In short
How they differ.
Worked out from the makers' own pages, read Oct 20, 2026. Prices change; check before you pay.
- Both have a free plan.
- Qwen also has a phone app.
Side by side
The details.
| Elicit | Qwen | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Elicit · United States | Alibaba · China |
| What it says it is | “The AI Research Assistant” | “With a single command, it can generate a full research report” |
| Free plan | YesBasic (free): limited Research Agent and Research Reports; unlimited search across more than 138 million papers. | YesSCMP (2026-08-11): "The Qwen chatbot remains free to use." |
| Plans | Basic: freePlus: $11 a monthPro: $49 a monthScale: $169 a monthEnterprise: not in US$ | Qwen chatbot: freeQwenWork (office assistant): not in US$ |
| Runs on | web | mobile app, web |
| Latest update | Routines and more flexible research with the Agent, Sep 30, 2026 | — |
| Its terms | “PDFs you upload are encrypted and remain private to your account only, until you choose to delete them.”What it does with your data · Elicit Help: Privacy for uploaded papers | — |
| Disputes | None on file | None on file |
| Sources | Prices, Oct 20, 2026 · Description · company-reported | Prices, Aug 11, 2026 · Description · news-reported |
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