The Rise of Token Plans in China in 2026: Are Coding Plans Disappearing?
Over the past year, China’s AI subscription market has undergone a major transformation. Traditional Coding Plans, once popular for offering low-cost unlimited AI coding resources, are gradually fading from the mainstream. Replacing them is the Token Plan subscription model, which is better suited for large-scale model inference and resource scheduling.
The reasons are straightforward:
- Heavy users consume massive inference resources, making unlimited Coding Plans increasingly expensive to maintain
- Cloud vendors are shifting from growth-through-subsidies toward sustainable monetization
- Token-based billing is more suitable for unified management of multi-model and multimodal AI systems
- Enterprise customers prefer quota-based purchasing with precise budget control
Currently, Alibaba Cloud, Tencent Cloud, MiniMax, and Xiaomi MiMo have all launched mature Token Plan products. For developers, collaborative teams, and enterprise users, understanding the differences between these plans has become increasingly important.
This article provides a comprehensive comparison of today’s mainstream Token Plans in China.
1. Alibaba Cloud Token Plan
Access:
https://dashi.aliyun.com/activity/aigc
Alibaba Cloud Bailian’s Token Plan is mainly designed for team collaboration scenarios. It uses a Credits-based quota system supporting both text and image model calls, while remaining compatible with mainstream AI coding tools and agent platforms.
Key features include:
- Unified quota pool across multiple AI models
- Seat-based subscription management
- Optimized for high-frequency coding scenarios
- Supports code generation, AI agents, and image generation
Alibaba Cloud Token Plan Pricing
| Seat Type | Price | Monthly Credits | Target Users |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | ¥198/seat/month | 25,000 Credits | Light AI-assisted development |
| Advanced | ¥698/seat/month | 100,000 Credits | High-frequency developers |
| Premium | ¥1,398/seat/month | 250,000 Credits | Teams heavily relying on AI |
Supported Models
Text Models
- qwen3.6-plus
- glm-5
- MiniMax-M2.5
- deepseek-v3.2
Image Models
- qwen-image-2.0
- qwen-image-2.0-pro
- wan2.7-image
- wan2.7-image-pro
Billing Mechanism
Alibaba Cloud uses a dynamic Credits consumption model based on:
- Input token count
- Cache hit ratio
- Output token count
- Whether reasoning mode is enabled
- Whether external toolchains are invoked
Using qwen3.6-plus as an example:
| Token Type | Quantity | Credits Consumed |
|---|---|---|
| Input Tokens | 8,349 | 1.67 |
| Cached Tokens | 40,794 | 1.63 |
| Output Tokens | 573 | 0.69 |
| Total | — | Approximately 4 Credits |
2. Tencent Cloud Token Plan
Access:
https://console.cloud.tencent.com/tokenhub/tokenplan/common
Tencent Cloud divides its Token Plans into personal and enterprise editions, making it one of the most accessible offerings among major Chinese cloud providers.
Features include:
- Separate plans for individuals and enterprises
- Lower per-million-token cost with larger plans
- Compatible with CodeBuddy, Cursor, and Claude Code
- Some models cost over 50% less than direct API pricing
Tencent Cloud Personal Plans
| Plan | Usage Limit | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Lite | 35 Million Tokens/month | ¥39 |
| Standard | 100 Million Tokens/month | ¥99 |
| Pro | 320 Million Tokens/month | ¥299 |
| Max | 650 Million Tokens/month | ¥599 |
Tencent Cloud Enterprise Edition
| Configuration | Details |
|---|---|
| Monthly Budget | ¥5,000–¥20,000/month |
| Increment Step | ¥5,000 per tier |
| Subscription Duration | 1–12 months |
| Scaling Method | Ticket or sales request |
Supported Models
Personal Edition
- Tencent HY 2.0 Instruct
- Tencent HY 2.0 Think
- MiniMax-M2.5
- MiniMax-M2.7
- Kimi-K2.5
- GLM-5
- GLM-5.1
Enterprise Edition
- Auto Smart Routing Model
- GLM-5
- Kimi-K2.5
- MiniMax-M2.5
Billing Details
Personal Edition:
- Input tokens consume quota
- Cached tokens are also counted
- Output tokens deduct quota as well
Enterprise Edition:
- Prepaid credits pool system
- Supports quota allocation across multiple API keys
- Better suited for team budget management
3. MiniMax Token Plan
After upgrading from Coding Plan to Token Plan, MiniMax introduced a fully multimodal subscription ecosystem.
Supported modalities include:
- Text
- Speech
- Images
- Video
- Music
MiniMax also separates plans into:
- Standard Edition
- High-Speed Edition (M2.7-highspeed)
Standard Edition Plans
| Plan | Starter | Plus | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | ¥29/month | ¥49/month | ¥119/month |
| M2.7 Calls | 600 calls/5 hours | 1500 calls/5 hours | 4500 calls/5 hours |
| Speech 2.8 | — | 4000 characters/day | 11000 characters/day |
| image-01 | — | 50 images/day | 120 images/day |
| Video Generation | — | — | 2 videos/day |
| Music 2.6 | 100 songs/day | 100 songs/day | 100 songs/day |
High-Speed Edition Plans
| Plan | Plus High-Speed | Max High-Speed | Ultra High-Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | ¥98/month | ¥199/month | ¥899/month |
| High-Speed Calls | 1500 calls/5 hours | 4500 calls/5 hours | 30000 calls/5 hours |
| Speech | 9000 characters/day | 19000 characters/day | 50000 characters/day |
| Images | 100/day | 200/day | 800/day |
| Video | — | 3/day | 5/day |
| Music | 100 songs/day | 100 songs/day | 100 songs/day |
Billing Mechanism
MiniMax uses a request-based quota model:
- Standard Edition uses regular inference resources
- High-Speed Edition uses priority inference resources
- The main difference lies in response speed and resource priority
4. Xiaomi MiMo Token Plan
MiMo adopts a classic Credits package system focused on AI development subscriptions.
Compatible with:
- OpenCode
- OpenClaw
- Claude Code
Pricing Plans
| Plan | Annual Price | Total Credits | Benefit Multiplier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lite | ¥411.84/year | 720 Million | Basic Tier |
| Standard | ¥1045.44/year | 2.4 Billion | 3.3x |
| Pro | ¥3474.24/year | 8.4 Billion | 11.7x |
| Max | ¥6959.04/year | 19.2 Billion | 26.7x |
Supported Models
- MiMo-V2-Pro
- MiMo-V2.5-Pro
- MiMo-V2-Omni
- MiMo-V2.5
- MiMo-V2-TTS
- MiMo-V2.5-TTS
- VoiceClone
- VoiceDesign
Billing Rules
- Credits are deducted based on token usage
- Pro and Omni models consume credits at a 1:2 ratio
- TTS models are currently free and do not consume plan quota
5. Overall Comparison of the Four Token Plans
| Platform | Starting Price | Main Advantage | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alibaba Cloud | ¥198/month | Enterprise-grade Credits system | Team development |
| Tencent Cloud | ¥39/month | Low entry cost with huge token quotas | Individuals & small teams |
| MiniMax | ¥29/month | Full multimodal subscription | Creators & developers |
| Xiaomi MiMo | ¥411.84/year | Massive quota packages | Heavy coding users |
6. How to Choose the Right Token Plan?
If You Have a Limited Budget
Recommended:
- Tencent Cloud Lite
- MiniMax Starter
Suitable for light AI-assisted coding.
If You Code Frequently
Recommended:
- Tencent Cloud Pro
- Alibaba Cloud Advanced Seat
Balanced between cost and usage volume.
If You Need Multimodal Capabilities
Recommended:
- MiniMax
- Xiaomi MiMo
Better support for image, voice, and video generation.
For Enterprise Teams
Recommended:
- Alibaba Cloud Token Plan
- Tencent Cloud Enterprise Edition
More mature management capabilities.
7. FAQ
1. What’s the difference between a Token Plan and a traditional Coding Plan?
Coding Plans usually focus on fixed subscription privileges, while Token Plans fundamentally manage AI resource consumption through quotas, making them more suitable for large-model inference scenarios.
2. Which Token Plan is the cheapest?
MiniMax Starter has the lowest entry price at ¥29/month, followed by Tencent Cloud Lite at ¥39/month.
3. Is Tencent Cloud Token Plan suitable for individuals?
Yes. The personal plans have a low entry barrier and provide token quotas in the hundreds of millions, making them developer-friendly.
4. Why is Alibaba Cloud Token Plan more expensive?
Alibaba Cloud targets team collaboration scenarios, offering seat management, multi-model orchestration, and enterprise-grade security, resulting in a different positioning.
5. Is MiniMax High-Speed Edition worth upgrading to?
If you require high-frequency requests and faster inference speed, the High-Speed Edition is worthwhile. Casual users can stick with the Standard Edition.
6. Are MiMo Credits and Tokens the same thing?
Not exactly. Credits are the subscription resource unit, while backend consumption is calculated based on token usage.
8. Final Thoughts
In 2026, China’s AI subscription market has officially transitioned from the era of “unlimited Coding Plans” to the Token Plan era.
If you care most about value for money:
- Tencent Cloud is the most balanced option
If you prioritize multimodal capabilities:
- MiniMax stands out clearly
If you are managing team development:
- Alibaba Cloud offers the most mature enterprise ecosystem
If you are a heavy AI coding user:
- Xiaomi MiMo provides the most aggressive quota allocation
Looking ahead, subscription trends will likely continue evolving toward quota-based billing, model aggregation, and unified multimodal pricing. Token Plans are expected to become the dominant standard.
If you are currently choosing an AI coding subscription, these four providers represent the mainstream options available in China today.
