650+ model variants is the claim, but I can only verify a handful from the list — and that’s the core tension with Shenma AI. Shenma AI is a newer relay targeting developers who want access to the latest model releases without a VPN. Their main pitch is breadth: they claim to host over 650 model variants, which would be the widest catalog I’ve seen from any Chinese relay. The supported models explicitly listed are GPT-5.x, Claude 4.x, Gemini 3.x, and DeepSeek V3. That’s a reasonable set of cutting-edge models, but it’s a far cry from 650 — I’d need to dig into their API docs to see what else is actually there.
Pricing & Payment
The platform is currently free to try. No monthly subscription fee is listed, and no promo code is available. Payment is done through Alipay or WeChat Pay. There’s no specified minimum recharge amount in CNY, and no refund policy is documented. This lack of transparency on pricing after the trial is a yellow flag — you’re essentially signing up blind on what a production workload will cost.
| Pricing Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Monthly Cost | Free (trial) |
| Promo Code | None |
| Payment Methods | Alipay, WeChat Pay |
| Min Recharge (CNY) | Not specified |
| Refund Policy | Not specified |
Uptime & Safety
Uptime sits at 94.0%, which is below the 99%+ benchmarks set by more established relays. If you’re building anything latency-sensitive or mission-critical, that 6% downtime window means you’ll need a fallback provider. Safety rating is 3/5 — middle of the road. Not terrible, but not something I’d trust with sensitive data without your own encryption layer.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Claims 650+ model variants — widest coverage claim of any relay I’ve reviewed
- Includes latest model releases (GPT-5.x, Claude 4.x, Gemini 3.x, DeepSeek V3)
- Free trial available with no upfront payment Cons
- Model count claim (650+) is impossible to verify independently from the data I have
- Uptime at 94% is weak compared to competitors
- Very few independent community reviews — hard to gauge real-world reliability
- No refund policy or minimum recharge details disclosed
Verdict
Shenma AI is a high-risk, high-reward option. If their 650+ model claim is real, they offer the widest model selection of any Chinese relay. But with 94% uptime, no transparent pricing beyond the free trial, and almost no community track record, I wouldn’t put production traffic through them yet. Use the free trial to test model availability and latency, but keep a backup relay ready.
FAQ
Q: Is Shenma AI usable without a VPN in China? A: Yes, that’s the entire point. It’s designed for Chinese developers to access models like GPT-5.x and Claude 4.x directly via Alipay or WeChat Pay, no VPN required. Q: Does Shenma AI support OpenAI-compatible API calls? A: The platform data doesn’t specify API compatibility, but most Chinese relays in this space offer OpenAI-style endpoints. You’ll need to check their API docs or test during the free trial. Q: What happens after the free trial ends? A: The data doesn’t specify post-trial pricing, minimum recharge amounts, or refund policies. Assume you’ll need to recharge via Alipay or WeChat Pay, but no concrete numbers are available.
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.
