Prices › Hot models › Qwen
Qwen API pricing, free access & setup
As of 2026-10-17, we track 8 Qwen models (Alibaba Qwen (Model Studio)). The cheapest is Qwen3.7 Flash: $0.03 / $0.13 per 1M input/output tokens via OpenRouter (blended $0.055). Qwen is not in OpenRouter's weekly top 20 (as of 2026-10-16); included for high search interest in China. 2 verified free/deal routes are listed.
Conclusions & evidence
| Topic | Conclusion | Channel | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Cheapest overall: Qwen3.7 Flash, $0.03 / $0.13 per 1M input/output | OpenRouter | openrouter.ai | 2026-10-17 12:20 UTC+8 |
| Price | Cheapest on an official channel: Qwen3.8 Flash, ¥0.8 / ¥2.7 | Official (China) | help.aliyun.com | 2026-10-17 09:45 UTC+8 |
| Region | Mainland direct: yes | Official (China) | help.aliyun.com | 2026-10-17 |
| Payment | Alipay: yes; overseas card: not required | Official (China) | help.aliyun.com | 2026-10-17 |
| Real-name | ID verification: required | Official (China) | help.aliyun.com | 2026-10-17 |
| Region | Mainland direct: yes; provider region limits unverified (Qwen3.7 Flash) | OpenRouter | our test | 2026-10-17 |
| Payment | Alipay: yes; overseas card: not required | OpenRouter | verified | 2026-10-17 |
| Real-name | ID verification: not required | OpenRouter | verified | 2026-10-17 |
Each conclusion is tied to one channel, one source link and a check time; “verified” means checked by the site owner, conclusion only.
Last updated: 2026-10-17 · Alibaba Qwen (Model Studio) · Official pricing
Contents: Evidence · Prices · Free & deals · China · Setup · Benchmark · Changes · FAQ
Qwen API prices, all channels (per 1M tokens)
| Model | Channel | Blended | Input | Output | Cached | This channel | Native | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qwen3.7 Flash | OpenRouter | $0.055 | $0.03 | $0.13 | $0.006 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | $0.03 / $0.13 | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
| Qwen3.8 Flash | Official (China) | $0.19 | $0.119 | $0.403 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✓ID✗Intl card | ¥0.8 / ¥2.7 | help.aliyun.com 2026-10-17 | |
| Qwen3.8 Flash | OpenRouter | $0.23 | $0.15 | $0.47 | $0.016 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | $0.15 / $0.47 | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
| Qwen3.8 Omni Flash | OpenRouter | $0.23 | $0.15 | $0.47 | $0.016 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | $0.15 / $0.47 | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
| Qwen3.7 Plus | Official (China) | $0.523 | $0.299 | $1.19 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✓ID✗Intl card | ¥2 / ¥8 | help.aliyun.com 2026-10-17 | |
| Qwen3.7 Plus | OpenRouter | $0.56 | $0.32 | $1.28 | $0.064 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | $0.32 / $1.28 | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
| Qwen3.8 27B | OpenRouter | $0.956 | $0.425 | $2.55 | $0.085 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | $0.425 / $2.55 | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
| Qwen3.7 Max | Official (China) | $2.69 | $1.79 | $5.37 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✓ID✗Intl card | ¥12 / ¥36 | help.aliyun.com 2026-10-17 | |
| Qwen3.7 Max | OpenRouter | $2.21 | $1.48 | $4.42 | $0.295 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | $1.475 / $4.425 | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
| Qwen3.8 Max (0902) | Official (China) | $2.69 | $1.79 | $5.37 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✓ID✗Intl card | ¥12 / ¥36 | help.aliyun.com 2026-10-17 | |
| Qwen3.8 Max (0902) | OpenRouter | $3 | $2 | $6 | $0.25 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | $2 / $6 | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
| Qwen3.8 Max Prime | Official (China) | $5.37 | $3.58 | $10.75 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✓ID✗Intl card | ¥24 / ¥72 | help.aliyun.com 2026-10-17 | |
| Qwen3.8 Max Prime | OpenRouter | $6 | $4 | $12 | $0.5 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | $4 / $12 | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
Blended = 0.75×input + 0.25×output. Relay prices not yet tracked. Methodology
How to use Qwen for free & current deals
| Details | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
1M free tokens per model (qwen3.8-max, qwen3.8-flash, qwen3.7-plus…), 90 days, Beijing region only
Auto-granted when you first open Bailian; no real-name or purchase needed; unverified accounts stop when the quota runs out. Re-registering under the same identity cannot claim again. | active | official link 2026-10-17 |
qwen3.7-plus shown as limited-time 20% off (end date not stated)
Paying requires real-name verification; Alipay top-up supported (Alibaba Cloud help). | active | official link 2026-10-17 |
All free LLM APIs → · Submit a deal
Using Qwen from China
| Channel | Access & payment | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official (China) | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✓ID✗Intl card | Alibaba Qwen (Model Studio) China platform: Alibaba Cloud docs: real-name verification required before top-up; Alipay / UnionPay accepted. Mainland direct: Alibaba Cloud help center carries licence 浙B2-20080101 (checked 2026-10-17). | help.aliyun.com 2026-10-17 |
| OpenRouter | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | OpenRouter: no ID verification required; Alipay accepted, as are major credit cards and USDC, so no overseas card is needed. Mainland access: our 2026-10-17 test from Shanghai China Unicom (IPv4+IPv6, no proxy) reached the site and API; other ISPs not tested. The Terms say some model providers bar certain countries/regions, and such Restricted Models may not be accessed through OpenRouter. Whether this model provider restricts mainland China or other regions: no explicit official statement found (?). | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
Use Qwen in Claude Code / Codex / OpenCode / CC Switch
Claude Code
export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://dashscope.aliyuncs.com/apps/anthropic export ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN=YOUR_API_KEY
Check official docs for model IDs. Source
Claude Code · Codex · OpenCode · CC Switch · Cline
Qwen benchmarks & popularity
| Model | Intelligence | Coding | Agentic | AA variant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qwen3.7 Plus | 25.2 | 55.9 | 17.5 | Qwen3.7 Plus |
| Qwen3.8 27B | 33.7 | 68.1 | 45.8 | Qwen3.8 27B (Xhigh) |
| Qwen3.7 Max | 29.5 | 66 | 22.5 | Qwen3.7 Max |
| Qwen3.8 Max (0902) | 45.4 | 76.2 | 56 | Qwen3.8 Max (0902) |
Source: Artificial Analysis indices as shown in the Benchmarks section of OpenRouter rankings, fetched 2026-10-17; higher is better; test variant in the last column. Models not listed have no score from this source. openrouter.ai/rankings · artificialanalysis.ai
Source: OpenRouter (openrouter.ai/rankings), as of 2026-10-16; reflects OpenRouter routing volume only. openrouter.ai/rankings
Qwen price changes
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · Qwen3.8 27B cached: $0.05 → $0.085 (OpenRouter basis change: model list price → Alibaba (original vendor); not a provider price change)
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · Qwen3.8 27B output: $2.2 → $2.55 (OpenRouter basis change: model list price → Alibaba (original vendor); not a provider price change)
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · Qwen3.8 27B input: $0.24 → $0.425 (OpenRouter basis change: model list price → Alibaba (original vendor); not a provider price change)
- 2026-10-17 · Official (China) · Qwen3.7 Plus listed · ¥2 / ¥8
- 2026-10-17 · Official (China) · Qwen3.8 Flash listed · ¥0.8 / ¥2.7
- 2026-10-17 · Official (China) · Qwen3.7 Max listed · ¥12 / ¥36
- 2026-10-17 · Official (China) · Qwen3.8 Max (0902) listed · ¥12 / ¥36
- 2026-10-17 · Official (China) · Qwen3.8 Max Prime listed · ¥24 / ¥72
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · Qwen3.8 27B listed · $0.24 / $2.2
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · Qwen3.7 Flash listed · $0.03 / $0.13
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · Qwen3.8 Omni Flash listed · $0.15 / $0.47
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · Qwen3.7 Max listed · $1.475 / $4.425
Qwen vs others
DeepSeek V4 Pro (0813) vs Qwen3.8 Max (0902) · DeepSeek V4.1 Flash vs Qwen3.8 Flash · GLM-5.3 vs Qwen3.8 Max (0902) · Doubao Seed 2.1 Pro vs Qwen3.8 Max (0902) · ERNIE 5.1 vs Qwen3.8 Max (0902) · GLM-5.3 Flash vs Qwen3.8 Flash · Hunyuan HY3 vs Qwen3.7 Plus ·
FAQ
How much does the Qwen API cost?
As of 2026-10-17, the cheapest is Qwen3.7 Flash at $0.03 / $0.13 per 1M input/output tokens (OpenRouter). See the table for all models, each with a source.
What is the official Qwen3.8 Flash price?
Official (Official (China)): ¥0.8 / ¥2.7 per 1M input/output tokens, verified 2026-10-17.
What is the official Qwen3.7 Plus price?
Official (Official (China)): ¥2 / ¥8 per 1M input/output tokens, verified 2026-10-17.
Is the Qwen API free?
2 verified free/deal routes: 1M free tokens per model (qwen3.8-max, qwen3.8-flash, qwen3.7-plus…), 90 days, Beijing region only; qwen3.7-plus shown as limited-time 20% off (end date not stated).
Can I use Qwen from mainland China?
Official (China): direct yes, Alipay yes, ID required yes, overseas card no; OpenRouter: direct yes, Alipay yes, ID required no, overseas card no. Conditions are verified per channel; sources and check times are in the Conclusions & evidence table.
How do I use Qwen in Claude Code?
Alibaba Qwen (Model Studio) offers an Anthropic-compatible endpoint: set ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://dashscope.aliyuncs.com/apps/anthropic plus your API key (source: official docs).
How does Qwen score on benchmarks?
Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index (via OpenRouter rankings, 2026-10-17): Qwen3.7 Plus 25.2, Qwen3.8 27B 33.7, Qwen3.7 Max 29.5, Qwen3.8 Max (0902) 45.4.
How do I use Qwen in Codex CLI?
To be verified: Codex only supports the Responses API; support by Alibaba Qwen (Model Studio) or OpenRouter is not yet verified.
How popular is Qwen?
Qwen is not in OpenRouter's weekly top 20 (as of 2026-10-16).
Are there cheaper alternatives to Qwen?
See the home table sorted by blended price and our cheapest-LLM-API ranking.
Other hot models
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