Chinese AI Tools

Best Chinese AI Tools in 2026

Discover Chinese AI tools, models, and companies. Compare global access, VPN requirements, open-source status, pricing, and recent releases.

57
Chinese AI Tools
48
Globally Accessible
3
Open Source
2
China Only
Data Quality

Database Status & Recent Updates

AI Tech Hub tracks international access, pricing/access information, API availability, open-source status, and model/product updates for Chinese AI tools. Data is refreshed regularly to reflect the latest changes.

Last checked
September 26, 2026
Tools tracked
57
Models tracked
26
Global access
48
Editorial Picks

Best Chinese AI Tools by Category

Hand-picked selections based on live verified accessibility, developer capabilities, and open-weight models.

Best first tryGlobal access

Qwen Studio

Alibaba Cloud

Start here if you want a Chinese AI tool that is easiest to access internationally.

Best for developersAPI available

Baidu Qianfan

Prioritize this lane when API access, pricing, and production integration matter.

Best open-source laneOpen source

Cherry Studio

Cherry Studio

Useful when you want self-hosting, fine-tuning, or more control over data.

Best creative laneCreative AI

Jimeng Video

ByteDance

A good starting point for image, video, and multimodal Chinese AI tools.

New & Notable

New & Notable Chinese AI

Recent product additions and verified model releases from Chinese AI companies.

AI Agent

QwenWork

Alibaba Cloud

Alibaba's all-in-one workplace AI agent platform combining web development, document creation, multimodal generation, browser automation, and enterprise system integration. Built on Qwen3.8-Max and integrated with DingTalk. International edition launched Aug 26, 2026.

Freemium (subscription + credits, 4 tiers: Economy/Basic/Advanced/Flagship)View tool โ†’
Code Assistant

ZCode

Zhipu AI

Agentic Development Environment (ADE) built by Zhipu AI as the official harness for GLM-5.3. Features long-horizon task execution, stable context retention, multi-agent collaboration, and cross-device control via Feishu/WeChat bots. Includes GLM-5.3-Flash for multimodal tasks.

Free tier + Coding Plan ($18+/mo)View tool โ†’
Code Assistant

CodeBuddy

Tencent Cloud

Tencent Cloud's AI-powered programming assistant supporting IDE, Plugin, and CLI forms. Features intelligent requirements analysis, design-to-code conversion, one-click deployment, BaaS integration, and multi-model support including Hunyuan and DeepSeek. International version at codebuddy.ai.

Free tierView tool โ†’
AI Assistant

LingGuang

Ant Group

Ant Group's full-modal general AI assistant featuring code-driven outputs, Flash Apps (instant mini-app generation), and multimodal content generation (3D, audio, video, charts). Available on web, iOS, and Android. Launched Nov 18, 2025, surpassed 1M downloads in 4 days.

FreeView tool โ†’
Design Agent

Lovart

Lovart Team

Global agentic design platform using MCoT (Mind Chain of Thought) reasoning engine to plan and execute complete brand campaigns on an infinite canvas. Integrates best-in-class models (Nano Banana, Seedream, Kling, Veo 3) and routes tasks automatically. English-first, global market focus.

Freemium (subscription, pricing not publicly disclosed)View tool โ†’
Use Cases

Best Chinese AI Tools by Need

Start with your use case, then explore the full directory or compare tools side by side.

Chat & Reasoning

Conversational AI assistants for complex reasoning, coding, and multilingual tasks.

Coding

AI-powered development assistants for code generation, debugging, and software engineering.

Video Generation

Create professional videos from text prompts using AI video generation models like Kling and Wan.

Images & Design

Generate and edit images with AI-powered creative tools for design and content creation.

Open Source / Local Use

Self-hostable models and open-source tools for local deployment and customization.

International Access

Tools accessible globally without VPN or Chinese phone number requirements.

Ecosystem

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ Chinese AI Ecosystem

Jump into the companies, models, tools, reviews, news and community activity shaping Chinese AI

Complete Directory

All Chinese AI Tools

57 tools from Chinese AI companies. Search by name or filter by access, pricing, open-source, VPN and registration requirements.

57 of 57 tools

Kling AI

Kuaishou Technology

Kling AI is a sophisticated tool for generating images and videos, tailored for creators who want to craft imaginative content using advanced generative AI techniques. Its unique feature is the dual binding of visual identity and vocal tone, which facilitates a smooth approach to multimedia storytelling.

GlobalFreemium

Cherry Studio

Cherry Studio

Cherry Studio serves as a multifaceted AI productivity tool, incorporating over 300 AI models, including those from OpenAI and Claude. This makes it an excellent choice for users looking for a well-rounded AI assistant. One of its standout features is compatibility with multiple operating systems, such as Windows, macOS, and Linux, which supports a wide array of applications in areas like AI dialogue, knowledge management, and creative tasks.

GlobalOSSFree | Open Source

Tongyi Lingma

Alibaba Cloud

Tongyi Lingma is an intelligent coding assistant created by Alibaba Cloud, aimed at improving the coding experience for developers. It includes features such as smart code generation, intelligent question-and-answer capabilities, and the ability to edit multiple files simultaneously, distinguishing it within the AI coding landscape.

GlobalFree | Enterprise

Jimeng AI

ByteDance

Jimeng AI is a versatile creative platform that focuses on generating images and videos through artificial intelligence. Tailored for artists, content creators, and marketers, it includes distinctive features that streamline creative workflows and facilitate the integration of visual components.

GlobalFree

GLM

Zhipu AI

GLM serves as a versatile AI assistant, facilitating smooth conversations, writing tasks, and programming inquiries. It is tailored for individuals aiming to boost their productivity and creativity through insightful interactions. What truly distinguishes it from other chatbots is its ability to comprehend images and documents.

GlobalFree | Freemium

Spark

iFlytek

Spark is an AI chatbot created by iFlytek, designed to comprehend and perform tasks through natural conversation. It serves users who need intelligent help across various areas, such as language understanding and problem-solving. Its distinctive strength lies in its ability to integrate knowledge from different domains and apply reasoning effectively.

GlobalFree

Kimi

Moonshot AI

Kimi is an AI chatbot developed to support developers and businesses in boosting their productivity. It includes distinctive features such as Agent Swarm for effective task management and the ability to transform documents into reusable skills, distinguishing it from other chatbots available today.

GlobalFreemium

Hunyuan Chat

Tencent

Hunyuan Chat is an AI chatbot crafted by Tencent, aimed at promoting natural conversations and delivering intelligent responses. It serves both businesses and individuals looking to improve customer engagement and streamline communication. A key strength of Hunyuan Chat lies in its sophisticated language processing capabilities, complemented by its integration with Tencent's wide-ranging ecosystem.

GlobalFree | Freemium | Paid

Fitten Code

Fitten Tech

Fitten Code serves as an AI coding assistant crafted to help developers write and debug code more effectively. It is tailored for those who need a dependable tool for generating code and resolving issues, distinguishing itself through its sophisticated natural language processing features.

GlobalFreemium

DeepSeek

DeepSeek

Deepseek is a sophisticated AI tool tailored for developers and businesses aiming to utilize advanced generative AI models. It distinguishes itself through its wide-ranging capabilities in natural language processing and code generation, having introduced several high-parameter models in a remarkably short period.

GlobalFreemium | Paid

LiblibAI

LiblibAI

LiblibAI is an AI image creation platform tailored for artists and creators. It distinguishes itself with a community-driven model sharing system that boasts over 100,000 free downloadable models, complemented by innovative online AI drawing tools.

GlobalFree

Doubao

ByteDance

Doubao, an AI chatbot crafted by ByteDance, is tailored to support users in intelligent dialogue, content creation, and programming endeavors. Its noteworthy integration with the Seedance 2.0 video generation model allows it to deliver distinct multimedia functionalities.

GlobalFree

Yuanbao

Tencent

Yuanbao is an AI chatbot developed by Tencent, designed to function as a smart assistant for users. It not only provides answers to questions but also supports creative tasks, appealing to those who seek an engaging and intelligent conversational partner. This chatbot offers a distinctive combination of information retrieval and creative assistance.

GlobalFree | Freemium

Yi Chat

01.AI

Yi Chat is an innovative AI chatbot created by 01.AI, aimed at boosting human productivity through smart conversational interfaces. It caters to enterprises that are eager to adopt AI solutions to improve customer interactions and streamline operational processes, utilizing advanced technology to provide customized responses.

GlobalFreemium | Paid

ERNIE Bot

Baidu

ERNIE Bot, created by Baidu, is an AI-driven chatbot designed to function as both a conversational partner and an intelligent assistant. It caters to users aiming to boost their productivity through engaging dialogue, creative writing, and effective task management. What sets ERNIE Bot apart from traditional chatbots is its unique ability to recognize images and translate text, enhancing its overall functionality.

GlobalFree

Jimeng Video

ByteDance

Jimeng Video is an AI-driven platform that enables users to create high-quality videos using straightforward text prompts or images. Tailored for content creators, marketers, and anyone eager to elevate their video production, this tool offers seamless video generation along with sophisticated control over various video elements.

GlobalFree | Freemium

GPT-SoVITS

Rcell / Community

GPT-SoVITS is an open-source AI voice tool designed for the creation of high-quality text-to-speech (TTS) models using minimal voice data. It caters specifically to developers and researchers focused on voice cloning and TTS applications, providing unique features such as few-shot learning to enhance voice realism.

GlobalOSSOpen Source

Vega AI

Vega AI

Vega AI is an innovative AI image generation tool tailored for artists, marketers, and content creators. It is notable for its capacity to generate high-quality, customizable images based on parameters defined by users.

GlobalFreemium

SenseNova

SenseTime

SenseNova is an AI chatbot created by SenseTime that aims to improve customer interactions through advanced natural language processing. It is particularly useful for businesses that want to automate communication and boost user engagement, thanks to its nuanced understanding of context and intent.

GlobalFreemium | Paid

MiniMax Chat

MiniMax

MiniMax Chat is an AI chatbot tailored for businesses and individuals who require effective communication tools. Its sophisticated natural language processing abilities allow it to grasp and respond to user inquiries with impressive accuracy.

GlobalFreemium

Tongyi Wanxiang

Alibaba Cloud

Tongyi Wanxiang is an AI creative platform developed by Alibaba Cloud that allows users to create images and videos from text descriptions and vice versa. This platform is tailored for creators and businesses aiming to improve their content creation workflows through advanced artificial intelligence. Its distinctive ability to produce high-quality visual content distinguishes it from other offerings in the market.

GlobalFree | Freemium | Paid

CogView

Zhipu AI

CogView is an AI-driven image generation tool that transforms textual descriptions into high-quality images. Tailored for artists, designers, and content creators, it provides a swift and effective way to visualize ideas. Its distinctive capability to produce intricate images from complex prompts distinguishes it within the AI sector.

GlobalFree | Freemium

Manus AI

Manus

Manus AI is a sophisticated AI agent designed to streamline workflows and perform tasks for businesses. What sets it apart is its ability to help users create presentations, build websites, and develop applications with minimal effort. This makes it an excellent option for professionals aiming for greater efficiency and creativity in their work.

GlobalFreemium | Paid

Hunyuan Video

Tencent

Hunyuan Video is an AI-driven video creation platform tailored for content creators and marketers. Its standout feature is the ability to automate video editing and generation, catering to users with a range of expertise levels.

GlobalFreemium

Miaobi

Xiaomi

Miaobi is an AI image generation tool developed by Xiaomi that enables users to create high-quality images from text prompts. Aimed at artists, marketers, and content creators, it offers innovative visual solutions. One of its standout features is the ability to produce detailed and contextually relevant images in a short time frame.

GlobalFree | Freemium | Paid

Metaso

Metaso

Metaso is an AI search tool that delivers direct search results without the interruption of advertisements. It is tailored for users who prioritize efficient information retrieval, setting it apart from many other options available today.

GlobalFree

CodeGeeX

Zhipu AI

CodeGeeX is an AI-driven coding assistant tailored to assist developers by offering code snippets and automating tasks such as code translation and commenting. Its extensive multilingual model supports over 20 programming languages, making it a practical tool for programmers at any skill level.

GlobalOSSFree

Comate

Baidu

Comate is an AI coding tool created by Baidu, designed to help developers write and debug code more effectively. It caters to both beginners and seasoned programmers by offering intelligent suggestions and automating code generation, which simplifies the coding workflow. What distinguishes Comate is its seamless integration with Baidu's AI capabilities, which enhances productivity through a sophisticated understanding of context.

GlobalFree

WHEE

Meitu

WHEE is an AI-driven tool designed for image generation and editing, catering to users eager to craft and refine visual content with minimal effort. Its intuitive interface enables individuals to articulate their artistic visions in everyday language, making it accessible to both beginners and seasoned professionals.

GlobalFreemium

Hailuo AI

MiniMax

Hailuo AI is a video generation platform that converts written text into engaging visual content. It is specifically designed for creators who want to produce high-quality videos efficiently, utilizing advanced AI technology to simplify the video-making process.

GlobalFree | Freemium | Paid

Tencent AI Search

Tencent

Tencent AI Search serves as a knowledge-centric AI workspace aimed at improving the efficiency of searching, reading, and writing tasks. It caters to individuals who have substantial demands for acquiring knowledge, processing information, and generating content, utilizing advanced AI technologies developed by Tencent.

GlobalFree

Baidu AI Search

Baidu

Baidu AI Search stands out as a prominent search engine in China, offering users rapid access to a wide range of information drawn from an extensive collection of Chinese web pages. Tailored for Chinese-speaking individuals, it excels in providing relevant search results through its comprehensive indexing and approachable interface.

GlobalFree

Spark Audio

iFlytek

Spark Audio is an AI voice tool created by iFlytek, aimed at developers who want to incorporate advanced voice interaction features into their applications. With a comprehensive SDK, it facilitates smooth human-computer voice communication, distinguishing itself through its emphasis on voice technology solutions.

GlobalFree | Paid

InstantX

InstantX

InstantX is an AI image generation tool tailored for artists, marketers, and content creators. Its standout feature is the ability to produce high-quality images swiftly and intuitively, making it user-friendly for individuals with varying levels of experience.

GlobalFreemium

AutoGLM

Zhipu AI

AutoGLM is an innovative AI assistant tailored for a range of tasks, including conversation, writing, and programming. It provides users with a flexible tool designed to boost creativity and productivity, thanks to its adept understanding of both text and images. What truly sets it apart is its extensive support across multiple domains, catering to a variety of user needs.

GlobalFreemium

Vidu AI

ShengShu AI

Vidu AI is a sophisticated text-to-video generation tool tailored for marketers and content creators. It enables users to produce personalized videos swiftly and effectively, distinguishing itself from conventional video production techniques.

GlobalFreemium

Qwen

Alibaba Cloud

Qwen is an AI-driven tool created by Alibaba Group, aimed at improving user interactions through sophisticated chat functionalities. It caters to both individuals and businesses, helping them streamline communication and enhance customer engagement. What sets Qwen apart is its deep integration with Alibaba's ecosystem, which provides unique features specifically designed for a variety of applications.

GlobalFreemium

Trae AI

ByteDance

Trae AI is an innovative coding assistant that aims to boost developer productivity by integrating smoothly into their existing workflows. It provides a suite of tools designed for both solo programmers and collaborative teams, featuring unique capabilities that enhance teamwork and optimize performance.

GlobalFree

Mureka

Kunlun Tech

Mureka is an AI-driven music generator that crafts original melodies, songs, and lyrics specifically designed for content creators, musicians, and filmmakers. Its sophisticated technology enables users to produce high-quality, royalty-free music quickly and with ease, distinguishing it from conventional music creation processes.

GlobalFreemium

PixVerse

PixVerse

PixVerse is an AI-driven video generation platform that fundamentally changes the way visual content is produced and experienced. Tailored for both professionals and hobbyists, it offers a suite of advanced features that facilitate real-time, high-quality video creation. Its distinct multimodal capabilities distinguish it from other AI video tools in a crowded market.

GlobalFreemium | Paid

Fish Audio

Fish Audio

Fish Audio is a sophisticated AI voice tool that excels in text-to-speech and voice cloning. Tailored for creators and developers, it delivers high-quality voice generation with a focus on emotional expression. One of its standout features is the vast library of over 2 million voices, along with the capability to manipulate emotional nuances in real-time.

GlobalFreemium | Paid

DevChat

DevChat

DevChat serves as an AI coding assistant aimed at developers who want to improve their coding efficiency and problem-solving skills. What sets it apart is its ability to provide real-time code suggestions and debugging support that align with the unique coding styles and preferences of individual users.

GlobalFreemium

LingGuang

Ant Group

Ant Group's full-modal general AI assistant featuring code-driven outputs, Flash Apps (instant mini-app generation), and multimodal content generation (3D, audio, video, charts). Available on web, iOS, and Android. Launched Nov 18, 2025, surpassed 1M downloads in 4 days.

GlobalFree

ZCode

Zhipu AI

Agentic Development Environment (ADE) built by Zhipu AI as the official harness for GLM-5.3. Features long-horizon task execution, stable context retention, multi-agent collaboration, and cross-device control via Feishu/WeChat bots. Includes GLM-5.3-Flash for multimodal tasks.

GlobalFree tier + Coding Plan ($18+/mo)

CodeBuddy

Tencent Cloud

Tencent Cloud's AI-powered programming assistant supporting IDE, Plugin, and CLI forms. Features intelligent requirements analysis, design-to-code conversion, one-click deployment, BaaS integration, and multi-model support including Hunyuan and DeepSeek. International version at codebuddy.ai.

GlobalFree tier

Lovart

Lovart Team

Global agentic design platform using MCoT (Mind Chain of Thought) reasoning engine to plan and execute complete brand campaigns on an infinite canvas. Integrates best-in-class models (Nano Banana, Seedream, Kling, Veo 3) and routes tasks automatically. English-first, global market focus.

GlobalFreemium (subscription, pricing not publicly disclosed)

Baidu Qianfan

Baidu Cloud platform for model access, agent development, tools and MCP.

Paid

Baichuan AI Platform

Baichuan AI Platform provides hosted access to Baichuan large language models and enterprise AI capabilities through official APIs and platform services.

China-onlyPaid

Kimi Code

Kimi Code is Moonshot AI coding assistance for developer workflows through supported terminal and IDE experiences.

Freemium

WorkBuddy

AI agent workspace for complex workplace tasks.

Freemium

iFlytek Spark Agent

iFlytek platform for building and deploying customized AI agents.

Freemium

Tencent Cloud ADP

Enterprise platform for building and deploying AI agents.

Paid

Alibaba Wukong

Alibaba enterprise AI-native agent platform for coordinated business workflows.

Paid

360 Agent

One-stop AI application development platform with workflows, tools, memory and prompt libraries.

Freemium

Quark AI

Alibaba Cloud

Quark AI, developed by Alibaba, is an advanced AI search engine tailored for Chinese users. It leverages AI technology to deliver rapid and relevant search results across a variety of domains including news and literature.

China-onlyFree

Qwen Studio

Alibaba Cloud

Qwen Studio is Alibaba Cloud's user-facing AI assistant for chat, reasoning, writing, coding, document analysis, web search, and multimodal tasks. It is powered by the Qwen model family and is separate from Qwen's developer API and model listings.

GlobalFree

QwenWork

Alibaba Cloud

Alibaba's all-in-one workplace AI agent platform combining web development, document creation, multimodal generation, browser automation, and enterprise system integration. Built on Qwen3.8-Max and integrated with DingTalk. International edition launched Aug 26, 2026.

GlobalFreemium (subscription + credits, 4 tiers: Economy/Basic/Advanced/Flagship)
Models

Latest Chinese AI Models

Newest verified model releases from Chinese AI companies.

View all Chinese AI models โ†’
At a glance

Quick Comparison

Compare key factors such as pricing, global access, API availability and open-source status before exploring the full details.

Showing 8 of 57 tools

Swipe horizontally to compare access, open source, and API โ†’

Chinese AI tools access, pricing, licensing, and API comparison
ToolCompanyPricingAccessOpen sourceAPICompare
Kling AIKuaishou TechnologyFreemiumGlobalNo VPNNoYesAlternatives โ†’
Cherry StudioCherry StudioFree | Open SourceGlobalNo VPNYesNoAlternatives โ†’
Tongyi LingmaAlibaba CloudFree | EnterpriseGlobalNo VPNNoYesAlternatives โ†’
Jimeng AIByteDanceFreeGlobalNo VPNNoYesAlternatives โ†’
GLMZhipu AIFree | FreemiumGlobalNo VPNNoYesAlternatives โ†’
SparkiFlytekFreeGlobalNo VPNNoYesAlternatives โ†’
KimiMoonshot AIFreemiumGlobalNo VPNNoYesAlternatives โ†’
Hunyuan ChatTencentFree | Freemium | PaidGlobalNo VPNNoYesAlternatives โ†’
Global Access

Global Access & Requirements

Access varies by region, phone requirement, VPN requirement, and product/account availability.48 of the 57 tools are globally accessible without a VPN, while 2 require a Chinese phone number for mainland China access. Always verify current requirements before relying on a tool for your specific location.

Globally accessible
48
China-only
2
VPN required
None required
Chinese phone verification
Not required

Access varies by product and region. Always verify current requirements before relying on a tool for your specific location.

Benchmarks

Chinese AI Benchmark Scores

Real, recorded benchmark scores โ€” no estimates. A benchmark needs two or more results before it can be ranked.

๐Ÿ“Š Single recorded scores

Only one model has a published result on these benchmarks so far, so there is nothing to rank it against.

  • Terminal-Bench Hard ยท Qwen3.7-Max ยท Alibaba50.8 %
  • SWE-bench Verified ยท DeepSeek-V4-Pro ยท DeepSeek80.6 %
Companies

Chinese AI Companies

Explore the companies behind the tools and models tracked in this directory.

Explore all Chinese AI companies โ†’
TencentInternational

Tech conglomerate developing Hunyuan models and consumer AI apps (Yuanbao, Tencent AI Search). Also operates Tencent Cloud with CodeBuddy coding assistant.

4 tools ยท 1 models
Tencent CloudInternational

Tencent Cloud division; develops CodeBuddy AI coding assistant (IDE/CLI/Plugin).

1 tools ยท 0 models
HuaweiInternational

Telecom and tech giant developing Pangu models. openPangu 2.0 Pro released under MIT license.

0 tools ยท 1 models
StepFunInternational

AI startup developing Step series models including Step-3.5-Flash.

0 tools ยท 1 models
SenseTimeInternational

AI software company developing SenseNova models and AI infrastructure.

1 tools ยท 0 models
Kunlun TechInternational

Develops Mureka music/audio AI generation platform.

1 tools ยท 0 models
XiaomiInternational

Consumer electronics and AI company developing MiMo models and the Miaobi productivity tool. Open-weight releases under MIT license.

1 tools ยท 1 models
Ant GroupInternational

Alibaba affiliate; develops LingGuang multimodal AI assistant with code-driven outputs and Flash Apps. Also operates Alipay and financial services.

1 tools ยท 0 models
iFlytekInternational

Speech and AI technology leader developing Spark models and consumer apps. API available via iFlytek Open Platform.

2 tools ยท 0 models
Alibaba CloudInternational

Cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group; develops the Qwen model family and operates AI platforms including Model Studio (QwenCloud), QwenWork, and Tongyi Lingma.

5 tools ยท 2 models
BaiduInternational

Chinese search giant developing ERNIE models and the Miaoda no-code application platform. API available via Baidu AI Cloud (Qianfan).

3 tools ยท 1 models
ByteDanceInternational

Parent of TikTok; develops Doubao/Seed models via Volcano Engine (domestic) and BytePlus ModelArk (international). Also develops consumer apps Jimeng AI, Doubao, and developer tools.

4 tools ยท 1 models

+6 more companies

Browse by Category

Explore Chinese AI Across Categories

Chinese AI tools span chatbots, coding assistants, creative generation, and specialized enterprise workflows

All AI Categories โ†’
Reviews

In-Depth Chinese AI Reviews

Full ratings, benchmarks, pricing and honest verdicts

Comparisons

Chinese AI Comparisons

Head-to-head guides for practical buying decisions

International Access

Can You Actually Use These Outside China?

Practical guides for global users checking access, phone verification, APIs and open-source options

Fresh

Recently Updated Tools

The most recently refreshed Chinese AI tools in our directory

News

Chinese AI News

Latest articles and analysis on Chinese AI

Guide

About Chinese AI Tools

Chinese AI Ecosystem

Chinese AI spans three layers: tools (consumer apps), models (LLMs, vision, video), and the companies building them. This page tracks 57 product tools, 26models, and 33 companies โ€” all sourced from Chinese labs or Chinese-founded entities.

Tools vs Models

Tools are consumer-facing applications (chatbots, generators). Models are the underlying weights and APIs developers build on. A single company may offer both โ€” e.g., DeepSeek operates a chatbot and publishes model weights; Zhipu runs GLM chat and provides GLM APIs.

Global vs China-Only Access

48 of the 57 product tools we track are globally accessible without a VPN.2 remain restricted to mainland China. Access status changes as companies launch international versions โ€” always verify in the comparison table above before relying on a tool.

Open-Weight vs Proprietary

DeepSeek, Qwen, GLM, Kimi, and Baidu publish open-weight model families under permissive licenses (MIT, Apache-2.0). Others like Doubao, Kling, and Hunyuan remain proprietary โ€” accessible only via hosted apps or paid APIs. Open-weight models can be self-hosted, fine-tuned, and used commercially; proprietary ones cannot.

APIs & Developer Access

49 of the 57 product tools offer API access. Pricing is typically pay-as-you-go and significantly below Western equivalents. Open-weight models add a third option: run the model yourself and pay only for compute infrastructure.

Data & Privacy

Consumer versions of Chinese AI tools may store data on servers in mainland China and operate under Chinese data regulations. For personal use this is rarely an issue. Businesses with strict data-residency requirements should review each tool's privacy policy, prefer international editions where offered, or self-host open-weight models to keep data fully in-house.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Chinese AI tools?โ–พ

Chinese AI tools are consumer applications and developer platforms built by companies headquartered or founded in China. This directory tracks 57 product tools, 26 models, and 33 companies.

Can I use Chinese AI tools outside China?โ–พ

Yes โ€” 48 of the 57 product tools we track are marked as globally accessible. 2 are currently marked China-only. Check the comparison table for live access status.

Which Chinese AI models are open source or open weight?โ–พ

DeepSeek (R1, V3 โ€” MIT), Qwen family (Apache-2.0), GLM series, Kimi, and Baidu ERNIE have open-weight releases. Licenses vary โ€” see the models database for exact terms per model.

Which Chinese AI tools offer APIs?โ–พ

49 of the 57 product tools offer developer APIs, typically pay-as-you-go at rates below Western equivalents. Open-weight models add a third option: self-host and pay only for compute.

Do Chinese AI tools require a Chinese phone number?โ–พ

Only 2 of 57 product tools require a Chinese (+86) phone number for signup. The rest accept international emails, Google/Apple sign-in, or international phone numbers. Check the comparison table for each tool's requirements.

What are some recent Chinese AI model releases?โ–พ

Recent verified releases include DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash, Qwen3.8-Max, Qwen3.8-Omni-Flash, GLM-5.3, GLM-5.3-Flash, Kimi-K3. See the "Latest Chinese AI Models" section above for release dates, licenses, and specs.

Missing a Chinese AI Tool?

Help us keep this directory complete. Submit a Chinese AI tool and we'll review it for inclusion.

Submit a Tool โ†’