---
title: Qwen
slug: alibaba-qwen
url: "https://toolweight.com/tools/alibaba-qwen"
homepage: "https://qwen.ai"
categories: llm-apis
last_verified: 2026-11-07
dataset_version: 0738be72
license: CC-BY-4.0
---

# Qwen

> Alibaba's model family, huge open-weight range, closed flagship

- The most prolific open-weight family, from tiny edge models to mixture-of-experts systems
- Top-end Max tier held back as API-only
- Served through Alibaba Cloud Model Studio, with regional coverage including Singapore and Sydney
- OpenAI-compatible endpoint makes evaluation cheap

## Identity

|  |  |
| --- | --- |
| Name | Qwen |
| Company | Alibaba Cloud |
| One-liner | Alibaba's model family, huge open-weight range, closed flagship |
| Site | https://qwen.ai |
| Docs | https://www.alibabacloud.com/help/en/model-studio |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Open source | Yes |
| Licence | Apache-2.0 (most open models) |
| Compared in | 1 |

## Where it is compared

### [LLM APIs](https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis)
Ranked **#5 of 18** on default weights.
| Field | Value | Confidence | Verified | Source | Note | Permalink |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Flagship model | Qwen3.7-Max (qwen3.7-max) | Vendor-claimed | 2026-07-30 | https://www.alibabacloud.com/help/en/model-studio/text-generation-model/ | Snapshot qwen3.7-max-2026-05-20. The Max tier is API-only; the open-weight Qwen3 models sit a tier below. | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--flagship_model |
| Context window | 1,000,000 tokens | Vendor-claimed | 2026-07-30 | https://www.alibabacloud.com/help/en/model-studio/text-generation-model/ | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--context_window |
| Max output | 131,072 tokens | Vendor-claimed | 2026-11-07 | https://help.aliyun.com/en/model-studio/qwen3-7-max | Qwen3.7-Max maximum output; the thinking-mode output limit is also 131072 tokens. | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--max_output |
| Image input | ◐ | Inferred | 2026-01-15 | - | Via the Qwen-VL line rather than the flagship text model, which is precisely what this column calls partial, and how Cohere and Z.ai are graded for the same arrangement. The note and the grade now agree. | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--vision |
| Audio in/out | ◐ | Inferred | 2026-01-15 | - | Qwen-Audio and Omni variants exist as separate models. | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--audio_io |
| Open weights | ◐ | Vendor-claimed | 2026-01-15 | https://github.com/QwenLM/Qwen3 | The most prolific open-weight release programme in the category, but the Max flagship is closed. | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--open_weights |
| OpenAI-compat API | ● | Vendor-claimed | 2026-07-30 | https://www.alibabacloud.com/help/en/model-studio/compatibility-of-openai-with-dashscope | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--openai_compatible |
| TTFT p50 | - | Unknown | - | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--ttft_p50 |
| Output tok/s | - | Unknown | - | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--throughput_tps |
| $/M input | $2.5/M tok | Vendor-claimed | 2026-11-06 | https://www.alibabacloud.com/help/en/model-studio/model-pricing | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--price_in |
| $/M output | $7.5/M tok | Vendor-claimed | 2026-11-06 | https://www.alibabacloud.com/help/en/model-studio/model-pricing | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--price_out |
| $/M cache read | $0.25/M tok | Inferred | 2026-07-30 | https://www.alibabacloud.com/help/en/model-studio/context-cache | Explicit-cache hits bill at 10% of the standard input price (implicit-cache hits at 20%); cache creation is 125% of input. Figure is 10% of the $2.50 list. | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--cached_input |
| Batch discount | 50% | Vendor-claimed | 2026-07-30 | https://www.alibabacloud.com/help/en/model-studio/model-pricing | Batch inference is half price; batch and context-caching discounts cannot be combined. | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--batch_discount |
| Tool use | ● | Vendor-claimed | 2026-07-30 | https://www.alibabacloud.com/help/en/model-studio/text-generation-model/ | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--tool_use |
| Schema output | ◐ | Inferred | 2026-01-15 | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--structured_output |
| Effort control | ◐ | Inferred | 2026-01-15 | - | Thinking can be toggled on the hybrid models; no graduated levels. | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--reasoning_effort |
| Computer use | ○ | Inferred | 2026-01-15 | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--computer_use |
| MCP support | ◐ | Inferred | 2026-01-15 | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--mcp_support |
| Cache TTL | Explicit cache 5 min (extends on hit); implicit cache no fixed TTL | Vendor-claimed | 2026-07-30 | https://www.alibabacloud.com/help/en/model-studio/context-cache | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--prompt_cache_ttl |
| Continuity policy | Model Studio exposes dated snapshot IDs alongside rolling aliases, so pinning is possible if you use the dated form. Deprecation notices appear in the console rather than as a public policy page, and the cadence of new Qwen releases means aliases move quickly. Open-weight tiers remove the problem entirely. | Inferred | 2026-01-15 | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--continuity_policy |
| Notice period | 90 days | Vendor-claimed | 2026-11-07 | https://www.alibabacloud.com/help/en/model-studio/model-depreciation | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--deprecation_notice |
| Pinnable versions | ● | Inferred | 2026-01-15 | - | Dated snapshot IDs are published for most models. | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--pinned_snapshots |
| Zero retention | ◐ | Vendor-claimed | 2026-11-07 | https://www.alibabacloud.com/help/en/model-studio/data-retention-policy | Optional enterprise ZDR for supported models in non-mainland regions. The listed Qwen3.7-Max flagship is excluded: qwen-max coverage starts at qwen3.8-max. Default prompts/responses retained up to 30 days, with legal/security exceptions; stateful paths and transient cache have separate rules. | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--zero_retention |
| Trains on your data | ◐ | Inferred | 2026-01-15 | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--trains_on_data |
| AU region | ◐ | Inferred | 2026-01-15 | - | Alibaba Cloud operates a Sydney region, but Model Studio availability there should be confirmed before relying on it. | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--au_region |
| API since | 2023 | Inferred | - | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--launch_year |
| Positioning | The widest open-weight family, plus a closed flagship tier | Inferred | - | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/llm-apis#alibaba-qwen--positioning |

**Verdict.** The best open-weight range, a model at nearly every size and modality; the hosted Max tier is rarely the reason to be here.

## Alternatives

- [Amazon Bedrock](https://toolweight.com/tools/amazon-bedrock), Multi-vendor model access inside your existing AWS account
- [Anthropic](https://toolweight.com/tools/anthropic), Claude models, built around long agentic runs and tool use
- [Cerebras](https://toolweight.com/tools/cerebras), Wafer-scale inference, the fastest tokens per second available
- [Cohere](https://toolweight.com/tools/cohere), Enterprise-focused models built for RAG and private deployment
- [DeepSeek](https://toolweight.com/tools/deepseek), Frontier-adjacent models at a small fraction of Western prices
- [Fireworks AI](https://toolweight.com/tools/fireworks-ai), Fast open-weight inference with strong structured-output support
- [Google Gemini](https://toolweight.com/tools/google-gemini), Gemini via AI Studio for prototyping or Vertex AI for production
- [Groq](https://toolweight.com/tools/groq), Custom LPU silicon serving open-weight models at extreme speed
- [Meta Llama](https://toolweight.com/tools/meta-llama), Open-weight Llama models, hosted almost everywhere but Meta
- [Mistral AI](https://toolweight.com/tools/mistral-ai), European lab with an open-weight lineage and EU-resident hosting
- [Moonshot AI](https://toolweight.com/tools/moonshot-ai), Kimi models, open-weight agentic performance at low cost
- [OpenAI](https://toolweight.com/tools/openai), GPT models plus audio, images and embeddings on one bill

## Licence and attribution

Data from Toolweight (https://toolweight.com), licensed CC-BY-4.0.

- Licence: [CC-BY-4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
- Canonical HTML: https://toolweight.com/tools/alibaba-qwen
- Machine-readable: https://toolweight.com/tools/alibaba-qwen.md · https://toolweight.com/api/v1 · https://toolweight.com/mcp
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