Comparisons / DeepSeek vs Qwen vs Mistral: open-weight AI chat
DeepSeek vs Qwen vs Mistral: open-weight AI chat
Choosing a tool for free chat from open-weight model makers? Here is how DeepSeek, Qwen Chat and Mistral Vibe (Le Chat) compare on price, free tier and what each is best at. Prices come from each vendor's pricing page; the check date is shown under each source.
| DeepSeek | Qwen Chat | Mistral Vibe (Le Chat) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paid entry plan | See vendor pricing | Free (API is pay-per-use) ✓ checked | Pro $14.99/mo ✓ checked |
| Free tier | Free | Free | Yes: Limited messages, web searches and coding sessions; basic image generation; caps not published |
| Open source / local | Open weights: MIT (DeepSeek-R1) | Open weights: Apache 2.0 for most Qwen3 models (some use the Qwen Community License) | Open weights: Apache 2.0 for models such as Mistral Small 3.2 |
| Best for | Free reasoning and math chat | Free chat with Alibaba's open-weight Qwen models | European AI chat and coding agent from a maker of open-weight models |
| Category | AI assistants | AI assistants | AI assistants |
| Pricing source | api-docs.deepseek.com checked 2026-10-22 | qwen.ai checked 2026-10-23 | mistral.ai checked 2026-10-23 |
| Visit DeepSeek → | Visit Qwen Chat → | Visit Mistral Vibe (Le Chat) → |
How to choose
- Pick DeepSeek if you need: free reasoning and math chat. It is free to use.
- Pick Qwen Chat if you need: free chat with Alibaba's open-weight Qwen models. It is free to use.
- Pick Mistral Vibe (Le Chat) if you need: european AI chat and coding agent from a maker of open-weight models. You can start on the free tier.
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Try the matcher“Verified” means the listed price appeared on the vendor's pricing page during our automated check. “Unconfirmed” means the page could not be read automatically (often a bot block or a price that renders with JavaScript); confirm on the vendor page before buying. Plans and regional pricing change. Some links are affiliate links (disclosure).