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GLM API

situationalBlueshift — gaining momentum

Zhipu AI's OpenAI-compatible API for GLM text, vision, image and video models, plus flat-rate coding plans.

Visit open.bigmodel.cn →Add to kitOpen in Noemium

ledger entry · observed by @whysanesanders

GLM-5.2 is a serious open-weights flagship with a huge context window, and the flat-rate Coding Plan is genuinely different. The catch is Zhipu's international surface is thinner than Qwen's, with CNY pricing, lower brand recognition and a promo price that may not last.

Strengths

  • GLM-5.2 is a serious open-weights flagship with a huge context window.
  • Flat-rate Coding Plan is a genuinely different pricing option.
  • OpenAI-compatible API covers text, vision, image and video models.

Known limitations

  • The hosted API is proprietary; some GLM model weights are available separately for self-hosting.
  • Pricing page is CNY-only and tiered by input/output length.
  • GLM-5.3 and GLM-5.2 were temporarily free at scan time — promo pricing may end without notice.
  • Western brand recognition and documentation are lower than Qwen/DeepSeek/Kimi.
  • International sign-up and billing can be less straightforward.

Use it when

  • Chinese-lab pricing with a flat-rate coding subscription.
  • GLM-family multimodal calls through an OpenAI-compatible endpoint.

Skip it when

  • You need English-first docs and support comparable to Qwen.
  • CNY-only pricing and tiered rate cards are a compliance headache.
  • The temporary free promo ending would break your cost model.

Buy-check

  • ·Price — paid, GLM-5.3 (1M context) approx ¥8/¥28 per 1M and temporarily free as of scan; GLM-5.2 same; GLM-5.1 ¥6–8/¥24–28, GLM-5-Turbo ¥5–7/¥22–26, GLM-4.7-Flash free as of 2026-08-19. Open the pricing page, not a screenshot.
  • ·Free tier — Free tier exists — burn it first.
  • ·Cancel fallout — What happens to your data/projects on cancel — check the ToS, not the FAQ.
  • ·Seat math — Per-seat pricing multiplies quietly. Count seats before the annual plan.
  • ·Who skips it — Also skipped when: You need English-first docs and support comparable to Qwen.; CNY-only pricing and tiered rate cards are a compliance headache..

Price trail — 1 revisionchangelog →

  • 2026-W34GLM-5.2 (1M context) approx $1.11/$3.89 per 1M and te…GLM-5.3 (1M context) approx ¥8/¥28 per 1M and tempora…

Facts

pricing
paid1
price note
GLM-5.3 (1M context) approx ¥8/¥28 per 1M and temporarily free as of scan; GLM-5.2 same; GLM-5.1 ¥6–8/¥24–28, GLM-5-Turbo ¥5–7/¥22–26, GLM-4.7-Flash free
free tier
yes — paid to keep using
open source
no
api
yes
self-host
no
category
models-api
evidence
source-verified
Models
GLM 5.3GLM 5.2locked

Sources

  1. 1open.bigmodel.cn/pricing[snapshot]
  2. 2aipricing.guru/z-ai-subscription-pricing/[snapshot]
  3. 3therouter.ai/blog/zhipu-glm-api-complete-guide[snapshot]

No source, no number.

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