Side-by-side comparison · AI Assistants & LLMs
ChatGPT vs LMArena vs Qwen Chat
Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.
Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.
At a glance
Pick it if: Anyone who wants one general-purpose assistant that handles most everyday jobs.
Pick it if: Anyone choosing between AI tools, and people who want to know which model is leading right now.
Pick it if: Anyone after a capable free assistant with image, video, slides and website tools, and developers who want open models.
ChatGPT scores highest overall, but LMArena gives you more for your money. Which one is right comes down to what you value most.
Overview
| Attribute | ChatGPT | LMArena | Qwen Chat |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | OpenAI's all-rounder: chat, images, voice, web search and agents in one app. | Free site where you compare AI models side by side and see which ones people rate best. | Alibaba's generous free assistant for research, slides, websites, images and video. |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Free | Freemium |
| Starting price | $8/mo | Free | $4/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | No | No | No |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | ChatGPT | LMArena | Qwen Chat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.3Winner | 3.8 | 4.0 |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 4.5 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 5.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 4.0 | 5.0 | 4.5 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.0 | 3.0 | 3.5 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | ChatGPT | LMArena | Qwen Chat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | No | Yes |
| Desktop app | Yes | No | No |
| Browser extension | Yes | No | No |
| API access | Yes | No | Yes |
| Teams & business | |||
| Team workspace | Yes | No | No |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | No | No |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | No | No |
| Open source or self-hosted | No | No | Yes |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Understands images | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Makes images | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Makes video | No | Yes | Yes |
| Writes code | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Runs agents or automations | Yes | No | Yes |
| Learns your brand or style | Yes | No | No |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 15/ 17 | 7/ 17 | 11/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | ChatGPT | LMArena | Qwen Chat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | Free Free Trying it out and everyday questions. | FreeOur pick Free Everyone. | FreeOur pick Free Most people. The free limits are generous for chat and research. |
Go $8/mo Casual users who hit the free limits. | Go $4/mo Regular users who want higher chat limits. | ||
PlusOur pick $20/mo Anyone using it most days for work. | Plus $19/mo Creators making images and video most days. | ||
Pro From $100/mo Heavy users and people living in Codex. | Pro $99/mo Heavy video and image users who need priority. | ||
Business See website Teams from 2 people up. | |||
| Which plan to pick | The free plan is now good enough to use properly, so stay on it until the image, voice or research limits annoy you. Plus is the sensible upgrade. Only look at Pro if you run Codex or deep research all day, and read the current tier details first: Pro 200 now comes with a smaller allowance than it did before 29 September. | There's nothing to buy. Use it free, and pay for whichever assistant comes out best for your work. | Start free; most people never need to pay. Go at $4 is cheap if you hit the chat limits. Prices are App Store prices, so check the in-app screen before you subscribe. |
Key features
Pros and cons
| Attribute | ChatGPT | LMArena | Qwen Chat |
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | ChatGPT | LMArena | Qwen Chat |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, ChatGPT, LMArena or Qwen Chat?
ChatGPT scores highest overall in our ratings (ChatGPT 4.3/5, LMArena 3.8/5 and Qwen Chat 4.0/5). ChatGPT is best for everyday questions and brainstorming and making and editing images in the chat. LMArena is best for choosing between AI models with your own prompts and checking which model leads after a launch. Qwen Chat is best for A free assistant that does a bit of everything and quick webpages and slide decks from a prompt.
Which is cheaper, ChatGPT, LMArena or Qwen Chat?
ChatGPT: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $8/mo. LMArena: It's free to use. Qwen Chat: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $4/mo.
Which is easier to use, ChatGPT, LMArena or Qwen Chat?
ChatGPT rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Anyone who wants one general-purpose assistant that handles most everyday jobs.
How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.
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