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Updated 4 September 2026 · Independent comparison

Clay vs Qwen:
which should you use?

Clay and Qwen, side by side. Find the one that fits what you need to do.

Find your best fit

The 30-second answer

Clay a spreadsheet where each row can call data providers and models, which makes research that used to take a week into an afternoon. Qwen a capable general model you can run on your own machines, which is the usual answer when the documents cannot leave the building.

Pricing, simplified

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2 of 2 have a free plan 0 of 2 prices re-read automatically · how we know No paid placement

The 30-second comparison

If you only read one section, make it this one. Rows where both sides say the same thing are left out — the point is where they differ. Where each row came from is listed underneath.

Clay and Qwen side by side, with the better fit for each row.
CategoryClayQwenBetter fit
What it's built forA spreadsheet where each row can call data providers and models, which makes research that used to take a week into an afternoon.A capable general model you can run on your own machines, which is the usual answer when the documents cannot leave the building.Tie
Free planYes. Free plan with no strings attached: 500 actions and 100 data credits a month, unlimited seats and tables, up to 200 rows a table, multi-provider waterfalls, Claygent enrichment and your own API keysYes. Free to use, weights downloadableTie
Cheapest way to pay$185 a month.No paid tier — it is free.Qwen
What the paid tiers cost
  • One person, from $185/month
  • Enterprise, priced on request
No paid tier — it is free.Tie
What to watch out forCredits, not seats, so the bill tracks how much you run rather than how many people use it. The paid rates are starting points that the action and data-credit selectors push upward. Easy to spend a lot without noticing.Self-hosting is the point and also the work: somebody has to run it, update it and keep it available.Tie
Who it is usually forworking professionalsGeneral use.Tie
Runs on your own machineHosted service only — your material goes to their servers.Can be run on your own machine, so the material never leaves it.Qwen
Made byClay — New York, US.Alibaba Qwen — Hangzhou, CN.Tie

Qwen is ahead on 2 of the 8 rows compared, 1 of them about how well it does the job itself. It is a single row of daylight, so read Clay’s column before deciding.

Overall pick

Qwen

A capable general model you can run on your own machines, which is the usual answer when the documents cannot leave the building.

✓ A capable general model you can run on your own machines, which is the usual answer when the documents cannot leave the building. ✓ You would rather not take on a subscription at all ✓ The material cannot leave your own machine ✓ Free to use, weights downloadable
Choose Clay instead if…

A spreadsheet where each row can call data providers and models, which makes research that used to take a week into an afternoon.

Clay is the better answer when the job is what it was built for rather than what the pick above does broadly.

✓ A spreadsheet where each row can call data providers and models, which makes research that used to take a week into an afternoon. ✓ You are among working professionals ✓ Free plan with no strings attached: 500 actions and 100 data credits a month, unlimited seats and tables, up to 200 rows a table, multi-provider waterfalls, Claygent enrichment and your own API keys ✓ It is aimed at working professionals

How we know

Every row that separated these two, and where it came from. Nothing here is a hands-on test — if a line rests on a vendor’s own pricing page, it says so and links it.

The 2 rows that decided this page, with the source for each.
RowFavoursWeightWhere it came from
Cheapest way to payQwenEverything elseFrom each vendor’s own pricing page. Dates and pages are listed below.
Runs on your own machineQwenHow well it does the jobFrom this site’s own catalogue record for each product — compiled by hand, not imported. How a product gets listed

The prices

Clay. Read by hand off clay.com on 4 September 2026. It is not on the monthly re-check, so confirm there before paying. clay.com/pricing

Qwen. Read by hand off chat.qwen.ai on 4 September 2026. It is not on the monthly re-check, so confirm there before paying. chat.qwen.ai/pricing

The ratings

The category these two share. Business, Finance & Professional Work — both are listed there in the catalogue, and the fit recorded against each listing is a judgement made here, by hand.

The nine-category grid below. Derived from what each product is listed for, by one script, once per build — so the same pair always reads the same. It is a derivation, not a review.

What this is not

Neither product was run side by side to produce this page. Nobody was paid to appear on it and nothing here is ranked by commission.

To put the same question to both and read the answers yourself, run them side by side — that is a live test, and this is not.

Choose based on what you’re doing

All ten categories, including the ones where neither of these is the answer. These ratings are derived from what each product is listed for, not from running it — a rating here is a reading of the record, and the record is linked.

01

General-Purpose AI Assistants

Questions, brainstorming, explanations, everyday tasks, decision-making, general advice.

Clay
Not a good fit
Qwen
Good fit
Best choice: Qwen
02

Search, Research & Academics

Web research, deep research, books, academic papers, citations, news, fact-checking.

Clay
Not a good fit
Qwen
Limited fit
Best choice: Qwen
03

Writing, Communication & Language

Emails, reports, essays, editing, summarizing, translation, presentations.

Clay
Not a good fit
Qwen
Good fit
Best choice: Qwen
04

Coding, Data & Technical Work

Programming, debugging, data analysis, spreadsheets, math, engineering, technical research.

Clay
Bad fit
Qwen
Limited fit
Best choice: Qwen
05

Business, Finance & Professional Work

Business strategy, investing, market research, legal, sales, HR, accounting, consulting.

Clay
Good fit
Qwen
Limited fit
Best choice: Clay
06

Image & Design

Image generation, photo editing, logos, graphics, product design, advertising creatives.

Clay
Bad fit
Qwen
Bad fit
Best choice: Neither
07

Video

Video generation and editing, clipping, subtitles, avatars, animation and motion capture.

Clay
Bad fit
Qwen
Bad fit
Best choice: Neither
08

Audio, Voice & Music

Voice generation, transcription, music, dubbing, sound cleanup and podcast production.

Clay
Bad fit
Qwen
Bad fit
Best choice: Neither
09

Marketing & Content Creation

Social media, SEO, advertising, copywriting, content ideas, scripts, brand development.

Clay
Not a good fit
Qwen
Limited fit
Best choice: Qwen
10

Productivity, Automation & Personal Life

AI agents, workflows, scheduling, meetings, organization, shopping, travel, personal finance.

Clay
Not a good fit
Qwen
Limited fit
Best choice: Qwen
Pick Clay if

A spreadsheet where each row can call data providers and models, which makes research that used to take a week into an afternoon.

New York, US
A spreadsheet where each row can call data providers and models, which makes research that used to take a week into an afternoon.
You are among working professionals
Free plan with no strings attached: 500 actions and 100 data credits a month, unlimited seats and tables, up to 200 rows a table, multi-provider waterfalls, Claygent enrichment and your own API keys
It is aimed at working professionals
Pick Qwen if

A capable general model you can run on your own machines, which is the usual answer when the documents cannot leave the building.

by Alibaba Qwen
A capable general model you can run on your own machines, which is the usual answer when the documents cannot leave the building.
You would rather not take on a subscription at all
The material cannot leave your own machine
Free to use, weights downloadable

Pricing, simplified

The plans people actually compare, read from each vendor’s own page.

PricingSimple, up-to-date plan overview.
Clayby Clay
Qwenby Alibaba Qwen
Free version
Clay
Yes — Free plan availableFree plan with no strings attached: 500 actions and 100 data credits a month, unlimited seats
Qwen
Yes — Free plan availableFree to use, weights downloadable
Individual plans
Clay
Launch $185 / month$167 / month (annual)
Growth $495 / month$446 / month (annual)
QwenFree plan only
Business plans
ClayNot sold to teams
QwenNot sold to teams
Enterprise
Clay
Custom pricing
QwenNot published
View full details
ClayView Clay pricing
QwenView Qwen pricing
Interactive

Tell us what you use AI for

Pick your main job and the verdict below changes to match. Every answer is on the page already, so this works as a reader, not a lookup.

The verdict for that job
Qwen
Close call. Both cover business, finance & professional work at the same level; both have a free plan you can start on.
8 rows compared

Frequently asked questions

Is Clay or Qwen better?

Qwen is ahead on 2 of the 8 rows compared, 1 of them about how well it does the job itself. It is a single row of daylight, so read Clay’s column before deciding. both have a free plan you can start on. Clay: A spreadsheet where each row can call data providers and models, which makes research that used to take a week into an afternoon. Qwen: A capable general model you can run on your own machines, which is the usual answer when the documents cannot leave the building.

Is Clay or Qwen cheaper?

Only one of the two publishes a ladder we have verified, so a like-for-like comparison is not possible yet.

Do Clay and Qwen both have free plans?

Yes. Clay: Free plan with no strings attached: 500 actions and 100 data credits a month, unlimited seats and tables, up to 200 rows a table, multi-provider waterfalls, Claygent enrichment and your own API keys. Qwen: Free to use, weights downloadable.

What should I watch out for?

Clay: Credits, not seats, so the bill tracks how much you run rather than how many people use it. The paid rates are starting points that the action and data-credit selectors push upward. Easy to spend a lot without noticing. Qwen: Self-hosting is the point and also the work: somebody has to run it, update it and keep it available.

Read more

Clay

What it is for, who makes it, what it costs and what to use instead.

Qwen

What it is for, who makes it, what it costs and what to use instead.

Best AI for Business

Business strategy, investing, market research, legal, sales, HR, accounting, consulting.

How we compare AI tools
Every row is generated from the same record the rest of the site is built on, so this page cannot drift from what we say elsewhere. We separate winner, tie and depends rather than forcing each category into a ranking, and we drop rows where both sides say the same thing. A pick is only called an overall pick when it leads on rows about how well the tool does the job; a lead that rests on price or audience alone is labelled as one. Nothing here is a hands-on test — how we know lists the source and date behind every deciding row.