If you only read one line: pick by workload, not by benchmark charts.
For Chinese office documents and tables; Teams already running on Alibaba Cloud, Qwen is the more direct fit. For Research where sources must be checkable; Fact-checking a claim quickly, Perplexity gets there with less fighting.
Both have free tiers, so cost only separates them once you hit the limits. Context limits aren't published for both, so treat this as untested until you hit the ceiling yourself.
| Dimension | Qwen | Perplexity |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing | Qianwen app free; API qwen3.8-max CNY 12 input and CNY 36 output per million tokens (Beijing region; CNY 1.5 on cache hits) (checked 2026-10-29) | Free $0; Pro $20/mo ($200/yr); Max $200/mo ($2,000/yr); Education Pro $10/mo for verified students; Enterprise Pro $40/seat/mo; Enterprise Max $325/seat/mo (checked 2026-10-29) |
| Context window | 1,000,000 tokens (qwen3.8-max; 991,808 max input, 131,072 max output) (checked 2026-10-29) | not published |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, HarmonyOS PC | Web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows |
| Best for | Chinese office documents and tables; Teams already running on Alibaba Cloud; Developers calling a China-hosted model | Research where sources must be checkable; Fact-checking a claim quickly; Students who need citations |
| Availability | Directly reachable in mainland China with no proxy, and a China edition exists (checked 2026-10-29). | Unreachable from mainland China without a proxy, confirmed by a blocked connection from this host on 2026-10-29, and there is no China edition. |
Chinese office documents and tables; Teams already running on Alibaba Cloud; Developers calling a China-hosted model. Its strongest point: Balances Chinese and English quality on the same model. Watch out for: Web and app do not offer the same features.
Research where sources must be checkable; Fact-checking a claim quickly; Students who need citations. Its strongest point: Every answer carries clickable source links you can audit. Watch out for: Free tier caps you at 3 Pro Searches a day.
Most people I know keep both tabs open — one for finding things, one for producing the final draft — and stop paying for whichever they touch last.
Qwen if you want Chinese office documents and tables. Perplexity if Research where sources must be checkable. Neither has a learning curve worth worrying about past the first day.
Yes — both have free tiers, and the pair covers more ground than either alone.
Context limits aren't published for both, so treat this as untested until you hit the ceiling yourself.