Qwen is built for free general-purpose chat.

**What are the key feature differences between Kimi and Qwen?**

Kimi: Chat, research and agent assistant from Moonshot AI, built on its Kimi K3 model. Qwen: Alibaba's free AI assistant and open-weight model family, on web, mobile and API.

**Does Kimi or Qwen have a free plan?**

Yes, both do. Kimi is freemium and Qwen is freemium, and each has a free plan or trial.

**Which is cheaper, Kimi or Qwen?**

Both can be used for free. Paid plans differ in limits and features, so compare the tiers in the pricing table above.