Free AI platform comparison

Qwen (Alibaba) vs ChatGLM (Zhipu AI): Complete Comparison

通义千问 (阿里) 和智谱清言 (智谱AI) 深度对比：免费额度、API 价格、模型能力、国内可用性，帮你选最合适的 AI 工具

Quick decision

Qwen (Alibaba) vs ChatGLM (Zhipu AI): Complete Comparison: pricing, free API, and limits

Quick answer: choose Qwen (Alibaba) if its free tier, model family, or ecosystem fits your app better; choose ChatGLM (Zhipu AI) if it gives better free API credits, pricing, or access for your workflow. This comparison focuses on free tier, API pricing, limits, setup, and practical alternatives.

Free tierQwen (Alibaba): 70M signup tokens via Bailian; runtime/RPM/TPM limits vary by model · ChatGLM (Zhipu AI): No explicit limit

Free API7000 万 tokens（新用户一次性；DashScope/Bailian 控制台为准） vs 500万 tokens

Best checkCredits, rate limits, setup friction

DecisionTest both if rank, latency, or access matters

Qwen (Alibaba) detailsFree tier, API credits, limits and setup ChatGLM (Zhipu AI) detailsFree tier, API credits, limits and setup Free AI API directoryCompare all free credits and limits

👑

Qwen (Alibaba)

95pts

2 wins

ChatGLM (Zhipu AI)

80pts

0 wins

🏆 Overall, Qwen (Alibaba) offers more free value (2/6 categories)

📊 Side-by-Side

🧠 Model Details

Qwen (Alibaba)4 models

Qwen3.6-Plus

📐 1000k⚡ Quota and RPM/TPM vary by account

Latest flagship, strong long-context/coding model; verify free-credit coverage, RPM, TPM, and availability in the DashScope console

Qwen3.6-27B

📐 262k (1M extended)⚡ Local/open-source or hosted quota

27B dense open model for local deployment; hosted API quota and free-credit coverage depend on the account tier

Qwen-Max

📐 32k⚡ Higher-cost paid model; quota varies

Alibaba general model; confirm free-credit coverage and output pricing before heavy use

Qwen-VL

📐 32k⚡ Multimodal quota varies

Multimodal model; image/OCR usage may consume different quota than text calls

ChatGLM (Zhipu AI)1 models

GLM-4

📐 128k⚡ Fair use

Zhipu's flagship model, free to use

🎯 Which should you choose?

Choose Qwen (Alibaba) if…

you want 70M signup tokens via Bailian; runtime/RPM/TPM limits vary by model on the free tier, plus 7000 万 tokens（新用户一次性；DashScope/Bailian 控制台为准） for API tests.

Choose ChatGLM (Zhipu AI) if…

you want No explicit limit on the free tier, plus 500万 tokens for API tests.

FAQ

Which is better, Qwen (Alibaba) or ChatGLM (Zhipu AI)?

Qwen (Alibaba) scores higher in this free-tier comparison because it wins more of the measured categories. Still, the best choice depends on your exact needs: free chat access, API credits, open-source models, or rate limits.

Does Qwen (Alibaba) have a free tier?

Yes. Qwen (Alibaba) lists 70M signup tokens via Bailian; runtime/RPM/TPM limits vary by model for free users.

Does ChatGLM (Zhipu AI) have a free tier?

Yes. ChatGLM (Zhipu AI) lists No explicit limit for free users.

Which one is better for API experiments?

Qwen (Alibaba) offers 7000 万 tokens（新用户一次性；DashScope/Bailian 控制台为准）; ChatGLM (Zhipu AI) offers 500万 tokens. Choose the option with enough credits and rate limits for your prototype.

Source snapshot

Data source: yangmao.ai provider YAML tracker plus curated comparison notes. Official dashboards can change credits, limits, model availability, and pricing without notice; verify in the provider console before production.

yangmao.ai comparison slug: qwen-vs-zhipu
Qwen (Alibaba) source: https://tongyi.aliyun.com
ChatGLM (Zhipu AI) source: https://chatglm.cn
Dataset freshness: Qwen (Alibaba): 2026-06-05 · ChatGLM (Zhipu AI): 2026-06-05
Decision data: Free tier, API credits, rate limits, model list, China access notes, and curated comparison dimensions from the yangmao.ai provider tracker.

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