Overview
Doubao is an AI conversation assistant launched by ByteDance, built on its proprietary Doubao-Seed large model. As one of the fastest-growing AI products in China by user base (345 million monthly active users, ranking first domestically), Doubao is renowned for its excellent Chinese language experience and rich features, covering multiple platforms such as mobile apps, web, and browser extensions, and deeply integrating with ByteDance's own products like Feishu and Douyin.
**Important change: Doubao is no longer a 'completely free' product.** On June 23, 2026, at the Volcano Engine FORCE conference, the new flagship **Doubao Large Model 2.1 Pro (Doubao-Seed-2.1 Pro)** was released, comparable to GPT-5.5 / Claude Opus 4.7 / Gemini 3.1 Pro; on the same day, it was officially disclosed that the Doubao large model's **daily average Token call volume has exceeded 180 trillion**, an increase of about 1500 times since its launch in May 2024. **On June 24, 2026, relying on 2.1 Pro, the 'Doubao Pro' three-tier paid subscription was officially launched** (68/200/500 RMB continuous monthly subscription), adding an office task mode (capable of operating local computers, browsers, scheduled tasks, and built-in Office suite), targeting complex scenarios such as office development, data analysis, and professional design; **the basic services of the free version are retained without reduction**, and daily conversations, writing, translation, etc., continue to be free.
Key Features
- Free version features not reduced: Basic capabilities such as daily conversations, copywriting, translation, and knowledge Q&A continue to be completely free with no usage limits
- Doubao 2.1 Pro flagship model (New): Released on June 23, 2026, comparable to GPT-5.5 / Opus 4.7 / Gemini 3.1 Pro, capable of autonomously advancing complete engineering tasks for 10+ hours continuously
- Pro version office task mode (New): The paid Pro version adds automated office capabilities that can operate local computers, browsers, execute scheduled tasks, and call the built-in Office suite
- Top-tier Chinese language capability: Deeply optimized for Chinese contexts, with performance in idiom understanding, classical Chinese translation, and Chinese creative writing surpassing most international models
- Multi-platform coverage: Supports iOS/Android apps, web version, and Chrome browser extension, usable anytime, anywhere
- AI character conversations: Built-in rich AI characters (virtual girlfriend, historical figures, career advisors, etc.), providing vivid and engaging conversation experiences
- Image and video understanding: Supports uploading images/videos for recognition and analysis; 2.1 Pro can watch 2-hour videos and perform end-to-end editing
Use Cases
- Domestic ordinary users who need a free AI assistant for daily conversations/writing/translation
- Professionals with complex office automation needs (Pro version office task mode)
- Heavy users in data analysis, professional design, etc. (Pro version three-tier subscription)
- Young users who want to experience AI role-playing and fun conversations
- Users who find English AI tools have a usage barrier and are more accustomed to Chinese interfaces
Pros
- Free version basic functions not reduced: zero cost for daily high-frequency scenarios
- One of the best Chinese experiences: Chinese understanding and generation quality ranks among the top in domestic models
- 2.1 Pro comprehensive capability comparable to international first-tier models, with daily call volume of 180 trillion leading domestically
- Multi-device synchronization: smooth mobile app experience, suitable for fragmented usage scenarios
- ByteDance ecosystem integration: deeply integrated with Feishu, Douyin, and other products
Pricing
Doubao **free version is permanently retained**, with basic functions like daily conversations, writing, and translation available for unlimited free use. **The Pro version launched on June 24, 2026**, based on Doubao 2.1 Pro, offers three tiers of continuous monthly subscriptions: **68 RMB / 200 RMB / 500 RMB** (monthly payment), targeting complex scenarios such as office development, data analysis, and professional design, unlocking the office task mode (operating local computers/browsers/scheduled tasks/built-in Office) and higher quotas. For enterprises and developers needing API access, the Doubao large model API can be obtained through Volcano Engine: 2.1 Pro input 6 RMB / output 30 RMB per million Tokens (cache hit 1.2 RMB), with comprehensive cost nearly 80% lower than Opus 4.6-4.8, and the Turbo version priced at half of Pro.
Summary
Doubao is one of the best choices for domestic users to get started with AI—the free version's basic functions are not reduced, Chinese is excellent, and the usage threshold is extremely low, suitable for high-frequency scenarios like daily conversations, writing, and translation. However, note that **since June 2026, Doubao is no longer a 'completely free' product**: relying on the new flagship 2.1 Pro, the official launched three-tier paid Pro version priced at 68-500 RMB, focusing on complex tasks like office automation and data analysis, marking the official transition of domestic leading large models from 'pure free customer acquisition' to a dual-track commercialization of 'free universal + paid value-added'. Daily light use continues to be free, while deep office automation needs can consider the Pro version; for complex reasoning tasks, DeepSeek or Kimi can be used as supplements.
Version History
- Doubao Pro three-tier paid subscription (2026/06/24): Based on Doubao 2.1 Pro, officially launched three-tier continuous monthly subscriptions at 68/200/500 RMB, adding office task mode (operating local computers/browsers/scheduled tasks/built-in Office); free version basic services not reduced
- Doubao Large Model 2.1 Pro (Doubao-Seed-2.1 Pro) (2026/06/23): Released at Volcano Engine FORCE conference, comparable to GPT-5.5/Opus 4.7/Gemini 3.1 Pro; daily average Token call volume exceeded 180 trillion (about 1500 times increase since May 2024); can autonomously advance engineering tasks for 10+ hours continuously
- Doubao 1.5 Pro + first paid exploration (2026/05/04): Previously exposed first version of three-tier paid plan (68/200/500 RMB), based on Doubao 1.5 Pro, paving the way for the officially launched Pro version in June
- Doubao 1.5 era (2024-2025): ByteDance embedded in Douyin/Feishu ecosystem, first tier in domestic conversation product monthly active users