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Tencent Cloud vs Alibaba Cloud

Tencent Cloud logo

Tencent Cloud

Software

Cloud solutions for global enterprises

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Alibaba Cloud logo

Alibaba Cloud

Software

Asia's leading cloud computing provider

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Tencent Cloud standard SA5 2-core instance in Beijing is priced at 1567 CNY per year while an 8-core Standard S6 in Shanghai runs 5719 CNY per year; Alibaba Cloud technical support is a separate subscription, from $19.99 a month for Developer up to $8,000 a month for Enterprise, with only Basic included
  • They diverge on capability: Tencent Cloud covers CVM - Cloud Virtual Machines, Alibaba Cloud covers Elastic Compute Service.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Tencent Cloud and Alibaba Cloud actually diverge.

Attributes where Tencent Cloud and Alibaba Cloud differ
AttributeTencent CloudAlibaba Cloud
Founded20102009

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (usage-based), free tier (Yes), platforms (Linux, Windows, Api, Cli), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Tencent Cloud

  • CVM - Cloud Virtual Machines
  • COS - Cloud Object Storage
  • TencentDB
  • SCF - Serverless Computing
  • VPC
  • DDoS protection
  • Firewall

Only in Alibaba Cloud

  • Elastic Compute Service
  • Object Storage Service
  • RDS Database
  • MaxCompute
  • Function Compute
  • Ansible
  • SOC2
  • ISO27001

Both cover

  • CDN
  • Load Balancer
  • API Gateway
  • Terraform
  • Docker
  • Kubernetes
  • Data encryption
  • Cloud deployment
  • Linux support
  • Windows support
  • Api support
  • Cli support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Tencent Cloud

  • Gaming platformsnot Alibaba Cloud
  • Social medianot Alibaba Cloud
  • Video streamingnot Alibaba Cloud
  • Asia-Pacific deploymentnot Alibaba Cloud
  • Mobile applicationsnot Alibaba Cloud

Alibaba Cloud

  • Cloud compute and storage with a strong footprint in China and Asia Pacificnot Tencent Cloud
  • Pay-as-you-go infrastructure without upfront commitmentnot Tencent Cloud
  • Committed-use discounts through savings plans for steady workloadsnot Tencent Cloud
  • CDN and data transfer packages for content deliverynot Tencent Cloud

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Tencent Cloud

  • Standard SA5 2-core instance in Beijing is priced at 1567 CNY per year while an 8-core Standard S6 in Shanghai runs 5719 CNY per year

Alibaba Cloud

  • Technical support is a separate subscription, from $19.99 a month for Developer up to $8,000 a month for Enterprise, with only Basic included
  • Service prices are not shown as a rate card and route through a calculator or sales
  • Committed discounts require savings plans, reserved instances or capacity packages rather than being automatic

Pricing, plan by plan

Tencent Cloud

Free
  • Free TrialFree
    • Free trial credits
    • CVM instances
    • Cloud storage
  • Pay-as-You-GoFree
    • Flexible pricing
    • No long-term contracts
    • Global infrastructure

Alibaba Cloud

Free
  • Free TrialFree
    • Free tier credits
    • ECS instances
    • Cloud storage
  • Pay-as-You-GoFree
    • Flexible billing
    • No commitments
    • Global reach

Which should you pick?

Choose Tencent Cloud if

  • You need cvm - cloud virtual machines.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
  • You also want cos - cloud object storage.
Tencent Cloud review

Choose Alibaba Cloud if

  • You need elastic compute service.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli.
  • You also want object storage service.
Alibaba Cloud review

Questions people ask

Is Tencent Cloud or Alibaba Cloud better?
Neither clearly leads. Tencent Cloud starts at Free and Alibaba Cloud at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Tencent Cloud or Alibaba Cloud?
Tencent Cloud starts at Free and Alibaba Cloud at Free.
Does Tencent Cloud or Alibaba Cloud run on more platforms?
Both run on Linux, Windows, Api, Cli, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Tencent Cloud for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Tencent Cloud best used for?
Tencent Cloud is most often used for gaming platforms, social media, video streaming, asia-pacific deployment. Of those, gaming platforms and social media are not what Alibaba Cloud is typically brought in for.
What can Tencent Cloud do that Alibaba Cloud cannot?
Tencent Cloud covers CVM - Cloud Virtual Machines, COS - Cloud Object Storage, TencentDB, SCF - Serverless Computing. Alibaba Cloud covers Elastic Compute Service, Object Storage Service, RDS Database, MaxCompute. Both handle CDN, Load Balancer, API Gateway, Terraform.
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