Qwen Image Max vs Qwen Image 2.1 Pro: $0.075 on fal, $0.04 on Alibaba

Qwen Image Max costs $0.075 per image on fal and $0.09375 on Sume (list x 1.25), while Alibaba lists Qwen-Image-2.1 Pro at $0.04 in Singapore. These are different models from different vendors, so the gap is not a markup on the same product. Sume lists Max, not 2.1 Pro.

The three prices

fal describes Qwen Image Max as an improvement in realism and naturalness over the Qwen Image Plus series and allows commercial use. Alibaba describes 2.1 Pro as a model with native transparency and up to 10 reference images for edits.

What differs on Sume

Qwen Image Max on Sume is text-to-image only: the catalog says image_edit is false and input_references is rejected. If you need edits on a Qwen row, use qwen/qwen-image, which accepts references and bills $0.025.

A Max request that includes input_references fails at the catalog check, which is cheaper than a failed generation.

curl -s https://api.sume.com/v1/images \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SUME_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"model":"qwen/qwen-image-max","prompt":"storefront sign reading OPEN","aspect_ratio":"16:9"}'

Decision

Use Max on Sume when you want the Max look at 13 ratios and a single bill. Use Alibaba directly when you want 2.1 Pro, and read its license and region terms first.