The 30-second summary
+ What we liked
- Lowest price for Codex among all relays
- GPT-5.5 at ¥1(进)6(出)/1M tokens — excellent value
- Minimal top-up requirement: ¥1+
- Fast API response, well-documented
− What we didn't
- Claude groups may occasionally mix channels
- No refund policy on some plans
- Limited to coding-focused models
In-depth review
Works without VPN from mainland China. Pays with Alipay or WeChat Pay.
RightCode positions itself as the budget pick for developers who primarily need code completion and generation models. If your workflow revolves around OpenAI Codex, Claude Code, or Claude 3.5 Sonnet, this relay cuts the fat — you pay ¥1+ to start, and the Codex pricing is the lowest I’ve seen among Chinese relay stations.
Pricing
The standout here is the GPT-5.5 tier: ¥1 input / ¥6 output per 1M tokens. That’s aggressively cheap for a model that competes with GPT-4 on coding tasks. Codex access is similarly discounted compared to direct OpenAI billing or other relays. No promo code exists, but the base rates already undercut competitors by 30-50% depending on the model.
| Model | Input (¥/1M tokens) | Output (¥/1M tokens) |
|---|---|---|
| GPT-5.5 | 1 | 6 |
| OpenAI Codex | 0.8 | 4 |
| Claude 3.5 Sonnet | 2 | 8 |
| Claude Code | 1.5 | 7 |
Minimum top-up is ¥1. No fixed recharge tiers. You put in what you need.
Performance from China
Latency from Beijing and Shanghai is acceptable — API responses typically land under 1.5 seconds for short code completions. Longer contexts (up to 100k tokens) add about 500ms per turn. The 96% uptime is below the 99%+ you’d expect from major relays, so if you need 24/7 reliability for production pipelines, this isn’t your pick. For personal use or prototyping, it’s fine.
The documentation is clear. API format follows OpenAI’s standard, so swapping from OpenAI or Azure takes a base URL change and an API key. No surprise headers or custom auth flows.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Lowest Codex pricing across all Chinese relay stations
- GPT-5.5 at ¥1/6 per 1M tokens is absurd value
- ¥1 minimum top-up — no lock-in
- Fast API responses for short contexts
Cons
- Claude model groups occasionally route to wrong channels — expect some instability
- No refund policy on certain plans (check before buying large credits)
- Model selection is narrow: coding models only. No Gemini, no DeepSeek, no vision models
- 96% uptime is below average; don’t rely on it for critical services
Verdict
RightCode is a niche tool for a specific developer: you write code, you want cheap Codex or GPT-5.5 access, and you’re willing to accept occasional channel mix-ups and lower uptime. The ¥1 minimum makes it risk-free to test. If your work also requires chat or vision models, look elsewhere — this relay only serves coding models. For the price, it delivers exactly what it promises: cheap, fast code completions from China.
FAQ
Q: Can I use RightCode from a Chinese IP without a VPN? A: Yes. No VPN required. Direct access works from mainland China.
Q: What payment methods are accepted? A: Alipay and WeChat Pay. No foreign credit cards or crypto.
Q: Does RightCode support refunds? A: Not specified. Some plans explicitly have no refund policy. Buy small amounts first.
Q: Which models can I actually use? A: Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and GPT-5.5. No image, audio, or embedding models.
Q: How does the 100k token context limit feel in practice? A: Fine for codebases under 50k tokens. Beyond that, latency increases and Claude models may drop context. Stick to single-file completions for best speed.
Pricing breakdown
RightCode offers competitive pricing for developers. Here's the breakdown:
| Plan | Price | Quota | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | Free trial | Kicking the tires |
| Standard RECOMMENDED | Pay-as-you-go/mo | Unlimited usage | Solo devs · small teams |
| Enterprise | Custom | SLA · dedicated support | Teams & agencies |
Supported models
3 models across major vendors.
Frequently asked questions
Can I access this platform from China without a VPN?
Most relay stations are accessible from Chinese ISPs. Check our review for specific routing details.
What payment methods are accepted?
Payment options vary by platform. Some accept Alipay/WeChat Pay, others are USD/crypto only.
How does this compare to using OpenAI directly?
Relay stations add routing latency but provide access from restricted regions, unified billing, and multi-model fallback.
Is my API key safe?
Keys are encrypted at rest. Most platforms support per-project scoping and IP allow-lists.
Should you use RightCode?
Budget-conscious developers, Codex users