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Updated 4 September 2026 · Independent comparison

Qwen vs Rows:
which should you use?

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

Find your best fit

The 30-second answer

Qwen a capable general model you can run on your own machines, which is the usual answer when the documents cannot leave the building. Rows a spreadsheet that will fetch data and run analysis from a prompt, without leaving the grid.

Pricing, simplified

Start free. Upgrade when you need more.

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.

Qwen and Rows side by side, with the better fit for each row.
CategoryQwenRowsBetter fit
What it's built forA capable general model you can run on your own machines, which is the usual answer when the documents cannot leave the building.A spreadsheet that will fetch data and run analysis from a prompt, without leaving the grid. Familiar shape for anyone who already works in one.Tie
Free planYes. Free to use, weights downloadableYes. Free plan at $0: 5 AI tasks a month, data tables imported by hand, integrations across 10 accounts and up to 3 guestsTie
Cheapest way to payNo paid tier — it is free.$8 a month.Qwen
What the paid tiers costNo paid tier — it is free.
  • One person, from $8/month
  • Enterprise, priced on request
Tie
What to watch out forSelf-hosting is the point and also the work: somebody has to run it, update it and keep it available.A spreadsheet is only as right as its inputs, and a generated formula is easier to trust than to check. AI tasks are capped by tier, at 5 a month free, 200 on Plus and 1,000 on Pro, and Pro charges a flat monthly fee on top of its per-seat price. Prices are quoted net of sales tax or VAT.Tie
Who it is usually forGeneral use.working professionalsTie
Runs on your own machineCan be run on your own machine, so the material never leaves it.Hosted service only — your material goes to their servers.Qwen
Made byAlibaba Qwen — Hangzhou, CN.Rows — Berlin, DE.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 Rows’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 Rows instead if…

A spreadsheet that will fetch data and run analysis from a prompt, without leaving the grid.

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

✓ A spreadsheet that will fetch data and run analysis from a prompt, without leaving the grid. ✓ You are among working professionals ✓ Familiar shape for anyone who already works in one. ✓ Free plan at $0: 5 AI tasks a month, data tables imported by hand, integrations across 10 accounts and up to 3 guests

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

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

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

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

Search, Research & Academics

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

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

Writing, Communication & Language

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

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

Coding, Data & Technical Work

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

Qwen
Limited fit
Rows
Bad fit
Best choice: Qwen
05

Business, Finance & Professional Work

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

Qwen
Limited fit
Rows
Good fit
Best choice: Rows
06

Image & Design

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

Qwen
Bad fit
Rows
Bad fit
Best choice: Neither
07

Video

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

Qwen
Bad fit
Rows
Bad fit
Best choice: Neither
08

Audio, Voice & Music

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

Qwen
Bad fit
Rows
Bad fit
Best choice: Neither
09

Marketing & Content Creation

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

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

Productivity, Automation & Personal Life

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

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

A spreadsheet that will fetch data and run analysis from a prompt, without leaving the grid.

Berlin, DE
A spreadsheet that will fetch data and run analysis from a prompt, without leaving the grid.
You are among working professionals
Familiar shape for anyone who already works in one.
Free plan at $0: 5 AI tasks a month, data tables imported by hand, integrations across 10 accounts and up to 3 guests

Pricing, simplified

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

PricingSimple, up-to-date plan overview.
Qwenby Alibaba Qwen
Rowsby Rows
Free version
Qwen
Yes — Free plan availableFree to use, weights downloadable
Rows
Yes — Free plan available5 AI tasks a month, data tables imported by hand, integrations across 10 accounts and up to 3
Individual plans
QwenFree plan only
Rows
Plus $8 / month$6 / month (annual)
Pro $8 / month$6 / month (annual)
Business plans
QwenNot sold to teams
RowsNot sold to teams
Enterprise
QwenNot published
Rows
Custom pricing
View full details
QwenView Qwen pricing
RowsView Rows 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 Qwen or Rows 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 Rows’s column before deciding. both have a free plan you can start on. Qwen: A capable general model you can run on your own machines, which is the usual answer when the documents cannot leave the building. Rows: A spreadsheet that will fetch data and run analysis from a prompt, without leaving the grid. Familiar shape for anyone who already works in one.

Is Qwen or Rows cheaper?

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

Do Qwen and Rows both have free plans?

Yes. Qwen: Free to use, weights downloadable. Rows: Free plan at $0: 5 AI tasks a month, data tables imported by hand, integrations across 10 accounts and up to 3 guests.

What should I watch out for?

Qwen: Self-hosting is the point and also the work: somebody has to run it, update it and keep it available. Rows: A spreadsheet is only as right as its inputs, and a generated formula is easier to trust than to check. AI tasks are capped by tier, at 5 a month free, 200 on Plus and 1,000 on Pro, and Pro charges a flat monthly fee on top of its per-seat price. Prices are quoted net of sales tax or VAT.

Read more

Qwen

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

Rows

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.