Every year in the middle of the year, the cloud service provider's big promotion is a very cost-effective opportunity for beginners to get their first server. In 2026, Tencent Cloud's mid-year promotion was themed "AI Leads the Way, Smartly Shaping the Future". The event page aggregated multiple modules such as lightweight application servers, official AI Agent images, Token Plan, and overseas servers. For new customers, the 4-core 4G lightweight server is priced as low as 38 yuan per year, and it also supports the minute-level deployment of popular AI images such as OpenClaw, Hermes, and DeepSeek-TUI.
But for novices who are just getting started with website building, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the seven or eight promotional sections on the event page at the same time: flash sales, OpenClaw images, server zones, renewal at the same price, buy-one-get-one-free, overseas services... Which one should they focus on? This article won't provide a general summary of promotions, but will help you identify the right configuration and entry point based on your specific website-building needs.
Event Overview: What are the modules related to website construction?
First, let's quickly review several modules directly related to website building in this mid-year promotion.
1 New users of lightweight servers/flash sale
This is the module most directly related to website building for beginners. The activity page features 4-core 4G servers for new customers starting at 38 yuan per year. The server zone also offers low-price configurations for new customers, which is suitable for users who want to purchase Tencent Cloud servers for the first time, build personal blogs, corporate showcase websites, or test environments at low cost.
2 OpenClaw / Hermes / DeepSeek-TUI images
This module is the biggest difference between this event and the regular cloud server promotion. The event page provides popular images such as OpenClaw, Hermes, and DeepSeek-TUI. The official images can be deployed in minutes, making them suitable for users who want to run AI agents, multi-model tool flows, or code tasks on lightweight servers.
3 Token Plan
The Token Plan is designed for people who frequently use AI programming and agent tools. The event page states that the package starts at just 28 yuan per month and is compatible with tools such as OpenClaw, Workbuddy, Claude Code, and Cursor. This would be a suitable complementary solution for deploying OpenClaw, but it's not recommended to divert resources from the main focus of building the website server.
4 Renew at the same price
The same-price renewal is suitable for users who are worried about the price increase for renewal in the second year. The activity page states that the products in this section enjoy the same price for new purchase and renewal once, but there are usually rules such as each configuration is limited to one new purchase and one renewal. Please refer to the sales card before purchasing.
5 Buy-One-Get-One-Free Zone
The Buy-Get-Free section mainly offers the service of buying a server for one year and getting three months free, which is suitable for users who have already decided to use it long-term. However, the page also clearly states that this section does not support refunds, so it's not suitable for novices who haven't yet determined their configuration and just place an order for the free time period.
6 Overseas lightweight servers
Overseas lightweight servers are suitable for cross-border businesses, independent foreign trade websites, overseas content sites, or website construction scenarios where registration is not desired at the moment. Their advantages include an independent public IP and more direct overseas access. However, if the website is primarily aimed at mainland Chinese users, it is still recommended to prioritize domestic nodes and complete the registration process.
7 Voucher Packages
The voucher package is suitable for all users who are planning to purchase new products, renew subscriptions, or upgrade services. By claiming the voucher before placing an order, you can avoid missing out on discounts that can be applied. However, the specific scope of application and the rules for discounts still need to be checked on the official website of Tencent Cloud for real-time updates.
The activity rules, purchase restrictions, and target groups of these modules vary. The prices and eligibility criteria are subject to the real-time pages and sales cards on the Tencent Cloud official website. Below, we will break down the four types of website building scenarios to help you determine the best path to take.
Select the configuration based on the website-building scenario
Before delving into each scenario, let's first use a selection table to help you quickly locate the relevant information.
| Your needs | Recommended configuration | Recommendation Zone | Reference price (subject to the real-time page on the official website) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal blog / Learning / Showcase site | 2 cores and 2G, or 2 cores and 4G | Server Zone / Buy-and-Get-Free Zone | New customers can enjoy a discounted price of as low as 99 yuan per year. |
| WordPress / Corporate Showcase Site / Mini Program Backend | 2 cores and 4G, or 4 cores and 4G | Server Zone / Flash Sale | New customers: RMB 38-188 per year |
| Deploy AI Agents (such as OpenClaw). | 4 cores and 4G, or 2 cores and 4G | OpenClaw Image Gallery | 99-188 yuan/year |
| No need for filing to set up a website for overseas markets | Overseas lightweight 2-core 4G device | Foreign Countries Exhibition Area | The sales of cards in the overseas special zone shall prevail |
Now, let's analyze each scenario one by one.
1 Personal blog/learning/showcase website: Start with the lowest cost possible
If you just want to set up a personal blog (using WordPress, Typecho, Hugo, etc.), an online resume site, a presentation of your coursework, or to practice Linux and server operations, there's no need to go for the highest specs.
For a lightweight application server with 2 cores and 2GB or 4GB of RAM, running WordPress + Nginx + MySQL is completely sufficient. At the stage of handling hundreds of daily visitors, the performance bottleneck usually lies not in CPU and memory, but in image optimization, caching strategies, and CDN—these are optimization tasks that need to be carried out after the website is built, and they cannot be solved simply by adjusting the configuration.
Purchase recommendation:
- The price of new servers in the server zone starts from just 99 yuan per year, with options including 2 cores and 2GB of RAM, as well as 2 cores and 4GB of RAM. This is the most reliable starting option for beginners.
- If you're certain that you'll use it for more than a year, buying in the buy-one-get-three-months-free section will actually give you a longer usage period. However, please note that this section does not support refunds. Please confirm your needs before making a purchase.
- There is also a 2-core 2GB configuration in the same-price renewal section. New purchases and renewals are priced the same, which is suitable for users who are worried about the price increase of renewal in the second year. Each configuration in the same-price renewal section is limited to one new purchase and one renewal across the network. For details, please refer to the sales card.
2 WordPress / Corporate Showcase Site / Mini Program Backend: Be more stable
If your website is not just a personal toy, but a company's official website, a content platform, the backend of a mini program or a mini game, or a lightweight e-commerce platform, stability is more important than extremely low prices.
It is recommended to start with a 2-core 4G configuration. After installing the theme and necessary plugins on WordPress, a 2-core 4G configuration will clearly handle things more smoothly than a 2-core 2G configuration. If the business traffic is slightly higher or you need to run multiple services simultaneously, it's better to opt for a 4-core 4G configuration directly.
Purchase recommendation:
- New individual customers can get priority to grab the flash sale offer of a 4-core 4G server at 38 yuan per year (limited offer, requiring personal real-name registration and placing the first order of the product). The configuration they receive will be higher than that of servers in the same price range in the server zone.
- If you can't grab the flash sale deal, the 4-core 4GB server zone with a 99 yuan/year price tag for new customers is also a reasonable choice.
- For those who need more bandwidth, the 2-core 4G 5M OpenClaw image zone costs 188 yuan per year (exclusive for individuals, with the same renewal price), offering more generous bandwidth.
- For enterprise users building official websites, they can pay attention to CVM's Honeycomb model, which offers up to a 27% discount on the first order. This is suitable for scenarios where subsequent network management functions such as VPC and security groups are needed. For ordinary display sites, a lightweight server is sufficient, so there's no need to spend extra money on features that won't be used.
Regarding the differences between lightweight servers and CVMs: Lightweight servers are integrated packages that offer bandwidth, traffic, and cloud disks as a bundled solution, ready to use out of the box; CVMs are flexible components that allow users to configure each resource individually. For novice website builders, using lightweight servers is more hassle-free. If you need advanced network features, then consider CVMs.
3 Deploy AI Agents (OpenClaw / Hermes / DeepSeek-TUI): Differentiated Selection
This section is the highlight that distinguishes this year-end promotion from general server promotions. On the event page, Tencent Cloud specifically places the three AI Agent images of OpenClaw, Hermes, and DeepSeek-TUI in a prominent position. When purchasing a lightweight server, users can directly select these images and complete the deployment in minutes.
If you have the following needs, this route is worth considering:
- I want to deploy OpenClaw on a cloud server for office automation, multi-model scheduling, or multi-tool collaboration.
- I want to use Hermes Agent to handle general tasks that require long-term autonomous iteration.
- I'm a frequent user of DeepSeek and want to run DeepSeek-TUI on a server to reduce the cost of code tasks.
In terms of configuration recommendations, the event page clearly states that for multi-Agent/workspace scenarios, a minimum configuration of 4 cores and 4GB RAM is recommended for better stability in high-concurrency environments. However, if the number of Agents is small and the tasks are lightweight, 2 cores and 4GB RAM can also handle the workload. When purchasing, you can directly select the corresponding system image from the OpenClaw image zone, without needing to buy a server and then manually install the environment afterward.
Purchase recommendation:
- The OpenClaw Image Zone offers a 4-core, 4GB RAM server priced at 99 yuan per year (first-time purchase only, limited to one server).
- 2 cores 4G 5M at 188 yuan per year (exclusive for individuals, with the same renewal price), offering higher bandwidth, which is suitable for scenarios where agents' tasks involve a large number of network requests.
Token Plan: A package of tools for AI programming and agents
If you deploy an AI Agent, you will likely also need to call the large-scale model API. The activity page also launched a Token Plan. According to the introduction on the activity page, the price is as low as 28 yuan per month. Compared with the API's pay-as-you-go pricing model, it is more cost-effective for the same usage. The specific savings amount will be subject to the real-time explanations on Tencent Cloud's official website.
The Token Plan combines mainstream models and is compatible with programming and agent tools such as OpenClaw, Workbuddy, Codebuddy, Claude Code, and Cursor. If you use AI programming or agents frequently every day, the bundled package is more cost-effective than pay-as-you-go pricing
Advanced supporting tools: COS and CLS
The following two supporting services are not essential for website building, but if your AI Agent is up and running, they can help you manage data and logs:
- COS object storage: Let your Agent directly operate cloud files—uploading, downloading, image processing, content retrieval, etc. This is suitable for scenarios where Agents generate a large number of files that need to be centrally stored and managed.
- CLS Logging Service: It can automatically analyze Token consumption by dimensions such as models, departments, and conversations, and generate cost rankings and trend reports. At the same time, it supports security risk monitoring and fault localization. It is suitable for troubleshooting problems and controlling costs after an Agent runs for a long time.
During the initial stage of building a website, there's no need to rush to implement these two features. It's enough to just understand them. It's not too late to review them once the Agent is up and running.
4 Build a website for overseas expansion without registration: overseas lightweight servers
If your website is aimed at overseas users (cross-border e-commerce independent websites, official websites of overseas businesses, or content websites targeting international audiences), overseas lightweight servers have two obvious advantages:
- There's no need for ICP filing. You can use it right after purchasing it.
- Independent public network IP, with low latency for overseas users to access the website.
It is recommended to prioritize checking the overseas configurations with 2 cores and 4G/30M bandwidth, which typically offer higher bandwidth than domestic products of the same price. The specific prices and renewal benefits are subject to the sales cards in the overseas section. If you have higher requirements for the configuration, the overseas section also provides various options such as CVM Fengchi type.
A reminder: Foreign servers are not as fast to access from mainland China as domestic servers. If your target users are mainly in mainland China, it is recommended to choose a domestic lightweight server and complete the filing process. These two approaches are not mutually exclusive. For businesses operating in different regions, you should select the corresponding server accordingly.
Rules and restrictions that must be clearly understood before placing an order
The promotion prices are tempting, but if you place an order without reading the rules carefully, you may face problems like not being able to return or renew the items, or finding that they're unusable, wasting your money in the end. Here are some common pitfalls that beginners are most likely to fall into.
1 Not everyone is eligible for the new customer/first-order discount
The prices of 38 yuan/year and 99 yuan/year are usually exclusive to first-time purchases or new customers. Accounts that have previously purchased Tencent Cloud lightweight servers may not be eligible to enjoy these prices again. Before placing an order, please check on the sales page to confirm whether your account meets the purchase requirements. The activity page will typically indicate directly whether you are eligible to purchase.
2 The renewal price may be different from the initial purchase price.
38 yuan is the first-year price for new customers. If there are no price-matching benefits for renewal, the price will return to the original level. If you plan to use the same server for a long time, it is recommended to prioritize configurations with the "price-matching renewal" label. The price-matching renewal zone allows only one purchase and one renewal per configuration across the entire network. Not only the price but also the number of renewals are limited. For specific details, please refer to the sales card.
3 The free gift section does not support refunds
Buying one year and getting three months free might seem like a good deal, but this section clearly states that refunds are not supported. If you find that the configuration is not suitable or you don't need it after purchasing, you won't be able to get a refund. It is recommended to confirm your needs before making a purchase, and not to impulsively buy just for the free gifts.
4 Don't forget to claim the coupons
You can use coupons for new purchases, renewals, and upgrades, with a maximum discount of 36 months on orders. Before placing an order, make sure to claim the coupons on the event page first—this step is often overlooked.
5 Don't confuse lightweight servers with CVMs
The lightweight application server is an integrated package that bundles bandwidth, traffic, and cloud hard disks for sale, suitable for simple website building scenarios. The cloud server CVM allows independent configuration of various resources and supports advanced network functions such as VPC, security groups, and elastic network cards, making it ideal for scenarios requiring flexible network management. For beginners building websites, the lightweight version is sufficient—there's no need to spend extra money on features you won't use.
Event entrance and purchase process
The entrance to the event is on the 2026 Mid-Year Promotion page of Tencent Cloud's official website. The general process is as follows:
- Login to your Tencent Cloud account and complete the real-name authentication process.
- Refer to the selection table above to determine your own website-building scenario and recommended configuration.
- Enter the corresponding activity zone, and select the configuration and purchase duration.
- After receiving the voucher, place your order again.
If you choose the OpenClaw/Hermes/DeepSeek-TUI image, you can simply select it in the system image options when purchasing. After the purchase, it will be automatically deployed within minutes, so there's no need to manually install the environment.
View the entry to the Tencent Cloud China event homepage
If your main focus is on deploying the OpenClaw image, you can also start from here. The entry point for Tencent Cloud's OpenClaw All-in-One Assistant event Go to the corresponding page.
summarize
The core of the lightweight server activity during Tencent Cloud's mid-year promotion in 2026 is not about "buying the cheapest one", but about "matching the corresponding zone according to the website-building scenario".
- Starting a personal blog or a learning platform doesn't require much, and a 2-core 2GB or 2-core 4GB server is sufficient and affordable.
- For the enterprise showcase website/mini program backend, it's more stable to use a 2-core 4G or a 4-core 4G configuration.
- Deploy an AI Agent, starting with a 4-core, 4G configuration, in conjunction with the official OpenClaw image and Token Plan.
- For setting up a website without registration when going global, choose an overseas lightweight server and an independent public network IP that doesn't require registration.
Before placing an order, please confirm three things: your eligibility as a new customer/first-time buyer, the renewal pricing rules, and whether you have claimed the coupons. All prices, campaign validity periods, and purchase restrictions are subject to the real-time information on the Tencent Cloud official website and sales pages.
common problems
What's the difference between the 38 yuan/year and 99 yuan/year offers during the mid-year promotion?
The price of 38 yuan is a flash sale price with limited supply, and it usually requires personal real-name authentication and a first-time purchase of the product (if you haven't bought a lightweight server before). The price of 99 yuan is the first-time purchase price for the server zone or the OpenClaw image zone, with relatively abundant supply. The purchase eligibility and purchase restrictions for the two are different. For details, please refer to the sales card on the event page.
I've already purchased Tencent Cloud products. Can I still enjoy the discounts on lightweight servers during the mid-year promotion?
Some special zones have a "first-order discount" requirement, which means that you can only enjoy the first-order price if you haven't purchased lightweight servers before. However, the same-price renewal zones, some new and old shared activities, and voucher packages are also valuable for existing users. Before placing an order, please check your account status on the sales cards of each special zone.
What is the difference between setting up a website on a lightweight server and on a cloud server (CVM)?
The lightweight application server is an integrated package that includes bandwidth, traffic, and cloud disks sold as a bundle, ready to use out of the box, making it ideal for novices to build websites. The cloud server CVM allows for independent configuration of various resources and supports advanced networking features such as VPC, security groups, and elastic network interfaces, making it suitable for scenarios requiring flexible management. For novices building websites, it is recommended to start with the lightweight version first.
Can I install OpenClaw directly on a lightweight server that I've purchased?
The OpenClaw Image Zone supports directly selecting OpenClaw, Hermes, or DeepSeek-TUI system images when purchasing. After the purchase is completed, the system will be automatically deployed, and there's no need to manually install the runtime environment.
Do I need to register with the authorities when setting up a website on an overseas lightweight server?
There's no need for ICP filing. Overseas lightweight servers provide independent public IP addresses, offering lower latency for overseas users. However, if your website is primarily aimed at mainland Chinese users, the access speed of overseas servers might not be ideal. It is recommended to choose domestic lightweight servers and complete the filing process.
Can I enjoy both the "buy one year and get three months free" offer in the buy-and-get-free section and the same-price renewal at the same time?
Generally, they cannot be stacked. The rules of different activity zones are independent, and you need to confirm them on the corresponding sales card before purchasing. Additionally, the buy-one-get-one-free zone clearly states that refunds are not supported. It is recommended to confirm your needs before placing an order.
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