DeepSeek vs Alibaba Cloud Bailian — API Comparison
Head-to-head comparison of pricing, features, and use case fit. Updated July 10, 2026.
⚡ Verdict: DeepSeek wins on model capability; Aliyun wins on Alibaba Cloud integration.
💰 Pricing Comparison
| Metric | DeepSeek | Alibaba Cloud Bailian |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price | DeepSeek-V3: ¥0.14/M token (≈$0.02), R1: ¥0.14/M | Qwen3.5-Max: ¥4/M, Qwen3.5-Plus: ¥2/M, Qwen3.5-72B: ¥4/M, QwQ: ¥2/M |
| Output Price | DeepSeek-V3: ¥0.28/M token (≈$0.04), R1: ¥0.28/M | Qwen3.5-Max: ¥12/M, Qwen3.5-Plus: ¥6/M, Qwen3.5-72B: ¥12/M, QwQ: ¥8/M |
| China Access | ✅ Direct access in China | ✅ Direct access in China |
| Free Tier | ||
| Models | 3+ | 9+ |
| Overall Rank | #4 | #7 |
🤖 Supported Models
DeepSeek
Alibaba Cloud Bailian
✨ Pros
DeepSeek
- ✓ Industry-lowest pricing: DeepSeek-V3 ¥0.14/M input
- ✓ R1 reasoning model: o1-comparable capabilities at ¥0.14/M
- ✓ Direct China access, no proxy needed
- ✓ ¥500 free credits on signup, generous trial
- ✓ Fully open-source model series, active community
- ✓ Chinese-optimized, excellent for local use cases
Alibaba Cloud Bailian
- ✓ Qwen3.5 series top-tier capabilities (most popular Chinese open-source family)
- ✓ Bailian platform: model serving + RAG + Agent full stack
- ✓ Direct China access, stable and reliable
- ✓ Qwen-Omni-Turbo multimodal (text+image+audio)
- ✓ Tongyi Qianwen best open-source ecosystem (top on HuggingFace)
⚠️ Cons
DeepSeek
- × Limited model selection (only 3)
- × API occasional instability under high China traffic
- × English capabilities slightly behind GPT-4o/Claude
- × No multimodal output
- × Limited Function Calling (R1 doesn't support, V3 limited)
Alibaba Cloud Bailian
- × Qwen3.5-Max pricing higher than DeepSeek/Doubao
- × Platform complexity (Bailian > model serving > app builder), steep learning curve
- × Overseas users need international site (separate pricing)
- × No native Function Calling support in Qwen series
- × Stream mode occasional disconnection
🎯 Best For
DeepSeek
China-based developers; cost-sensitive applications; reasoning tasks (R1); bilingual scenarios
Alibaba Cloud Bailian
Enterprise AI apps in China; scenarios requiring Qwen-Max top quality output; existing Alibaba Cloud customers
❓ FAQ
Which is cheaper, DeepSeek or Alibaba Cloud Bailian? ▼
DeepSeek — Input: DeepSeek-V3: ¥0.14/M token (≈$0.02), R1: ¥0.14/M, Output: DeepSeek-V3: ¥0.28/M token (≈$0.04), R1: ¥0.28/M. Alibaba Cloud Bailian — Input: Qwen3.5-Max: ¥4/M, Qwen3.5-Plus: ¥2/M, Qwen3.5-72B: ¥4/M, QwQ: ¥2/M, Output: Qwen3.5-Max: ¥12/M, Qwen3.5-Plus: ¥6/M, Qwen3.5-72B: ¥12/M, QwQ: ¥8/M.
Which is better for China access? ▼
DeepSeek: ✅ Direct access in China. Alibaba Cloud Bailian: ✅ Direct access in China.
What is the overall verdict? ▼
DeepSeek wins on model capability; Aliyun wins on Alibaba Cloud integration.