Free Cloud Hosting at a Glance
Best Offer 2026: Alibaba Cloud gives new users $200 in cloud credits, 70M+ AI tokens, 2,000 image generations, and 1,650 seconds of video generation — all with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Top Free Cloud Offers Compared
| Provider | Free Credits | Duration | AI Tokens | Credit Card |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alibaba Cloud | $200 | 30 days | 70M+ | No |
| AWS | Free tier | 12 months | Limited | Yes |
| Google Cloud | $300 | 90 days | Limited | Yes |
| Azure | $200 | 30 days | Limited | Yes |
| Oracle Cloud | Always free | Unlimited | None | Yes |
Alibaba Cloud is the only major provider that does not require a credit card for the free trial and includes generous AI token credits.
What You Can Do with $200 Free Credits
🚀 Cloud Computing (ECS)
Deploy virtual servers with up to $90 in ECS credits. Choose from multiple specifications and run multiple instances simultaneously.
2 vCPU + 2GB RAM instances
Linux or Windows Server
Global data centers (Singapore, US, Europe)
SSD block storage included
🤖 AI & Machine Learning
Access Qwen3.8-Max, the latest flagship model, plus 80+ AI tools:
70M+ free API tokens for Qwen models
2,000 AI image generations (Wan model)
1,650 seconds of AI video generation
Qwen Code CLI: 1,000 free calls/day internationally
OpenAI-compatible API endpoint
💾 Storage & Database
Object Storage Service (OSS) for files and media
ApsaraDB for RDS (MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis)
Content Delivery Network (CDN)
Domain registration services
How to Claim Your Free Credits
1
Visit the Campaign Page
Go to the Alibaba Cloud free trial page and click "Start for Free".
2
Create Your Account
Sign up with your email. Verification takes less than 2 minutes. No credit card required.
3
Claim Credits
Submit a short use-case description (about 100 words) for review; approved accounts typically receive credits within 3 business days. Cloud credits are valid 30 days; AI tokens up to 180 days.
4
Start Building
Deploy servers, call AI APIs, store files — your credits apply automatically to eligible services.
Bonus: Qwen Code — Free AI Coding Assistant
Beyond the free trial, Qwen Code CLI provides 1,000 free API calls per day for international users (2,000 in China) with no token limits:
npx @qwen-code/qwen-code@latest
Powered by Qwen3-Coder 480B (a 480-billion parameter MoE model with 262K context window), this competes directly with GitHub Copilot at zero cost.
After the Free Trial: Pay-as-You-Go Pricing
| Service | Starter Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ECS Cloud Server | From $4.50/month | 2 vCPU, 2GB RAM, 3M bandwidth |
| Qwen3.7-Flash API | $0.03/M input tokens | One of the cheapest LLMs globally |
| Qwen3 Coder 480B | $0.22/M input tokens | Via Google Vertex AI |
| Object Storage | $0.018/GB/month | Standard tier |
| Qoder Pro | From $20/month | 2,000 Credits, AI agent workspace |
Compare with detailed ECS pricing on our ECS pricing guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a credit card for the free trial?No. Alibaba Cloud's free trial does not require a credit card. You can sign up and start using services immediately after email verification.
How long are the free credits valid?Cloud credits ($200) are valid for 30 days. AI tokens (70M+) are valid for up to 180 days from activation. The 30-day money-back guarantee applies to paid services.
Can I use the free credits for production workloads?Yes. The credits apply to standard cloud services including ECS, OSS, RDS, and CDN. Many startups use the free trial to launch MVPs and production applications.
What happens after credits expire?Services continue running on a pay-as-you-go basis. You can set budget alerts or use the "stop when quota exhausted" feature to avoid unexpected charges. There is no auto-renewal trap.
Is Qwen Code really free forever?Qwen Code provides 1,000 free API calls per day for international users (2,000 in China) with no token limits. This is not a trial — it is an ongoing free tier. For heavy usage, Qoder's coding plans start at low promotional prices on the China site (check qoder.cn for current offers).
Ready to Start?
Join thousands of developers building on Alibaba Cloud's global infrastructure.
Claim Your $200 Free Credits →
No credit card required · 30-day money-back guarantee · 80+ products
More cloud deals and independent dev-tool guides: lieke-ai.com — Alibaba Cloud international coupons · China new-user deals.
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