Choosing a host
Alibaba Cloud or Tencent Cloud for a website?
Short answer: for a long-term site, pick Alibaba Cloud ECS e 2 vCPU / 2 GB at ¥99/year (≈$14) — it renews at the same price until 2029-03-31, so no year-two shock. For one year with more power for AI tools, pick Tencent Cloud Lighthouse 4 vCPU / 4 GB at ¥109 (≈$15) for the first year (renews at list price).
Prices checked 2026-10-22; the provider's checkout page is final.
Side by side
| Product | Plan | First year | Renewal | Limits | Best for | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alibaba Cloud ECS e | 2 vCPU / 2 GB, 3 Mbps dedicated | ¥99/yr | Same price until 2029-03-31 | New and existing users | Long-term blogs, company sites | Alibaba Cloud |
| Alibaba Cloud Simple App Server | 2 vCPU / 2 GB, 200 Mbps peak | ¥38 flash / ¥68 | List price | New users, 1 only | Trying things out, short projects | Alibaba Cloud |
| Tencent Cloud Lighthouse | 4 vCPU / 4 GB, 3 Mbps | ¥109/yr | List price (45% off in renewal zone) | Once per verified identity, until 2026-12-30 | Running Dify and other AI tools | Tencent Cloud |
How to choose
Long term → Alibaba ¥99
About ¥297 (≈$42) over three years; the easiest renewal.
Need 4 GB RAM → Tencent ¥109
The most power at this price; good for an AI assistant.
Absolute cheapest → Alibaba ¥38 flash sale
Daily at 10:00 and 15:00 Beijing time; ¥68 if you miss it.
FAQ
Do both require ICP filing?
Yes. Any website on a mainland China server needs ICP filing — free, about 1–3 weeks, submitted through the cloud you bought from. Both also expect Chinese real-name verification.
Can I get the new-user price at both?
Yes. New-user eligibility is counted separately by each provider, so one at each is fine.
Will 11.11 be cheaper?
Alibaba Cloud's 11.11 sale started on Oct 24 last year, with expected tiers of ¥38 / ¥99 / ¥199; Tencent Cloud's Lighthouse sale runs until 2026-12-30.
Any student discount?
Alibaba Cloud gives verified students a ¥300 (≈$42) no-minimum coupon.
Keep reading
Cheapest servers 2026 · Server for an AI assistant · Free-forever servers · All deals compared