Conclusion
- Choose Qwen when you need stronger coding, Chinese, multimodal, or long-context tests.
- Choose GLM when you want a simple China-direct free/low-cost API path.
- Both are good OpenAI-compatible alternatives for China-based developers.
- Keep model names configurable because provider naming changes faster than SDK code.
What to do next
- Create an Alibaba Bailian/DashScope account for Qwen or a BigModel account for GLM.
- Create an API key in the provider console and store it in an environment variable.
- Set OpenAI SDK base_url to the compatible endpoint.
- Pick a current model name from the provider page, then send a one-message chat completion.
- Verify quota, rate limit, and paid fallback before running batch jobs.
Recommended paths
| Provider | Free / credits | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Qwen | 70M signup tokens | Coding, Chinese, multimodal, long context |
| Zhipu GLM | 5M signup tokens | Simple GLM app and China-direct tests |
| DeepSeek | $5 signup | Cheap reasoning/coding fallback |
| SiliconFlow | Free models + ¥14 credit | Open-source models with compatible API |
Global developer checklist
- Confirm whether signup, billing, and API keys work from your country before writing production code.
- Prefer OpenAI-compatible endpoints when you may need to switch models, regions, or providers later.
- Test free credits with a real smoke prompt and record latency, error shape, streaming behavior, and quota burn.
- Keep at least one fallback route for provider outages, model deprecations, and regional access changes.
Production handoff
Want Qwen, GLM, DeepSeek, Claude and GPT behind one SDK config?
Use OpenLLMAPI as the compatibility layer when your app needs multiple model families but one client shape.
FAQ
What is Qwen compatible-mode base_url?
Use https://dashscope.aliyuncs.com/compatible-mode/v1 with an OpenAI-compatible SDK client.
What is GLM OpenAI-compatible base_url?
Use https://open.bigmodel.cn/api/paas/v4 with your BigModel API key.
Which one is better for coding?
Start with Qwen for coding-heavy tasks, then compare DeepSeek and GLM on your own benchmark prompts.
Can I deploy the same code outside China?
Yes, if provider endpoints are reachable. Keep base_url and model names in environment variables so deployment regions can use different providers.