Alibaba Ends Free Tier for Qwen Code Amid Strategic Shift
- Alibaba has discontinued the free tier of its Qwen Code, reducing the daily free request quota from 1,000 to just 100.
- Users are now directed to third-party providers like OpenRouter or Alibaba Cloud Coding Plan for cloud-based operations.
- MiniMax also recently changed its licensing terms for its M2.7 model, requiring written authorization for commercial use.
- Chinese open-source models have increased their global usage from about 1.2% in late-2024 to approximately 30% by end-2025.
Alibaba’s decision to shut down the free tier of Qwen Code reflects a strategic pivot towards proprietary development amid competitive pressures and regulatory scrutiny in the AI sector. This move follows similar actions by other Chinese firms like MiniMax, indicating a broader industry trend away from open-source offerings.
The shift highlights the challenges faced by companies balancing innovation with commercial viability in an increasingly competitive landscape, as evidenced by Chinese models’ growing share of global usage. (Source)
