Qwen pricing, plans and how to pay
Alibaba's model family: a free international chat app, many open-weight models and a commercial API on Alibaba Cloud.
In short
As of Oct 29, 2026, Qwen is free to chat with, and its API is billed by usage: $2 input / $6 output per 1M tokens (international); 1M free tokens for 90 days in the Singapore region. Payment: Chat is free. API billing runs through Alibaba Cloud: Visa, Mastercard, American Express and other cards, or PayPal, depending on your billing entity.
Plans and limits
| Plan | Price / month | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Qwen Chat | $0 | Free; we found no consumer subscription on chat.qwen.ai |
| API · qwen3.8-max | Usage-based | $2 input / $6 output per 1M tokens (international); 1M free tokens for 90 days in the Singapore region |
USD before tax, billed monthly unless noted. Regional and in-app prices may differ. Verified Oct 29, 2026.
Good fit for
- Teams that want open weights in many sizes
- Multilingual work that includes Chinese
- Builders already on Alibaba Cloud
Watch out for
- Model names and API prices differ between the China (Beijing) and international regions
- On the international site, cards issued and PayPal accounts registered in mainland China are not accepted
Signing up and paying
- Sign-up
- Email (code or password), or a Google, GitHub or Apple account.
- Payment
- Chat is free. API billing runs through Alibaba Cloud: Visa, Mastercard, American Express and other cards, or PayPal, depending on your billing entity.
- Can I use Qwen outside China?
- Yes. Qwen Chat at chat.qwen.ai offers sign-up with email, Google, GitHub or Apple, and the API is sold through Alibaba Cloud’s international site.
Frequently asked questions
Is Qwen free?
Yes, there is a free plan (Qwen Chat): Free; we found no consumer subscription on chat.qwen.ai.
How much does Qwen cost per month?
Usage-based: API · qwen3.8-max: $2 input / $6 output per 1M tokens (international); 1M free tokens for 90 days in the Singapore region. Prices are in US dollars before tax.
How do I sign up for Qwen?
Email (code or password), or a Google, GitHub or Apple account.
How can I pay for Qwen?
Chat is free. API billing runs through Alibaba Cloud: Visa, Mastercard, American Express and other cards, or PayPal, depending on your billing entity.
Can I use Qwen outside China?
Yes. Qwen Chat at chat.qwen.ai offers sign-up with email, Google, GitHub or Apple, and the API is sold through Alibaba Cloud’s international site.
What are the alternatives to Qwen?
Similar tools we track: DeepSeek (free plan available), Kimi (from $19/month), ChatGPT (from $8/month).
Change history
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| Oct 29, 2026 | Verified Prices, plan limits, sign-up and payment options confirmed on the official site. |