The billing of Alibaba Cloud Smart Studio includes: Pay-as-you-go Fee and Minimum Commitment Fee.
Fees are calculated based on the chosen billing model and displayed in the "Billing" section of the Smart Studio console. Actual charges are based on the data shown in the Billing section.
1.Pay-as-you-go Fee
Pay-as-you-go billing applies to both the API Router Platform and Model Serving Platform, with different billing options available for each platform.
1.1 API Router Platform
Recommended: Model API Fee
The Model API Fee applies to model APIs supplied directly by Smart Studio for resale through your platform.
Smart Studio provides access to the models on Alibaba Cloud Model Studio. There is no need for Customers purchase Alibaba Cloud Model Studio APIs separately now! You pay Smart Studio based on actual model usage at your discounted model unit price, displayed as Cost on the Provider Model page in your deployed Smart Studio Admin Console.
Note: This billing option currently applies only to Alibaba Cloud Model Studio models and Smart Fusion models.
Backup Option: Token Sharing Fee for Third-Party Models (BYOK)
For third-party model APIs connected using your own API keys, the Token Sharing Fee applies.
See 1.3 Token Sharing Fee Details for the calculation and applicable rates.
1.2 Model Serving Platform
Recommended: Fixed Amount Fee
The Fixed Amount Fee is the recommended billing option for Model Serving Platform customers who prefer predictable billing.
Fee is determined by the GPU specification and billed at a per-hour rate
Not based on token consumption — no sharing rate applies
Billing commences upon model deployment, not upon platform activation
Note: Customer is billed based on actual GPU usage time after model deployment.
For detailed pricing on specific GPU specifications, please according to Pricing.
Backup Option: Token Sharing Fee
The Token Sharing Fee is available as an alternative billing option for models served on your own GPUs. Fees are calculated based on model API token consumption.
See 1.3 Token Sharing Fee Details for the calculation and applicable rates.
1.3 Token Sharing Fee Details
The Token Sharing Fee is calculated based on your model API token consumption:
Token Sharing Fee Amount = Model API Tokens × Model Standard Price × Sharing Rate
Model API Tokens: The total number of API tokens consumed.
Model Standard Price: The model standard price shown on the Pricing page. This price is typically consistent with the list price on the model provider’s official website.
Sharing Rate: The applicable rate shown in the table below.
Applications | Type | Rate | Description |
Model Serving Platform (BYO-GPU) - GPU Tokenization | Model Serving | 15% | Open source models |
Proprietary Models | 25% | Fine-tuned or unique models | |
API Router Platform (BYO-Key) - Router Monetization | Non-Alibaba models | 8% | Third-party model providers |
Note: Model Serving Platform (BYO-GPU) -GPU Tokenization provides model serving and training capabilities on your own GPUs for self-use or commercial purposes. API Router Platform (BYO-Key) -Router Monetization is enabled through the API calls of model providers using your own API keys.
Pricing of Different Applications:
2. Minimum Commitment
The Minimum Commitment Fee applies to the Model API Fee, Token Sharing Fee, and Fixed Amount Fee. It takes effect once the service is activated and the software deployment is completed. If the signed contract specifies a specific service start and end date, the contract terms shall prevail. The Minimum Commitment Fee is billed daily to the customer's Alibaba Cloud account.
Fees are measured per calendar day (GMT+8) per user account, with daily increments calculated against the previous day. If the actual Pay-as-you-go Fee exceeds the guaranteed commitment, no additional payment is required.
If the actual daily Pay-as-you-go Fee is lower than the minimum guaranteed commitment, the customer must pay the shortfall to Alibaba Cloud on the next billing date after the measurement cycle ends.
Smart Studio offers two activation methods, each with a different Minimum Commitment Fee:
2.1 Self-Service Edition (Online Activation)
Online activation supports Model Serving Platform (BYO-GPU) and API Router Platform (BYO-Key).
The Minimum Commitment is USD 10 per day (GMT+8).
Note: The online self-service process requires an active internet connection. If disconnected for more than three days, the service will be automatically suspended and stopped.
2.2 Dedicated Commercial Edition
The Dedicated Commercial Edition requires offline contract signing and offline services.
The Minimum Commitment Fee is defined in the customer's contract with Alibaba Cloud. Contact sales for pricing details. (Contact Us)
Important:
Customer is responsible for GPU/CPU network connectivity. In the event of a network disconnection, billing continues at the minimum Token Sharing Fee. After the network is restored, bills will be retransmitted. Please be aware that during the disconnection period, this may result in additional costs and limited operation and maintenance support.
Customer shall ensure its Alibaba Cloud account remains in good standing with no overdue payments or account issues. Otherwise will result in service interruption.
The pricing and fees charged through Smart Studio do not include any taxes or third-party platform fees such as payment gateway charges (e.g., Stripe).
For model APIs supplied directly by Smart Studio under Model API Fee billing, customers pay the Model API Fee to Smart Studio. For third-party model APIs connected using their own API keys under Token Sharing Fee billing, customers pay the underlying model inference fees directly to the respective providers, in addition to the Token Sharing Fee charged by Smart Studio.
Note: Other fees on Customer's daily billing statement, such as Public Cloud Model Resale Charges and Other Public Cloud Services Fee, are billed separately and are not counted towards the Token Sharing Fee or the minimum commitment. The Model API Fee charged by Smart Studio is counted towards the minimum commitment.