Updated 4 September 2026 · Independent comparison

Qwen vs Semrush:
which should you use?

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

Find your best fit

The 30-second answer

Qwen drafts and adapts copy across languages, which is the job when the same campaign has to run in several markets. Semrush is built for marketing & content creation.

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 Semrush side by side, with the better fit for each row.
CategoryQwenSemrushBetter fit
What it's built forDrafts and adapts copy across languages, which is the job when the same campaign has to run in several markets.Real search data underneath the AI, so a keyword volume or a ranking is something you can check rather than something a model guessed.Semrush
Fit for marketing & content creationStrong fitBuilt for thisSemrush
Free planYes. Free to use, weights downloadableYes. Free account, capped at around ten results per report and ten reports a dayTie
Cheapest way to payNo paid tier — it is free.$139.95 a month.Qwen
What the paid tiers costNo paid tier — it is free.
  • One person, from $139.95/month
Tie
What to watch out forIt has no knowledge of your brand or your market beyond what you paste in, and no access to live anything.The free account is heavily capped — around ten results a report and ten reports a day — which is enough to evaluate and not to work.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.Semrush — Boston, US.Tie

Neither leads on the 9 rows above: 2 each. The job decides it, not the table.

Too close to call

Qwen or Semrush

Neither leads on the rows above — the job decides it.

✓ Drafts and adapts copy across languages, which is the job when the same campaign has to run in several markets. ✓ You would rather not take on a subscription at all ✓ The material cannot leave your own machine ✓ Free to use, weights downloadable
Choose Semrush instead if…

Real search data underneath the AI, so a keyword volume or a ranking is something you can check rather than something a model guessed.

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

✓ Drafts and adapts copy across languages, which is the job when the same campaign has to run in several markets. ✓ You would rather not take on a subscription at all ✓ The material cannot leave your own machine ✓ Free to use, weights downloadable

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 4 rows that decided this page, with the source for each.
RowFavoursWeightWhere it came from
What it's built forSemrushHow well it does the jobFrom this site’s own catalogue record for each product — compiled by hand, not imported. How a product gets listed
Fit for marketing & content creationSemrushHow well it does the jobBoth products are listed under marketing & content creation in the catalogue, and this is the fit recorded against each listing. Everything listed under marketing & content creation
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

Semrush. Read by hand off semrush.com on 4 September 2026. It is not on the monthly re-check, so confirm there before paying. semrush.com/pricing/seo-ai-search

The ratings

The category these two share. Marketing & Content Creation — 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
Semrush
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
Semrush
Bad fit
Best choice: Qwen
03

Writing, Communication & Language

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

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

Coding, Data & Technical Work

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

Qwen
Limited fit
Semrush
Bad fit
Best choice: Qwen
05

Business, Finance & Professional Work

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

Qwen
Limited fit
Semrush
Not a good fit
Best choice: Qwen
06

Image & Design

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

Qwen
Bad fit
Semrush
Not a good fit
Best choice: Neither
07

Video

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

Qwen
Bad fit
Semrush
Not a good fit
Best choice: Neither
08

Audio, Voice & Music

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

Qwen
Bad fit
Semrush
Bad fit
Best choice: Neither
09

Marketing & Content Creation

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

Qwen
Limited fit
Semrush
Built for this
Best choice: Semrush
10

Productivity, Automation & Personal Life

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

Qwen
Limited fit
Semrush
Bad fit
Best choice: Qwen
Pick Qwen if

Drafts and adapts copy across languages, which is the job when the same campaign has to run in several markets.

by Alibaba Qwen
Drafts and adapts copy across languages, which is the job when the same campaign has to run in several markets.
You would rather not take on a subscription at all
The material cannot leave your own machine
Free to use, weights downloadable
Pick Semrush if

Real search data underneath the AI, so a keyword volume or a ranking is something you can check rather than something a model guessed.

Boston, US
The job is mainly marketing & content creation
Real search data underneath the AI, so a keyword volume or a ranking is something you can check rather than something a model guessed.
You are among working professionals
It is built for marketing & content creation

Pricing, simplified

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

PricingSimple, up-to-date plan overview.
Qwenby Alibaba Qwen
Semrushby Semrush
Free version
Qwen
Yes — Free plan availableFree to use, weights downloadable
Semrush
Yes — Free plan availableFree account, capped at around ten results per report and ten reports a day
Individual plans
QwenFree plan only
Semrush
SEO $139.95 / month$117.33 / month (annual)
Starter $199 / month$165.17 / month (annual)
Pro+ $299 / month$248.17 / month (annual)
Advanced $549 / month$455.67 / month (annual)
Business plans
QwenNot sold to teams
SemrushNot sold to teams
Enterprise
QwenNot published
SemrushNot published
View full details
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
Evenly matched
Semrush. It is built for marketing & content creation; Qwen does it well without it being its focus; both have a free plan you can start on.
9 rows compared

Frequently asked questions

Is Qwen or Semrush better?

Neither leads on the 9 rows above: 2 each. The job decides it, not the table. Semrush is built for marketing & content creation; Qwen does it well without it being its focus; both have a free plan you can start on. Qwen: Drafts and adapts copy across languages, which is the job when the same campaign has to run in several markets. Semrush: Real search data underneath the AI, so a keyword volume or a ranking is something you can check rather than something a model guessed.

Is Qwen or Semrush 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 Semrush both have free plans?

Yes. Qwen: Free to use, weights downloadable. Semrush: Free account, capped at around ten results per report and ten reports a day.

What should I watch out for?

Qwen: It has no knowledge of your brand or your market beyond what you paste in, and no access to live anything. Semrush: The free account is heavily capped — around ten results a report and ten reports a day — which is enough to evaluate and not to work.

Read more

Qwen

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

Semrush

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

Best AI for Marketing

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