Gemini (Google) vs Qwen (Alibaba)
Which one should you pick? Here's the full breakdown.
Gemini (Google)
Google's LLM with deep Google Workspace integration, 2M token context window, and native code execution
Qwen (Alibaba)
Alibaba's open-weights family -- Qwen3.5, Qwen3-Coder-Next, Qwen3-VL, Qwen3-Max. Apache 2.0 flagship sizes.
| Category | Gemini (Google) | Qwen (Alibaba) |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Use | 8.0 | 7.0 |
| Output Quality | 8.0 | 9.0 |
| Value | 9.0 | 10.0 |
| Features | 8.0 | 9.0 |
| Overall | 8.3 | 8.8 |
Pricing Comparison
| Feature | Gemini (Google) | Qwen (Alibaba) |
|---|---|---|
| Free Tier | Yes | Yes |
| Starting Price | $0 | $0 |
Benchmark Head-to-Head
Gemini 3.1 Ultra vs Qwen3.5-397B MoE
| Benchmark | Gemini (Google) | Qwen (Alibaba) |
|---|---|---|
| GPQA Diamond | 94.3% | 78.2% |
| HumanEval | 93.5% | 92.5% |
Which Should You Pick?
Pick Gemini (Google) if...
- ✓Easier to use (8 vs 7)
- ✓Stronger on graduate-level science questions (+16.1% on GPQA Diamond)
Google Workspace power users. If you live in Gmail, Docs, and Drive, Gemini Advanced integrates directly into your workflow. Also great for developers who need the cheapest API with the longest context window.
Visit Gemini (Google)Pick Qwen (Alibaba) if...
- ✓Higher output quality (9 vs 8)
- ✓Better value for money (10/10)
- ✓More features (9 vs 8)
Developers who want frontier-tier open weights with Apache 2.0 licensing. Qwen3-Coder-Next is arguably the best local coding model; Qwen3.5-397B is a top-3 open generalist.
Visit Qwen (Alibaba)Our Verdict
Qwen (Alibaba) edges out Gemini (Google) with a 8.8 vs 8.3 overall score. Both are solid picks, but Qwen (Alibaba) has the advantage in output quality.