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Alibaba Cloud vs Relace
Relace's small models apply edits, search codebases and compact context. Alibaba Cloud's Qwen models write the code. They fit together in one coding agent.
By The Subconscious Team · Updated
Alibaba Cloud vs Relace: key differences
Relace trains fast specialist models for coding agents. relace-apply-3 merges a lazy edit into the source file at about 10,000 tokens per second with 128K tokens of input and output, and Relace says that runs over 3x faster and cheaper than having the big model rewrite the file. Its agentic search explores codebases in parallel, and a compaction model runs at 50,000 tokens per second. Alibaba Cloud supplies general Qwen models, including Qwen 3.8-Max with a 1M window, which could generate the edits and plan the work.
They split the job by context and cost. Qwen Max can take far larger inputs than Relace's 128K apply limit, so very large files fall back to the main model. Relace offers self-hosted deployment with guided onboarding for enterprises that keep code in-house, while Alibaba offers regional deployment inside its own cloud. Relace hosts only a handful of open models beyond its coding tools, and Alibaba offers no dedicated apply model. Coding products built on Qwen can add Relace to make edits and retrieval faster without routing that work through Max.
What Alibaba Cloud and Relace do
Alibaba Cloud
Alibaba Cloud serves the Qwen model family through Model Studio, its managed AI platform. The flagship Qwen 3.8-Max takes text, image and video input with a 1M token context, function calling, structured outputs and built-in web search. International pricing is $2 in and $6 out per million tokens, with implicit cache hits at $0.25. Deployments in China and some global regions list lower, at $1.65 in and about $4.95 out, and Alibaba often runs limited-time discounts, including night-time cuts of up to 80% on Qwen 3.7-Max.
Example models: Qwen 3.8-Max, Qwen 3.7-Max
Full Alibaba Cloud profileRelace
Relace started out training small, fast models that act as tools for coding agents, and by October 2026 its homepage led with open-model inference instead. It says it served 30 trillion tokens in the 30 days to late October and ranks among the top providers on OpenRouter. The hosted catalog covers DeepSeek V4 Pro, V4 Flash and V4.1 Flash, Kimi K3, GLM 5.3, GLM 5.3 Flash and GLM 5.2 over OpenAI and Anthropic compatible APIs, billed per token with no subscription. Prices run from $0.07 in and $0.14 out per million tokens on DeepSeek V4 Flash to $2.00 in and $14.00 out on Kimi K3, and Relace says it reprices often.
Example models: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, Kimi K3, GLM 5.3, relace-apply-3
Full Relace profileShould you choose Alibaba Cloud or Relace?
Alibaba Cloud
Choose Alibaba Cloud for
- Generating code and plans with Qwen Max
- Inputs well past 128K tokens
- Regional deployment of the main model
Relace
Choose Relace for
- Applying edits at about 10,000 tokens per second
- Parallel codebase search in seconds
- Self-hosted utility models for private code
Alibaba Cloud vs Relace at a glance
| Attribute | Alibaba Cloud | Relace |
|---|---|---|
| Model access | Open weights incl. Max (custom license) | Open weights, plus specialist coding models |
| Flagship models | Qwen 3.8-Max, Qwen 3.7-Max | DeepSeek V4.1 Flash, Kimi K3, GLM 5.3, relace-apply-3 |
| Speed | ~40 tok/s on Qwen 3.8-Max | ~10,000 tok/s apply |
| Price | $2 in, $6 out international | $0.07 in, $0.50 out (DeepSeek V4.1 Flash) |
| Customization | No fine-tuning on hosted Max | Unknown |
| Deployment | Model Studio on Alibaba Cloud | Hosted API, OpenRouter or self-hosted |
| Long context | 1M (Qwen 3.8-Max) | 128K on apply; varies by open model |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Alibaba Cloud and Relace?
Relace's small models apply edits, search codebases and compact context. Alibaba Cloud's Qwen models write the code. They fit together in one coding agent.
When should I choose Alibaba Cloud over Relace?
Generating code and plans with Qwen Max; Inputs well past 128K tokens; Regional deployment of the main model.
When should I choose Relace over Alibaba Cloud?
Applying edits at about 10,000 tokens per second; Parallel codebase search in seconds; Self-hosted utility models for private code.
Is Alibaba Cloud or Relace cheaper?
Alibaba Cloud: $2 in, $6 out international. Relace: $0.07 in, $0.50 out (DeepSeek V4.1 Flash). The cheaper choice depends on the model and workload.
Which has more context, Alibaba Cloud or Relace?
Alibaba Cloud: 1M (Qwen 3.8-Max). Relace: 128K on apply; varies by open model.
Related comparisons
Running long-horizon agents?
If your agents run past 200K tokens, compare both against Subconscious. Our inference stack treats a long-horizon trace as the primary workload, so speed, cost, and accuracy hold up deep into the trace.