Alibaba Cloud China Website vs. International Website
Alibaba Cloud operates separate China (www.aliyun.com) and International (www.alibabacloud.com) websites with independent accounts, billing, and compliance frameworks.
The China Website (www.aliyun.com) and International Website (www.alibabacloud.com) serve different markets under separate legal and compliance frameworks.
Account systems, billing, and data are fully independent. Register on the website that matches your business location.
Core differences
The tables below compare Account, Billing, and Products and services across the two websites.
Account
|
Aspect |
Alibaba Cloud China Website (www.aliyun.com) |
Alibaba Cloud International Website (www.alibabacloud.com) |
|
Account registration |
Requires a mobile number from the Chinese mainland. |
Requires an email address and a verified mobile number from outside the Chinese mainland (including Hong Kong (China), Macao (China), and Taiwan (China)). |
|
Identity verification |
Mandatory. Complete identity verification before purchasing or using cloud resources. |
As needed. Required only for specific scenarios, such as purchasing resources in the Chinese mainland or applying for a credit limit. |
|
Account data |
Stored in data centers in the Chinese mainland. |
Stored in data centers outside the Chinese mainland. |
Billing
|
Aspect |
Alibaba Cloud China Website (www.aliyun.com) |
Alibaba Cloud International Website (www.alibabacloud.com) |
|
Currency |
Pricing and settlement are in Chinese Yuan (CNY). |
Pricing is in USD. Settlement supports other major currencies. |
|
Pricing |
Prices are inclusive of Value-Added Tax (VAT). |
Prices are tax-exclusive. Tax rates depend on your account's country or region. |
|
Payment methods |
Alipay, WeChat Pay, UnionPay, and corporate bank transfer. |
Credit cards (such as Visa and MasterCard), PayPal, and bank transfers. Available methods vary by country or region. |
|
Legal entity |
Alibaba Cloud Computing Co., Ltd. or its affiliates, depending on the product. |
The Alibaba Cloud legal entity for your region. |
Products and services
|
Aspect |
Alibaba Cloud China Website (www.aliyun.com) |
Alibaba Cloud International Website (www.alibabacloud.com) |
|
Product region |
You can purchase resources in all global regions except Saudi Arabia. |
You can purchase resources in all global regions. |
|
Product updates |
New products and features for the Chinese mainland market are released first. |
Offers core cloud products for global use. Some services or features may differ from the China Website for compliance reasons. |
|
Console language |
Simplified Chinese, English |
English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese |
|
Product documentation language |
Simplified Chinese |
English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian |
|
Service and support |
||
|
ICP filing |
|
|
FAQ
Can I convert a China Website account to an International Website account?
No. The two websites use separate systems, and accounts cannot be converted. Register on your preferred website and migrate your data and resources manually or with migration tools.
How does purchasing resources in the Chinese mainland differ between the China Website and the International Website?
Key differences:
-
Billing: The International Website settles in USD or supported local currencies, with taxes calculated separately. The China Website settles in CNY, tax included.
-
Compliance: Using resources in the Chinese mainland requires compliance with local regulations (identity verification, ICP filing) regardless of which website you use.
-
Product availability: The China Website prioritizes features for the Chinese mainland; the International Website focuses on core products for global use. Some services may differ.