Alibaba Qwen Provider for Claude Code
Three-tier coder models from Alibaba Cloud
claude-multi add qwenUse cases
Qwen3-Coder is Alibaba’s coding model family, in three tiers: Next for heavy reasoning, Plus for balanced work, and Flash for speed. The DashScope API has a native Anthropic-compatible endpoint, so Claude Code connects directly.
Model specs
| Role | Model | Context | Max Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary (Opus) | Qwen3-Coder-Next | 128K | 65,536 |
| Balanced (Sonnet) | Qwen3-Coder-Plus | 128K | 65,536 |
| Fast (Haiku) | Qwen3-Coder-Flash | 128K | 65,536 |
Each tier maps to the matching Claude Code role. Heavy reasoning goes to Next, everyday coding to Plus, quick tasks to Flash. Subagent work also runs on Flash.
Thinking mode is enabled with REASONING_EFFORT: high and 16,000 thinking tokens. Auto-compaction is tuned for the 128K context window.
Setup
- Create an account at Alibaba DashScope (international endpoint) and generate an API key
- Run the setup command:
claude-multi add qwen- Paste your API key when prompted
The template configures the international endpoint at dashscope-intl.aliyuncs.com. If you are in mainland China, you may want to use the domestic endpoint instead.
Coding Plan alternative
Alibaba also sells a Coding Plan subscription on its own endpoint. If you prefer a monthly commitment over pay-per-token, use the qwen-coding template:
claude-multi add qwen-codingThe model mappings are identical. Only the base URL changes.
When to pick Qwen
Pick Qwen if you want three quality tiers at three price points. Flash is fast and cheap for autocomplete and simple edits, Plus handles most coding tasks, and Next takes architecture decisions and complex debugging.
Because billing is per token, your cost tracks the tier you route work to. Background work runs on Flash while the harder tasks go to Next.
Pricing details
Qwen3-Coder comes two ways: pay-per-token via DashScope, or a Coding Plan subscription (the qwen-coding template, same models, different endpoint). Each tier has its own rate. Flash is the cheapest and Next the most expensive, so your bill scales with how much you route to Next. The DashScope pricing page has current rates.
Related providers
Pay-per-token via Alibaba DashScope