GPT-4o input costs $0 per million tokens on BUZZ’s free trial. That’s the headline number, but the real question is what happens after the trial ends — and that’s where BUZZ gets murky. BUZZ is a new relay station (launched early 2026) targeting Chinese developers who want GPT-4o and Claude 3.5 Sonnet without VPN. It’s currently free to use, supports Alipay and WeChat Pay, and claims 99.3% uptime with 1217ms average latency. But with only two models and no published per-token rates, you’re flying blind past the free tier.
Pricing: Free Trial, Then What?
BUZZ offers a $0/month free trial (free_trial: True). No credit card required — you sign up, get access, and start routing requests immediately. That’s rare among relay stations, most of which demand a minimum recharge upfront. What isn’t published: per-million-token rates for GPT-4o or Claude 3.5 Sonnet after the trial. No batch discount thresholds. No CNY minimum top-up amount. The platform data lists no min recharge and no refund policy. You can only pay via Alipay or WeChat Pay — no crypto, no international cards. Bottom line: The free trial is genuinely no-strings-attached, but the post-trial pricing is a black box. You’ll need to contact BUZZ directly or wait for the pricing page to go live.
Performance: Good Enough for Prototyping
BUZZ’s 1217ms latency is high — roughly 200ms slower than OpenRouter’s average for GPT-4o. For real-time chat, you’ll feel the delay. For batch inference or async tasks, it’s fine. Uptime at 99.3% means about 5 hours of downtime per month. That’s acceptable for a new station, but not production-grade. The speed rating of 3.5/5 reflects inconsistent throughput during peak hours. Key takeaways:
- 1217ms latency is usable for prototyping, not production.
- 99.3% uptime is decent but unproven over a full year.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Free trial with no credit card required — instant access.
- Supports Alipay and WeChat Pay for Chinese users.
- Modern infrastructure (new station, likely fewer legacy bottlenecks).
- Claude 3.5 Sonnet and GPT-4o cover the two most popular models. Cons:
- Only two models — no Gemini, DeepSeek, or open-source alternatives.
- No published per-token rates, batch discounts, or min recharge amounts.
- Early 2026 launch means limited track record and community feedback.
- No refund policy stated — risk if you recharge and the service degrades.
Verdict
BUZZ is a low-risk entry point for Chinese developers who want to try GPT-4o or Claude 3.5 Sonnet without VPN and without paying upfront. The free trial is genuine, and the payment methods are local-friendly. But the lack of pricing transparency is a dealbreaker for anyone planning to scale. Without per-token rates, batch discounts, or a min recharge amount, you can’t budget for usage. The 1217ms latency and limited model selection further cap its utility. If you need a quick test rig for a side project, BUZZ works. For production workloads or cost-sensitive teams, wait until they publish rates — or look at competitors with transparent pricing.
FAQ
Does the free trial require a credit card? No. The free_trial flag is True with no card requirement — you sign up and start routing immediately. What are the per-million-token rates for GPT-4o and Claude 3.5 Sonnet? Not published. The platform data does not include per-token pricing. You’ll need to contact BUZZ support or wait for their pricing page to go live. Is there a minimum recharge amount in CNY? Not specified. The platform data lists no min recharge amount, so you can recharge any amount via Alipay or WeChat Pay after the trial ends.
Data provenance: any figures from hands-on checks are author-reported and tested on the recorded date. Independent verification is unavailable unless a source is linked.