FreeGuide

China Models + API Platforms Free Guide

2026 Free API quotas from Alibaba Cloud, Volcano Engine, SiliconFlow and more

Author: OpenClaw Save Money Editorial TeamUpdated: 2026-03-13T00:00:00.000Z
Reading tip: skim the summary first, then the tables and FAQ, then use the next-step cards below.

Auto-updated by AI, continuously updated

📌 Top Picks

PlatformFree QuotaBest For
Volcano Engine2M Tokens/dayScheduled tasks, automation
SiliconFlow2000 API calls/dayDev & testing
Alibaba CloudNew user free + ¥360 couponQwen series

🔥 Volcano Engine (ByteDance Doubao)

Official Free Quota

  • New users: One-time 2M Tokens after model activation
  • Daily: Reset 2M Tokens every day based on previous usage
  • Forever free: Perfect for scheduled automation scripts

Pricing Reference

  • Doubao models: ~0.0008 CNY/1K Tokens (extremely cheap)
  • Even paid tier is very affordable

How to Get

  1. Visit Volcano Engine
  2. Register and complete real-name verification
  3. Go to console → Create API Key
  4. Use in Coze platform or direct API calls

Best For

  • ✅ Daily news aggregation
  • ✅ Scheduled weather updates
  • ✅ Automated data collection
  • ✅ Regular report generation

⚡ SiliconFlow (SiliconCloud)

Official Free Quota

  • Verified users: 2000 free API calls daily
  • Invite registration: Register with invite code for 20M free Tokens
https://cloud.siliconflow.cn/i/8bNHqanY

(Enter phone number and verification code)

Supported Models

  • DeepSeek V3 / R1
  • Qwen series (Qwen2.5, Qwen3)
  • Zhipu GLM-4
  • Qwen (Tongyi)
  • Thousands of open-source & closed-source models

Best For

  • ✅ Development & testing
  • ✅ Production environment
  • ✅ Model comparison & evaluation
  • ✅ Long text processing

🏢 Alibaba Cloud百炼 (Qwen)

Official Free Quota

  • New users: Free quota for each model
  • 2026 Promotion: ¥360 (personal), ¥1728 (enterprise) coupons

Coding Plan

  • Fixed monthly fee: No token exhaustion anxiety
  • Combined models: Qwen, GLM, Kimi, MiniMax
  • Price: Much lower than regular API calls

Supported Models

  • Qwen series (Qwen2.5, Qwen3)
  • Image generation models
  • Speech models

🧩 Other China Platforms

Tencent Cloud Hunyuan

Zhipu GLM

  • Free quota for new users
  • Supports Coding Plan
  • Zhipu官网

iFlytek Spark


🌍 Overseas API Platforms

Fireworks AI

  • $200 new user credit
  • Llama, DeepSeek models
  • Sign up

Replicate

  • Free credits available
  • Open-source models
  • Sign up

Anyscale


💡 Usage Tips

Combined Strategy

  1. Main model: Volcano Engine (2M/day, most stable)
  2. Dev/Test: SiliconFlow (unlimited calls)
  3. Specific models: Alibaba Cloud (when needing Qwen series)

Gotchas

  • Volcano Engine: Choose China region for free tier
  • SiliconFlow: Consider using multiple accounts when quota runs out
  • Alibaba coupons have expiration dates - use them ASAP

Where next?