GLM Coding Plan vs Qwen Coding Plan
The two biggest lab-direct coding subscriptions, and they meter you on completely different clocks.
Updated August 28, 2026 · Independent comparison — GLM Coding Plan, Qwen Coding Plan are separate products.
GLM Coding Plan
Z.ai's GLM-5.3 subscription for coding tools
The GLM Coding Plan is Z.ai's subscription for driving coding agents with GLM-5.3 and GLM-5.3-Flash. It sells in three tiers (Lite, Pro, Max) that differ only in credit allowance, not in model access, and it is explicitly restricted to coding tools — the key is not a general-purpose API key. Credits refresh on a 5-hour rolling window and a weekly window, and off-peak usage (outside Mon-Fri 14:00-18:00 UTC+8) burns credits at half rate. Z.ai relaunched the tier pricing on 2026-07-31, so list prices differ noticeably between its CNY and USD storefronts.
Qwen Coding Plan
Alibaba's Qwen3.8 credit subscription
The Qwen Coding Plan — now sold as the QwenCloud Token Plan — is Alibaba's credit subscription for driving coding agents with Qwen3.8 Max and friends. It is unusual in two ways: the personal quota window is 7 days rather than the 5-hour window most rivals use, and the credit pool also covers non-text models (image, TTS, realtime audio) plus third-party weights like GLM-5.2 and DeepSeek V4. It issues a dedicated sk-sp- key that is not interchangeable with pay-as-you-go keys, and the plan documents a recommended concurrent-agent count per tier. Inference runs out of Singapore.
Bottom line
The two biggest lab-direct coding subscriptions, and they meter you on completely different clocks. Choose GLM Coding Plan if gLM-5.3 is the model you want, with GLM-5.3-Flash for cheap work; choose Qwen Coding Plan if qwen3.8 Max is the model, and GLM-5.2 plus DeepSeek V4 in the same pool is a bonus.
Pricing
| Feature | GLM Coding Plan | Qwen Coding Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Price/mo | Lite $18 · Pro $72-80 · Max $160-168/mo | Lite $8 ($6 promo) · Standard $25 ($18) · Pro $80 ($68)/mo |
| Intro promo | ~20-30% off on the CNY store and on quarterly/yearly terms | Limited-time promo pricing on all three tiers |
| Billing shape | Credits on 5-hour + weekly windows | Credits on a 7-day window |
Models & Context
| Feature | GLM Coding Plan | Qwen Coding Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Models included | GLM-5.3, GLM-5.3-Flash (older GLM auto-routes up) | Qwen3.8 Max/Flash, Qwen3.7 Max/Plus, Qwen3.6 Flash, plus GLM-5.2, DeepSeek V4, image, TTS, realtime audio |
| Catalogue size | 2 models (one lab) | 14+ models across three labs and four modalities |
| Context window | Per model; no plan-level max published | Per model; no plan-level max published |
Limits & Overage
| Feature | GLM Coding Plan | Qwen Coding Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Limits (5h / weekly / monthly) | 2,000 / 12,000 / 28,000 credits per 5 hrs; 10,000 / 60,000 / 140,000 weekly | 2,500 / 10,000 / 40,000 credits per 7 days |
| What happens past the cap | Hard 429 until the window resets (errors 1308/1310/1316/1317) | Service pauses until the 7-day window ends (or buy a Credit Pack) |
| Parallel-agent friendly | Not published | Recommended 1-2 / 3-4 / 6-8 agents by tier |
Access & Friction
| Feature | GLM Coding Plan | Qwen Coding Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Host agents & IDEs supported | Claude Code, Cline, Roo Code, Kilo Code, OpenCode, OpenClaw, Crush, Goose, Cursor, ZCode | Claude Code, Cursor, Qwen Code, Qoder, OpenClaw, Codex |
| Gives you an API key | Coding Plan key — tool-restricted, not a general API key | Dedicated sk-sp- key — coding tools only, one device |
| BYOK-able elsewhere | ✗ | ✗ |
| Payment / region friction | Cards internationally; Alipay/WeChat on the CN store; no app-backend use | QwenCloud checkout; Singapore inference only; individual plans cannot be cancelled |
Verdict at a glance
| Feature | GLM Coding Plan | Qwen Coding Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Cheapest official GLM-5.3 pass for supported agents | Qwen3.8 Max plus multimodal on one credit pool |
Direct differences
| Feature | GLM Coding Plan | Qwen Coding Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $18/mo (Lite) | $6-8/mo (Lite) |
| Quota window | 5 hours + weekly | 7 days |
| Off-peak discount | 50% fewer credits | 50% credit burn 22:00-08:00 UTC+8 on Qwen3.8 Max |
| Models from other labs | ✗ | GLM-5.2 and DeepSeek V4 |
| Cancellable | ✓ | Individual plans currently cannot be cancelled |
The Verdict
Choose GLM Coding Plan if...
- ✓GLM-5.3 is the model you want, with GLM-5.3-Flash for cheap work
- ✓You want the widest agent support anywhere — nine named tools plus ZCode
- ✓You can move heavy work off-peak and pay half the credits
- ✓You want a plan you can cancel normally
- ✓You want a clean Lite/Pro/Max ladder with a 14x spread
Choose Qwen Coding Plan if...
- ✓Qwen3.8 Max is the model, and GLM-5.2 plus DeepSeek V4 in the same pool is a bonus
- ✓Your work is bursty and a 7-day window suits you better than a 5-hour one
- ✓You need image, TTS or realtime audio without a second subscription
- ✓You want published concurrent-agent guidance
- ✓You want a cheaper entry point — $6-8 against $18
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between GLM Coding Plan and Qwen Coding Plan?
The GLM Coding Plan is Z.ai's subscription for driving coding agents with GLM-5.3 and GLM-5.3-Flash. The Qwen Coding Plan — now sold as the QwenCloud Token Plan — is Alibaba's credit subscription for driving coding agents with Qwen3.8 Max and friends.
How much do GLM Coding Plan and Qwen Coding Plan cost?
GLM Coding Plan: Lite $18 · Pro $72-80 · Max $160-168/mo. Qwen Coding Plan: Lite $8 ($6 promo) · Standard $25 ($18) · Pro $80 ($68)/mo. See the pricing table above for full plan details.
Should I choose GLM Coding Plan or Qwen Coding Plan?
Choose GLM Coding Plan if gLM-5.3 is the model you want, with GLM-5.3-Flash for cheap work. Choose Qwen Coding Plan if qwen3.8 Max is the model, and GLM-5.2 plus DeepSeek V4 in the same pool is a bonus.
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