Zhipu AI (GLM / z.ai) free tier
A free flagship-adjacent chat model from one of China's top labs.
| Free tier type | Permanent free tier |
|---|---|
| What you get free | The Flash model is free with rate limits; flagship models are paid. |
| Credit card | No card required |
| Signup | Free API key — open.bigmodel.cn |
| API endpoint | https://open.bigmodel.cn/api/paas/v4/ (OpenAI-compatible) |
| Top free models | GLM-4.5-Flash (free)GLM-4.5 family (paid) |
Copy-paste setup
Two things: the base URL above, and a free key from the provider's site. Pick your tool:
export OPENAI_BASE_URL="https://open.bigmodel.cn/api/paas/v4/" export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-key-here" # then pick one of the provider's models in your tool
Settings → Models → paste your key under the matching provider, or use 'Override OpenAI Base URL' with: https://open.bigmodel.cn/api/paas/v4/
# ~/.codex/config.toml model_provider = "custom" [model_providers.custom] base_url = "https://open.bigmodel.cn/api/paas/v4/" env_key = "OPENAI_API_KEY"
Claude Code natively speaks the Anthropic API. To use the providers on this page, point it at a router/gateway (e.g. an OpenAI-to-Anthropic proxy) configured with: https://open.bigmodel.cn/api/paas/v4/
Choose 'OpenAI Compatible' as the provider, then paste: Base URL: https://open.bigmodel.cn/api/paas/v4/ API key: your key Model: one of the models listed on this page
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Zhipu AI (GLM / z.ai) — FAQ
Is Zhipu AI (GLM / z.ai) really free?
Zhipu AI (GLM / z.ai) is listed in our index as: Permanent free tier. The Flash model is free with rate limits; flagship models are paid. We last probed its API endpoint on 2026-08-19. Always confirm current limits on the provider's own pricing page.
Does Zhipu AI (GLM / z.ai) need a credit card?
No card required. Signup: Free API key.
How do I use Zhipu AI (GLM / z.ai) in my coding tool?
Zhipu AI (GLM / z.ai) exposes an OpenAI-compatible endpoint (https://open.bigmodel.cn/api/paas/v4/). Paste that base URL plus your key into Cursor, Codex CLI, a Claude Code router, or any OpenAI-compatible tool — the snippets on this page are copy-paste ready.
Free APIs build the prototype.
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