I Tested China's Top 4 AI Models for My Side Hustle — Here's What Won

Short summary

Freelancer tested four Chinese AI models (DeepSeek, Qwen, Kimi, GLM) as cost-effective alternatives to GPT-4o, finding DeepSeek V4 Flash ($0.25/M tokens) delivers comparable quality at ~90% lower cost. Task costs dropped from $0.30-0.50 to $0.025, adding $200+ monthly savings. Qwen offers the broadest model range at $0.01/M minimum, while GLM excels at Chinese-language work.

• •DeepSeek V4 Flash achieves 90% quality parity with GPT-4o at 1/10th the cost ($0.25/M vs $10/M)
• •Real cost savings: $0.30-0.50 per task → $0.025, enabling freelancers to reinvest margin
• •Chinese models dominate specific niches: Qwen for breadth/variety, GLM for Chinese language, DeepSeek for code speed

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