---
id: devpass-vs-z-ai
slug: z-ai-glm-coding-plan
date: 2026-06-02
title: DevPass vs z.ai GLM Coding Plan
metaTitle: "DevPass vs z.ai GLM Coding Plan: One Vendor or 200+?"
description: "DevPass vs the z.ai GLM Coding Plan compared. z.ai is a low-cost, GLM-only subscription billed quarterly; DevPass is a flat monthly plan for 200+ models — Claude, GPT-5.5, Gemini and GLM — under one key."
competitor: z.ai GLM Coding Plan
competitorLogo: zai
competitorTagline: Low-cost subscription for Zhipu's GLM models
tagline: "z.ai's coding plan is one of the cheapest ways to run GLM. DevPass costs more but isn't tied to a single vendor — GLM is just one of 200+ models on every plan."
devpassPrice: "$29–$179/mo"
competitorPrice: "~$10–$80/mo"
verdict: "The z.ai GLM Coding Plan is outstanding value if GLM models are all you need — a few dollars a month for GLM-5.1 and friends, billed quarterly. DevPass is single-vendor's opposite: GLM plus Claude, GPT-5.5, Gemini and every other major model, under one key, billed monthly with no quarterly commitment. Pick z.ai to go all-in on GLM; pick DevPass to keep GLM and everything else."
features:
  - label: Starting price
    devpass: "$29/mo (Lite)"
    competitor: "~$10/mo"
  - label: Billing cadence
    devpass: Monthly or annual
    competitor: Quarterly
  - label: Models included
    devpass: "200+"
    competitor: GLM family only
    highlight: true
  - label: "Claude Opus 4.8, GPT-5.5, Gemini 3.1 Pro"
    devpass: true
    competitor: false
    highlight: true
  - label: "GLM-5.1, GLM-5-Turbo, GLM-4.7"
    devpass: true
    competitor: true
  - label: Other open-weight coders (Kimi, Qwen, DeepSeek)
    devpass: true
    competitor: false
  - label: Single API key for all models
    devpass: true
    competitor: GLM only
  - label: Per-request cost & latency dashboard
    devpass: true
    competitor: Prompt pool limits
  - label: OpenAI + Anthropic-compatible API
    devpass: true
    competitor: true
  - label: "Works with Claude Code, Cursor, Cline, OpenCode"
    devpass: true
    competitor: true
faqs:
  - question: What is the z.ai GLM Coding Plan?
    answer: "It's a low-cost coding subscription from Zhipu AI (z.ai) that gives you access to the GLM family of models — GLM-5.1, GLM-5-Turbo, GLM-4.7 and others — for agentic coding tools. Plans are billed quarterly and range from roughly $10/month (Lite) to about $80/month (Max), with prompt-pool usage limits and MCP features like web search."
  - question: Is z.ai cheaper than DevPass?
    answer: "At the entry tier, yes — the z.ai Lite plan is a few dollars a month cheaper than DevPass Lite. But z.ai only includes GLM models. DevPass includes GLM and 200+ others (Claude, GPT-5.5, Gemini, Kimi, Qwen, DeepSeek), so you're comparing a single-vendor plan to a full catalog."
  - question: Can I use GLM models with DevPass?
    answer: "Yes. The GLM family is part of the DevPass catalog on every plan, alongside the Western flagships and the other open-weight coders. You get the same low-cost GLM access plus everything else, under one key, without committing to a quarter."
  - question: Does z.ai require a quarterly commitment?
    answer: "The GLM Coding Plan is billed quarterly. DevPass bills monthly (or annually if you want two months free), so you can change or cancel each month rather than committing a quarter at a time."
---

## What is the z.ai GLM Coding Plan?

The GLM Coding Plan from **Zhipu AI (z.ai)** is one of the cheapest coding subscriptions available — a few dollars a month for access to the **GLM family**: GLM-5.1, GLM-5-Turbo, GLM-4.7, GLM-4.6 and GLM-4.5-Air. Plans run from roughly **$10/month (Lite)** to about **$80/month (Max)**, billed **quarterly**, with prompt-pool usage limits and MCP extras like web search and a web reader. If GLM is the model you want, it's hard to argue with the price.

The defining trait is focus: it's a **single-vendor** plan. Every model on it comes from Zhipu.

## What is DevPass?

DevPass by LLM Gateway is a flat-rate plan that's single-vendor's opposite. It bundles **200+ models behind one key** — the GLM family _and_ Claude Opus 4.8, GPT-5.5, Gemini 3.1 Pro, Kimi, Qwen, DeepSeek and the rest. You get a monthly usage allowance (about $3 of model usage per $1 paid), a per-request cost dashboard, monthly billing, and the freedom to switch models mid-session without touching your config.

## Single vendor vs the whole field

GLM models are strong and cheap, and for plenty of tasks they're all you need. But a single-vendor plan has a hard edge: when a job calls for Claude's reasoning, GPT-5.5's breadth or Gemini's long context, a GLM-only plan can't help — you're back to a second subscription and a second key.

DevPass removes that edge. **GLM is included**, so you don't lose the cheap open-weight option; you simply gain everything else next to it — Claude, GPT-5.5, Gemini and the rest, one key away the moment a task outgrows GLM.

## Billing flexibility

z.ai's plan is **quarterly**. DevPass is **monthly**, with an optional annual plan that gives you two months free. If you'd rather not pre-commit a quarter at a time, that flexibility is part of the trade.

## Who should choose which

**Choose the z.ai GLM Coding Plan if** GLM models cover your work, you want the lowest entry price, and a quarterly commitment is fine.

**Choose DevPass if** you want GLM _and_ the frontier models under one key, monthly billing, and a per-request cost breakdown.
