A scene-by-scene list of AI tools for mainland China. One first pick and a few alternates per scene. Direct access comes before finishing the job. No scores.

How is the order set?

Order is only the order to try a tool: mainland access first, then whether it can finish that scene, then whether the price is clear and a free or trial tier is usable, and Chinese last. Rank is not a score.

What does a first pick mean?

This is a scene list. Each scene gives you one first pick, then alternates. First pick means the tool to open first for that job, in the order below. It is not a score and not a vendor endorsement.

Mainland access first · no scores · no invented user counts

AI First Picks

Eight scenes, one first pick each. First, can you open it in mainland China. Then, can it finish the job. Unclear pricing and no usable free tier move a tool back. Chinese support is the last point, not the first.

This issue lists 46 tools still in operation. The homepage shows the first pick and 2 to 4 alternates per scene; the rest are on the scene page. Last checked 2026-11-11 · Beijing.

New this week

Only updates from the week of 2026-11-09 that match a public page. Kling opening 4.0 Flash on 4 November and the public report of DeepSeek creator mode on 2 November stay on those tool pages, not here.

Week of 2026-11-09
Jimeng
On 2026-11-09, ByteDance Seed released Seedream 5.5. The release page says that model can be selected while creating on the Jimeng web app. Page checked: https://seed.bytedance.com/seedream5_5
Week of 2026-11-09
Doubao
On 2026-11-09, the Seedream 5.5 release page said Doubao’s image generation will connect to that model. Release page: https://seed.bytedance.com/seedream5_5 . This list checked the release page, not every menu inside Doubao.
Week of 2026-11-09
MiniMax
On 2026-11-10, news on the MiniMax official site listed “MiniMax H3 Image, open-sourced.” This is a model update, not a new website. For the video product, still look at Hailuo.

All 5

Chat and writing

Turn a passage, a draft, or a batch of material into Chinese you can hand in.

First pick

Kimi

Long texts and multiple files can be read through in the mainland. Short copy is very close to Doubao.

Opens directlySite

DoubaoAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
Everyday Q&A and short drafts come easily. Image generation connected to Seedream 5.5 this week.
Opens directly
YuanbaoAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
When you need articles from WeChat Official Accounts and the rest of WeChat, it fits better than a general chat.
Opens directly
ChatGPTAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
General writing is still strong, but it usually does not open in the mainland, so it is not the first pick.
May need a special network
ClaudeAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
Long texts and revisions are steady. It likewise usually needs a special network.
May need a special network

All 6

Models in China

Pick a general model that opens in mainland China and use it as the everyday default.

First pick

DeepSeek

When reasoning or writing code, it is more willing to finish the steps. The web version is mainly free to use.

Opens directlySite

QwenAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
On reading documents, office work, and Alibaba Cloud, it is nearly even with DeepSeek.
Opens directly
ChatGLMAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
Beyond chat it can do data analysis and small agents. It suits people already using GLM.
Opens directly
WenxinAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
Tied to Baidu search and Chinese source material. Deep reasoning is not its strength.
Opens directly
iFlytek SparkAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
Voice and education are more complete. For a long plain-text piece, there is no need to leave the top two.
Opens directly

All 6

Coding and building sites

Ship a feature, or ship a small site.

First pick

TRAE

A full AI development environment that opens in the mainland. From an idea to code you can edit, it comes closest to finishing the job.

Opens directlySite

LingmaAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
A coding assistant that stays in the editor you already use, for people who do not want a whole new IDE.
Opens directly
Baidu ComateAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
Baidu’s coding plugin. Close to Lingma. Choose by the cloud you already use.
Opens directly
MiaodaAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
Skip traditional code and build a small app or page from one sentence.
Opens directly
CursorAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
Often the comparison on a complex repository, but the mainland usually needs a special network.
May need a special network

All 6

Image generation and design

Produce a usable image, or finish a poster you can publish.

First pick

Jimeng

Generate images directly in the mainland, then continue into CapCut. Seedream 5.5 was connected on 9 November.

Opens directlySite

WanxiangAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
Alibaba’s image and video model. Image output is enough. For a finished video, still compare it with Kling.
Opens directly
XingliuAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
Closer to a design assistant: finish a poster you can use, not only generate one image.
Opens directly
Meitu DesignKitAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
Posters, product images, and PPT are finished in one editor. Generation is only one step.
Opens directly
MidjourneyAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
The visual approach is still different, but the mainland usually cannot reach it directly. Use Jimeng for everyday images.
Has a mainland alternative

All 7

Video and voiceover

Make a video worth watching, or finish the narration.

First pick

Kling

For a video worth watching, open Kling first in the mainland. It is close to Vidu and Hailuo on many shots.

Opens directlySite

CapCutAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
Generation is not the whole job. Subtitles, editing, and the finished cut are wrapped up in CapCut.
Opens directly
ViduAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
Video from a reference image is what sets it apart. Close to Kling and Hailuo, with no forced ranking of image quality.
Opens directly
HailuoAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
MiniMax’s video entrance. Short clips are quick to try, and there is no gap with Kling and Vidu that this list can score.
Opens directly
MoyinAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
Finish Chinese narration and audiobooks. It is not a video generation model.
Opens directly

All 7

Office and spreadsheets

Finish a document, a spreadsheet, slides, or meeting notes.

First pick

WPS AI

When the draft is still in Word, Excel, or PPT, the AI writes directly on those files.

Opens directlySite

FeishuAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
Team docs, multidimensional tables, and meetings sit together. If the final file must be Office, go back to WPS.
Opens directly
Tencent DocsAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
Editing a spreadsheet with other people has a lower barrier than switching to a whole collaboration suite.
Opens directly
iFlytek ZhiwenAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
One sentence produces a first PPT or Word file. Then you revise it yourself.
Opens directly
TingwuAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
Turn a meeting recording into notes. Spreadsheets are not its home ground.
Opens directly

All 3

Search and research

Look something up and keep a basis you can check later.

First pick

Metaso

An answer with sources, rather than a string of ad links.

Opens directlySite

NamiAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
Search and chat sit together. It suits looking something up in passing.
Opens directly
QuarkAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
Search, summaries, and files live in the browser. It suits people who already use Quark.
Opens directly

All 6

Automation and agents

Let a workflow run on its own instead of clicking through it each time.

First pick

Coze

Build an agent in China that can talk and connect to tools.

Opens directlySite

YingdaoAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
Turn repeated clicks inside a company into a workflow that can run. A small personal automation may not need it.
Opens directly
TiangongAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
Its current place is an office agent, not the pure search box it once was.
Opens directly
DifyAlternate
Site (opens in a new window)
For agent workflows that can go live. The cloud is on a domain outside China. If it is unstable, do not keep waiting.
May need a special network

Questions

What is this list?: A scene-by-scene list of AI tools for mainland China. One first pick and a few alternates per scene. Direct access comes before finishing the job. No scores.
How is the order set?: Order is only the order to try a tool: mainland access first, then whether it can finish that scene, then whether the price is clear and a free or trial tier is usable, and Chinese last. Rank is not a score.
What does a first pick mean?: This is a scene list. Each scene gives you one first pick, then alternates. First pick means the tool to open first for that job, in the order below. It is not a score and not a vendor endorsement.

Full ranking method

New this week

DoubaoAlternate

YuanbaoAlternate

ChatGPTAlternate

ClaudeAlternate

QwenAlternate

ChatGLMAlternate

WenxinAlternate

iFlytek SparkAlternate

LingmaAlternate

Baidu ComateAlternate

MiaodaAlternate

CursorAlternate

WanxiangAlternate

XingliuAlternate

Meitu DesignKitAlternate

MidjourneyAlternate

CapCutAlternate

ViduAlternate

HailuoAlternate

MoyinAlternate

FeishuAlternate

Tencent DocsAlternate

iFlytek ZhiwenAlternate

TingwuAlternate

NamiAlternate

QuarkAlternate

YingdaoAlternate

TiangongAlternate

DifyAlternate

Questions