Doubao pricing, plans and how to pay
ByteDance's AI assistant for mainland China, with free chat and video generation, paid membership tiers for heavier use, and Doubao models sold through the Volcano Engine API.
We are still confirming some details on this page with the official site. Anything marked “—” or “being confirmed” may change, so check the vendor’s own pricing page before you buy.
In short
Doubao is free to chat with, and its API is billed by usage: ¥6.00 input / ¥30.00 output per 1M tokens (¥1.20 cached input) on Volcano Engine; inputs up to 1,024K tokens; priced in CNY only. Payment: Chat is free. Memberships are paid with Alipay, WeChat Pay, Douyin Pay or Apple in-app purchase on iOS; monthly and yearly subscriptions renew automatically.
Plans and limits
| Plan | Price / month | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Free chat; video generation uses free daily credits (80–150 on your first sign-in each day per device type), at 2–10 credits per second of video |
| Membership | — | Three tiers (Standard, Enhanced, Advanced) that unlock more AI usage; billed monthly or yearly in CNY at the price shown at checkout |
| API · doubao-seed-2.1-pro | Usage-based | ¥6.00 input / ¥30.00 output per 1M tokens (¥1.20 cached input) on Volcano Engine; inputs up to 1,024K tokens; priced in CNY only |
USD before tax, billed monthly unless noted. Regional and in-app prices may differ.
Good fit for
- Everyday Chinese-language chat, writing and search
- People already using Douyin, Feishu or other ByteDance apps
- Builders who need a Chinese model API billed in CNY
Watch out for
- Sign-up relies on a mobile number, Apple ID or Douyin account, and personal data is stored in mainland China
- Membership prices are shown only at checkout in the app, in CNY
- Free daily credits for video generation expire at midnight Beijing time
Signing up and paying
- Sign-up
- Mobile phone number with an SMS code, an Apple ID or a Douyin account. The enterprise edition signs in with Feishu.
- Payment
- Chat is free. Memberships are paid with Alipay, WeChat Pay, Douyin Pay or Apple in-app purchase on iOS; monthly and yearly subscriptions renew automatically.
- Can I use Doubao outside China?
- Doubao is built for mainland China: accounts are tied to a mobile number, Apple ID or Douyin, its terms fall under PRC law, and personal data is stored in China. We have not found an official statement on use outside mainland China.
Frequently asked questions
Is Doubao free?
Yes, there is a free plan (Free): Free chat; video generation uses free daily credits (80–150 on your first sign-in each day per device type), at 2–10 credits per second of video.
How much does Doubao cost per month?
Usage-based: API · doubao-seed-2.1-pro: ¥6.00 input / ¥30.00 output per 1M tokens (¥1.20 cached input) on Volcano Engine; inputs up to 1,024K tokens; priced in CNY only. Prices are in US dollars before tax.
How do I sign up for Doubao?
Mobile phone number with an SMS code, an Apple ID or a Douyin account. The enterprise edition signs in with Feishu.
How can I pay for Doubao?
Chat is free. Memberships are paid with Alipay, WeChat Pay, Douyin Pay or Apple in-app purchase on iOS; monthly and yearly subscriptions renew automatically.
Can I use Doubao outside China?
Doubao is built for mainland China: accounts are tied to a mobile number, Apple ID or Douyin, its terms fall under PRC law, and personal data is stored in China. We have not found an official statement on use outside mainland China.
What are the alternatives to Doubao?
Similar tools we track: Qwen (free plan available), DeepSeek (free plan available), Kimi (from $19/month).
Change history
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| Oct 29, 2026 | Partly checked Sign-up options, membership payment methods, free credits and API prices confirmed on official pages. Doubao shows membership prices only at checkout in the app, and we are confirming them. |