Zhipu GLM Coding Plan vs OpenRouter
Compare Zhipu GLM Coding Plan and OpenRouter: free credits, features, and ratings. Which one is right for you?
Category
Coding Assistant
API Platform
Rating
β 3.5
β 4
Free Credits
4.7 undefined
50 requests/day (1000 after $10 top-up)
Refresh Period
unlimited
daily
Resolution
N/A
Watermark
No
No
Commercial Use
Yes
Yes
Paid From
Lite $30/quarter (~$10/mo)
$10 top-up
Zhipu GLM Coding Plan
Zhipu's AI coding subscription paired with ZCode IDE. Free models available (GLM-4.7-Flash, GLM-4.5-Flash). Paid tiers: Lite ~$10/mo, Pro ~$30/mo, Max ~$80/mo (quarterly billing). Compatible with 20+ coding tools. Subscribers get 1.5x quota in ZCode.
Pros
- βFree models truly unlimited
- βGLM-5.1 flagship coding model
- βWorks with 20+ coding tools (Claude Code/Cursor/Cline etc)
- βFree MCP tools with subscription (vision/search/reader)
- β1.5x quota for subscribers in ZCode
- βEasy payment via Alipay in China
Cons
- βQuarterly billing only, no monthly
- βFlash models lack depth for complex tasks
- βGLM-5 requires Pro tier
- βPrices increased 30%+, no first-purchase discount
Key Features
Unlimited free Flash modelsZCode 3.0 coding tool (self-developed Agent)Multi-model: GLM-5.1/5-Turbo/4.7/4.6OpenAI/Claude API compatibleFree vision/search/reader MCP toolsWorks with Claude Code/Cursor/Cline/Codex CLI and 20+ tools
OpenRouter
API aggregation platform β one endpoint to access them all. 27 free models, accessible from China without VPN. Switch between backends by just changing the model name. Free tier: 50 requests/day, unlock 1000/day with $10 top-up.
Pros
- βAccessible from China without VPN
- β27 free models available
- βOpenAI-compatible format, switch models by changing name
- βDiverse model selection across providers
Cons
- βFree tier limited to 50 requests/day
- βUnlocking 1000/day requires $10 top-up
- βFree model quality varies
Key Features
27 Free ModelsChina Direct AccessOpenAI-Compatible APIUnified Model SwitchingDeepSeek/Qwen/Llama Support