Expensive isn't necessarily right

Qwen Office members are now enjoying free access to the Economy model for a limited time

On August 18, Qwen Office celebrated its two-week public beta launch. Starting today, members can temporarily and unlimitedly invoke the Economy model.

During these two weeks, the most frequent feedback we've received wasn't about "how good it is," but a more specific question: "Which Qwen Office model should I actually choose?"

Qwen Office offers three tiers—Economy, Basic, and Advanced—with cutting-edge models like Qwen3.8-Max continuously being added.

Different levels correspond to different task types, yet most users remain genuinely confused: Is the Economy tier sufficient for simple tasks? Is using the Advanced tier safer for complex ones? And in what scenarios does the middle tier truly make sense?

Rather than just explaining theory, let's run some practical tests.

We designed three graded tasks—from single-turn shallow outputs, to multi-constrained reasoning, to long-form program generation—and tested all three model tiers, measuring their actual performance in terms of time, credit consumption, and completion quality.

The latest frontier models are still under update and were not included in this test.

Next, the three real-world tests.

L1 Simple Task: Table Conversion

This is a typical "conversion" task: moving data from one container to another with an added formatting constraint. While not difficult, it tests the model’s fundamentals in file parsing and tool usage.

All three models completed the task successfully, but the Economy tier was faster and consumed fewer credits.

Summary: For simple tasks, the Economy tier is more than adequate.

L2 Multi-constrained Task: Scheduling Assignment

This task raises the difficulty. The model must simultaneously handle constraints such as staff skills, working hours, scheduling, and delivery order, then structure the output into an AI table—not just "can it be done," but "can it make correct decisions under multiple constraints."

A divergence emerged. The Basic and Advanced tiers were faster and achieved higher completion rates; the Economy tier saved credits but struggled with complex reasoning. Overall, the Basic tier delivered the best value.

Summary: For everyday complex tasks, the Basic tier offers superior cost-effectiveness.

L3 Long Output Task: HTML Generation

With eight combined constraints—including collapsible navigation, KPI cards, line charts, bar charts—the task requires generating a complete, functional front-end project. This scenario closely mirrors real development work, where no templates apply, and the model must reason step by step from architectural design to detailed implementation.

Facing higher complexity and longer reasoning chains, the Advanced tier outperformed both Economy and Basic tiers in speed, output quality, and moderate credit usage.

Summary: For complex, long-horizon reasoning tasks, the Advanced tier performs faster and better.

Test Conclusion: It's Not About Pricier Being Better—It's About Better Fit

After completing the three rounds, we reached a clear conclusion.

The logic behind model selection is actually quite straightforward:

For routine simple tasks, the Economy tier is more than sufficient.

For complex, multi-step tasks, the Basic tier delivers the best value.

For long-horizon reasoning tasks, the Advanced tier is both fast and high-quality.

Use the right model for the right scenario. That’s the original intention behind Qwen Office’s three-tier design—not pushing you toward the most expensive option, but helping you make the most valuable choice for every single task.

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