The right starting point is a service you can access, understand, and use for a real task. A model name, a chat app, and an API account are three different things. Before paying for anything, establish which of those you need.
Start with the official entry point
Our directory groups providers by origin. The China and Global labels are a navigation aid; they do not guarantee that a service accepts accounts or payments in your country. Start with the official link on a product page and inspect the provider's current requirements.
For example, DeepSeek's own landing page links its chat assistant and developer platform separately. That distinction is useful: opening a browser conversation is different from buying API access for an application.
- For conversation, look at ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, or Qwen.
- For a Chinese-language entry point, inspect Doubao, Yuanbao, Wenxin, and Qingyan.
- For a project workspace, compare the actual workflow in Kimi or a task-specific product rather than choosing only by the underlying model name.
Make a small test set
Choose three tasks you already understand: rewrite a short email, explain a document you can verify, and solve a small problem with a known answer. Use the same prompt and source material in each product. Record correctness, useful detail, and how much editing the result needs. This is more informative than comparing polished demos from different tasks.
If your work uses both English and Chinese, test both. Include an example with names, dates, or terminology that matters to your work. A fluent answer is useful only if it preserves those details.
Check the account before the price
Confirm that you can sign in, upload the file types you need, and find the relevant feature. Then inspect the currency, billing period, usage limits, and renewal terms in your account. A product can have an international website without every feature being available everywhere.
Qwen's official overview describes its assistant, while the Qianwen site is a separate Chinese entry point. Treat each interface's current terms as its own evidence.
Keep one reason for every subscription
Write down the recurring task each paid service will handle. Revisit that list before renewal. If two tools solve the same task equally well for you, duplicated subscriptions may add little value. This guide is a selection method based on official product information, not a hands-on performance ranking.