## ZCode (Z.AI GLM Coding Plan) — Pricing Tier Review ZCode is the official desktop harness for GLM-5.2, powered by Z.AI's **GLM Coding Plan** subscription. Unlike per-token API billing, the Coding Plan gives you a flat monthly fee with fixed prompt quotas for use in coding tools like Claude Code, Cline, Roo Code, OpenClaw, and others. *Data sourced from Z.AI's official subscribe page and AI Pricing Guru (updated 2026-07-01).* --- ### 🏷️ Tier Overview All three tiers include **the same model lineup**: GLM-5.2 (flagship), GLM-5-Turbo, GLM-4.7, and GLM-4.5-air. The differences are quota size, MCP tool allowance, and peak-hour priority. | Tier | Price /mo | Promo Price* | Quota (per 5h / per week) | MCP Calls/mo | |------|-----------|-------------|---------------------------|-------------| | **Lite** | **$18/mo** | $12.60/mo | ~80 prompts / ~400 prompts | 100 | | **Pro** | **$72/mo** | $50.40/mo | ~400 prompts / ~2,000 prompts | 1,000 | | **Max** | **$160/mo** | $112/mo | ~1,600 prompts / ~8,000 prompts | 4,000 | *\*Limited-time 30% introductory discount, available through September 2026.* --- ### 📋 Detailed Breakdown #### 🔹 Lite ($18/mo — $12.60/mo promo) - **Best for:** Solo developers doing 1–2 coding sessions per day - **Quota:** ~80 prompts per 5-hour window, ~400 prompts per week - **MCP tools:** 100 web-search/reader calls per month - **Models:** GLM-5.2, GLM-5-Turbo, GLM-4.7, GLM-4.5-air - **Peak vs off-peak:** GLM-5.2 & GLM-5-Turbo consume 3× quota during peak hours, 2× off-peak (promo: 1× off-peak through Sep 2026) - **Verdict:** Entry-level tier, comparable to ~3× Claude Pro's prompt volume. Good value if you're not doing heavy agentic coding. #### 🔸 Pro ($72/mo — $50.40/mo promo) - **Best for:** Regular agentic workflows, multi-file refactors, heavy daily use - **Quota:** ~400 prompts per 5h, ~2,000 per week (~5× Lite) - **MCP tools:** 1,000 calls per month - **Models:** Same as Lite - **Verdict:** The sweet spot for most serious developers. Sits between Claude Pro ($20/mo) and Claude Team ($30/seat/mo) on price but offers significantly more throughput and API flexibility across any compatible IDE. #### 🔶 Max ($160/mo — $112/mo promo) - **Best for:** Teams, power users, or anyone hitting Pro limits regularly - **Quota:** ~1,600 prompts per 5h, ~8,000 per week (~20× Lite) - **MCP tools:** 4,000 calls per month - **Models:** Same as Lite & Pro - **Verdict:** Competes with ChatGPT Pro ($200/mo) and Claude Max tiers at a lower price point. Best value for high-volume agentic IDE use. --- ### ⚠️ Important Notes 1. **Quota consumption rules:** GLM-5.2 & GLM-5-Turbo burn quota at 3× during peak hours and 2× off-peak (promotional 1× off-peak through Sep 2026). GLM-4.7 and GLM-4.5-air are cheaper to run. 2. **No overage:** Once you hit the cap, the plan stops — no auto-upgrade or pay-as-you-go. 3. **Billing:** Quarterly billing (not monthly), though prices above show monthly equivalents. 4. **Tool-locked:** The plan works only with officially supported coding tools (20+ supported), not as a general API key. 5. **Price history:** Z.AI removed its $3/mo promotional pricing on Feb 11, 2026. Current pricing starts at $18/mo. --- ### 💡 Recommendation | Your Usage | Best Tier | |-----------|-----------| | Occasional coding, light completions | **Lite** ($12.60/mo with promo) | | Daily agentic coding, multi-file work | **Pro** ($50.40/mo with promo) | | Heavy usage, teams, hitting limits | **Max** ($112/mo with promo) | The 30% promo (dropping Lite to ~$12.60/mo) makes even the entry tier a strong deal compared to per-token API pricing for regular coding use.