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How to Use GLM-5 for Free: A Complete Guide to Zhipu AI's Latest Flagship Model

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How to Use GLM-5 for Free: A Complete Guide to Zhipu AI's Latest Flagship Model

GLM-5, Zhipu AI's newest flagship model released on February 11, 2026, has sent shockwaves through the AI community. With an unprecedented 745 billion parameters and revolutionary performance that rivals Claude Opus 4.5 in real-world scenarios, GLM-5 represents a new milestone in open-source AI. This comprehensive guide will show you how to access and use GLM-5 for free through legitimate channels.

Why GLM-5 is a Game-Changer

GLM-5 marks a significant leap forward in open-source AI development:

  • Massive Scale: 745B parameters (approximately 2x larger than GLM-4.7)
  • SOTA Performance: Achieves State-of-the-Art in coding and agent capabilities among open-source models
  • Programming Excellence: Reaches Claude Opus 4.5 level performance in real-world coding scenarios
  • Advanced Architecture: Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) with 256 experts activating 8 simultaneously
  • Cutting-Edge Technology: Integrates DeepSeek-style Sparse Attention (DSA) mechanism
  • Multi-Token Prediction: Enhanced with MTP (Multi-Token Prediction) technology for improved efficiency

GLM-5 excels particularly in agent engineering and complex system programming tasks, making it an ideal choice for developers and AI enthusiasts.

Method 1: Official Z.ai Platform (Free Credits)

What You Get

Zhipu AI offers free trial credits for new users to experience their AI models, including GLM-5.

Step-by-step Access:

  1. Visit zhipuai.cn or z.ai
  2. Create a free account
  3. New users receive free trial credits automatically upon registration
  4. Access GLM-5 through the web interface or API

Free Tier Benefits:

  • Direct web access to GLM-5 through chat.zai
  • Free API credits for testing and development
  • No credit card required for initial trial
  • Full model capabilities available during trial period

Pro Tips:

  • Monitor your credit usage in the dashboard
  • Use your free credits to test GLM-5's coding capabilities
  • The platform often runs promotional events with additional free tokens

Method 2: BigModel Open Platform

Professional API Access

The BigModel platform provides comprehensive API access to all GLM models, including GLM-5.

Setup Process:

  1. Go to open.bigmodel.cn
  2. Register for a new account
  3. Navigate to the personal center to generate API keys
  4. Check the official documentation for GLM-5 availability
  5. Use the provided SDKs for easy integration

Official Resources:

Sample API Usage:

from zhipuai import ZhipuAI

client = ZhipuAI(api_key="your_api_key")

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="glm-5",
    messages=[
        {"role": "user", "content": "Write a Python function to implement quicksort"}
    ],
    max_tokens=2000
)

print(response.choices[0].message.content)

New User Benefits:

  • Free trial credits upon registration
  • Referral program: Up to 200 million free tokens per month through referrals
  • Both new and existing users can participate
  • Each user can invite up to 10 new users monthly

Method 3: GLM Coding Plan

Specialized Developer Package

For developers focused on coding tasks, Zhipu AI offers the GLM Coding Plan.

Features:

  • Plans starting from 20 CNY/month
  • Optimized specifically for programming and development tasks
  • Includes web search, webpage reading, and open-source repository MCP access (100 times/month on Lite plan)
  • Access to all GLM models including GLM-5

Get Started:

  1. Visit bigmodel.cn/glm-coding
  2. Choose a plan that fits your needs
  3. Start coding with GLM-5's enhanced capabilities

GLM-5 Performance Highlights

Benchmark Excellence

GLM-5 achieves remarkable performance across key benchmarks:

  • SWE-bench Verified: Open-source SOTA performance
  • Terminal Bench 2.0: Top performance for agentic coding tasks
  • Real-world Programming: Approaches Claude Opus 4.5 level capabilities

Comparison with Previous Generations

FeatureGLM-4.7GLM-5
Parameters355B745B
ArchitectureDenseMoE (256 experts, 8 active)
Attention MechanismStandardDeepSeek Sparse Attention (DSA)
Token PredictionSingle-tokenMulti-Token Prediction (MTP)
Coding Performance73.8% SWE-benchSOTA (improved)

Understanding GLM-5's Architecture

Mixture-of-Experts (MoE)

GLM-5 employs a sophisticated MoE architecture with:

  • 256 total experts in the model
  • 8 experts activated per token
  • This design allows for massive parameter count while maintaining efficiency
  • Significantly more capacity than previous dense models

DeepSeek Sparse Attention (DSA)

GLM-5 integrates the innovative sparse attention mechanism:

  • Reduces computational complexity
  • Enables longer context windows
  • Improves inference speed
  • Based on DeepSeek's groundbreaking attention pattern

Multi-Token Prediction (MTP)

The MTP technology enhances generation:

  • Predicts multiple tokens simultaneously
  • Improves throughput and efficiency
  • Reduces latency for real-time applications

Current Platform Availability

As of February 2026, GLM-5 is available through:

  1. Official Platforms:

  2. Web Access:

    • chat.zai for direct interaction

  3. API Access:

Note: GLM-5 is not yet available on OpenRouter as of the initial release. The latest model available there is GLM-4.7. Check openrouter.ai for updates on GLM-5 availability.

Practical Use Cases

1. Software Development

GLM-5 excels at:

  • Writing and refactoring code
  • Debugging complex issues
  • Architecting software systems
  • Code review and optimization

2. AI Agent Development

GLM-5 is particularly strong for:

  • Building autonomous agents
  • Multi-step task planning
  • Tool use and function calling
  • Complex reasoning chains

3. Technical Documentation

Perfect for:

  • Generating comprehensive documentation
  • Writing technical guides
  • Creating API references
  • Explaining complex concepts

Tips for Getting the Most Out of GLM-5

  1. Leverage Free Credits First: Use your trial credits to test GLM-5's capabilities before committing to a paid plan

  2. Join the Community: Follow Zhipu AI's official channels for updates and promotional events

  3. Use Appropriate Models: Choose between GLM-5, GLM-4.7, or other variants based on your task requirements

  4. Optimize Your Prompts: GLM-5 responds well to clear, specific instructions with examples

  5. Monitor Usage: Track your token consumption to stay within free tier limits

Comparison with Other Models

GLM-5 vs Claude Opus 4.5

  • Similar Performance: GLM-5 achieves comparable results in real-world scenarios
  • Cost Advantage: Significantly more cost-effective than proprietary models
  • Open Source: MIT-licensed for commercial use

GLM-5 vs GLM-4.7

  • 2x Parameters: 745B vs 355B
  • Better Architecture: MoE design with sparse attention
  • Enhanced Coding: Improved performance on programming benchmarks

Future Outlook

GLM-5's release comes at an exciting time for Zhipu AI:

  • Successfully listed on Hong Kong Stock Exchange (January 8, 2026)
  • Stock code: 02513.HK
  • Market cap exceeded 52.8 billion HKD at IPO
  • Described as "the world's first AGI foundation model public company"

The company's 2026 strategy focuses on:

  1. GLM-5 launch ✓
  2. Additional new model developments
  3. AI replacing various job types/tasks
  4. Enhanced business-technology integration

Conclusion

GLM-5 represents a significant milestone in accessible, high-performance AI. With its 745B parameters, SOTA coding capabilities, and multiple free access options, it's an excellent choice for developers, researchers, and AI enthusiasts.

Whether you're building AI agents, developing software, or exploring the frontiers of open-source AI, GLM-5 provides a powerful, cost-effective solution. Start with the free credits on zhipuai.cn or bigmodel.cn today and experience the next generation of large language models.

Sources:

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