What is Z.ai?
Z.ai is the chat app from Zhipu AI, the Chinese lab behind the GLM family of large language models. It is the place where the company releases its newest models to the public, such as GLM-5 and its successors, and it describes itself as an AI chatbot and agent.
You can use it like other AI assistants to ask questions, write, code and analyse files. Its agent mode can go further and turn prompts or source material into finished files such as Word documents, PDFs and spreadsheets. The underlying GLM models are released with open weights, which has made them popular with developers who also want to run them elsewhere.
Main Features
- Free chat with Zhipu AI's latest GLM models
- Agent mode for multi-step tasks
- Creates Word, PDF and spreadsheet files
- Help with coding, writing and research
- Works in the browser with no install
- Models are released with open weights
How to Get Started with Z.ai
- Open chat.z.ai in your browser.
- Sign in or start chatting straight away.
- Pick a GLM model from the model menu.
- Type a question or task, or switch to agent mode for bigger jobs.
Z.ai Pricing
The Z.ai chat app is free to use. Zhipu AI sells its models separately through a pay-per-token API and a GLM Coding Plan subscription for coding tools such as Claude Code, but neither is needed for the chat.
Who Should Use It?
- People looking for a free alternative to ChatGPT
- Developers who want to test GLM models
- Students and writers drafting documents
- Anyone who needs files made from a prompt
Z.ai Alternatives
- DeepSeek-V3 AI: Free chat with DeepSeek's open models.
- Kimi: AI assistant from Moonshot AI for long documents and research.
- Mistral Vibe: Mistral's chat assistant with coding and agent features.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Z.ai free?
Yes. The chat app at chat.z.ai is free. Only the developer API and the GLM Coding Plan for coding tools are paid.
Who makes Z.ai?
Z.ai is made by Zhipu AI, the company behind the GLM language models.
What can Z.ai do?
It can chat, write, code and research, and its agent mode can produce documents, PDFs and spreadsheets from a prompt.