Updated September 28, 2026 · DeployCue Editorial Team
AI/ML API vs Alibaba Cloud DashScope (Qwen)
Compare AI/ML API and Alibaba Cloud DashScope (Qwen) using recorded catalog facts and pricing.
AI/ML API vs Alibaba Cloud DashScope (Qwen): the differences
| Fact | AI/ML API | Alibaba Cloud DashScope (Qwen) |
|---|---|---|
| Input price from | $0.0516 to $41.26 | CN¥0.15 |
| Output price from | $0.138 to $206.31 | CN¥0.50 |
| Largest context window | 1,050,000Higher | 1,000,000 |
| Models offered | GPT 5.6 Sol, GPT 5.5, GPT 5, GPT 4.1, GPT 4o, GPT 4, GPT OSS 120B, Claude Opus 5, Claude Opus 5.5, Claude Opus 4.8, Claude Fable 5.1, Claude Sonnet 5, Gemini 3.8 Flash, Gemini 3.5 Flash, Gemini 2.5 Pro, Gemini 2.5 Flash, Gemma 4 31B, Grok 4.6, Grok Imagine Video, Grok 4.20, DeepSeek V4 Pro, DeepSeek R1, Qwen3.7 Max, Kimi K2.6, MiniMax M3, Fugu Ultra, Laguna S 2.1, Seed 2.1 Turbo, FLUX 3 Video, FLUX 2 Pro, Wan 3.0 Video, Seedance 2.5, Kling 3.0 Pro, Qwen Image 3, Nova 3 General, ERNIE 5.0, Command A | Not confirmed |
| Free credits | Not confirmed | 1,000,000 tokens free per model, valid for 90 days |
Same on both: OpenAI-compatible API (Yes).
Key differences
- AI/ML API scores higher overall: 9.50 vs 9.30.
- Largest context window is higher at AI/ML API: 1,050,000 vs 1,000,000.
Score breakdown
| Area | AI/ML API | Alibaba Cloud DashScope (Qwen) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.30Fees are per model and per token with a minimum top-up, and entry input ranks 32 of 71. | 9.60HigherInput from CNY 0.15 and output from CNY 0.50 are low headline token rates, though listed in CNY. |
| Offer | 9.70HigherA context window of 1,050,000 tokens and an OpenAI-compatible endpoint sit behind from 1,000 providers, and the free tier is not available. | 9.10OpenAI-compatible access, 1,000,000 tokens free per model, valid for 90 days, and a 1,000,000 context window cover most prototyping work. |
Licences and countries
| Country | AI/ML API | Alibaba Cloud DashScope (Qwen) |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | United Arab Emirates | Not confirmed |
Pick AI/ML API if, pick Alibaba Cloud DashScope (Qwen) if
Pick AI/ML API if offer and largest context window matter most.
Pick Alibaba Cloud DashScope (Qwen) if cost matter most.
Area by area
AI/ML API
- Cost9.3
- Offer9.7
Alibaba Cloud DashScope (Qwen)
- Cost9.6
- Offer9.1
- On cost the two are close: Alibaba Cloud DashScope (Qwen) 9.6, AI/ML API 9.3.
- AI/ML API leads on offer by 0.6 points (9.7 vs 9.1).
Every fact side by side
| Fact | AI/ML API | Alibaba Cloud DashScope (Qwen) |
|---|---|---|
| Legal entity | Boiler Labs FZ-LLC | Not confirmed |
| Headquarters | United Arab Emirates | Not confirmed |
| Support channels | Email, Chat, Help centre, Community | Not confirmed |
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