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Paid plans start at $12.60/mo. There's also a free plan.
Z.ai has a free web chat plan and free API models, but using paid models through the API costs extra per token. For coding, Lite is $18 per seat monthly or $12.60 with annual billing; Pro is $80 monthly, and Max is $168. Those coding plans have rolling five-hour and weekly credit limits, so the lowest price may not cover heavier use. A five-day free trial is listed, but the pricing information does not say which plan it applies to.
01Every plan, line by line
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Tier / Web Chat Plan | $0 | $0 | Web chat and free API models |
| Pay-As-You-Go API Plan | — | $0 | API users paying for model usage |
| GLM Coding Plan – Lite | $12.60 | $18 | Individual coders with lighter usage |
| GLM Coding Plan – Pro | $56 | $80 | Individual coders with higher usage |
| GLM Coding Plan – Max | $117.60 | $168 | Individual coders with the highest quota |
| GLM Coding Plan – Team | — | Quote | Teams needing shared access management |
Add-ons and overages
- Prepaid API token bundles; prices not published
- Web Search tool: $0.01 per use
- GLM-Image: $0.015 per image
- GLM Slide/Poster Agent beta: $0.70 per MTok
- General-Purpose Translation: $3 per MTok
- Popular Special Effects Video Templates: $0.20 per video
- Coding-plan usage bundles; prices not published
- Team on-demand usage overage: 10% below model API list price
What a team pays per month
| Plan | 1 seat | 5 seats | 10 seats | 25 seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GLM Coding Plan – Lite (max. 1) | $12.60 | — | — | — |
| GLM Coding Plan – Pro (max. 1) | $56 | — | — | — |
| GLM Coding Plan – Max (max. 1) | $117.60 | — | — | — |
02What the plan grid doesn't tell you
API token charges
The API has no base subscription fee, but paid models cost per input and output token. GLM-5.3 is $1.40 input and $4.40 output per 1M tokens.
Coding plan quotas
Lite includes 2,000 credits per rolling five-hour window and 10,000 weekly. Pro and Max have higher limits; off-peak requests use 50% of quota.
Unpublished team pricing
The Team plan lists seat options and weekly token allowances, but per-seat prices are not published.
Paid add-ons
Web Search costs $0.01 per use and GLM-Image costs $0.015 per image. Prices for prepaid API and coding-plan bundles are not published.
03Which plan should you buy?
| If you are… | Get | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Web chat users | Free Tier / Web Chat Plan | It costs $0 and includes web chat plus three free API models. Platform rate limits are not published. |
| Individual coders, lighter use | GLM Coding Plan – Lite | It starts at $12.60 per seat monthly with annual billing, or $18 month to month, with 2,000 credits per rolling five-hour window. |
| Teams needing seat management | GLM Coding Plan – Team | It includes centralized seat management and invoicing, but the per-seat price is not published. Check the quote against your expected usage. |
04Is Z.ai worth the money?
Z.ai is worth considering if you specifically want GLM models, free web chat, or a coding plan with stated credit quotas. The main pricing trade-off is predictability: API costs vary with token use, coding plans have rolling and weekly limits, and Team pricing is not published. Compared with AI platforms that charge a flat subscription, Z.ai makes it easier to start free but harder to estimate total cost without knowing your usage.
Z.ai pricing FAQ
What is AI chatbot Z?
Z.ai is an AI platform from Zhipu AI, not just a chatbot. It offers conversational access to GLM models, agent execution, and cloud APIs. The platform also lists uses such as software engineering, multimodal analysis, web search, document creation, and multi-step reasoning.
How much does a Z.ai subscription cost?
Web chat is free, and the API has no base subscription fee but charges for paid model usage. Coding plans cost $18, $80, or $168 per seat monthly for Lite, Pro, and Max. Annual billing lists discounted prices of $12.60, $56, and $117.60 per seat monthly, respectively.
Is Z.ai free?
Yes. The Free Tier / Web Chat Plan costs $0 and includes web chat and three free API models. Paid API model usage is charged per token, while coding plans are paid. A five-day free trial is listed, but the pricing information does not specify which plan it covers.
What is Z.ai good for?
Z.ai provides access to GLM models for chat, agent execution, and developer APIs. Its listed use cases include software engineering, multimodal analysis, web search, document creation, and multi-step reasoning. Costs depend on whether you use free models, paid API models, or a coding plan.