GLM Coding Lite vs Pro vs Max
Every tier gets the same two models. You are buying credits, and only credits — so the only question is how many you actually burn.
Updated August 28, 2026 · Independent comparison — GLM Coding Lite, GLM Coding Pro, GLM Coding Max are separate products.
GLM Coding Lite
Entry tier — 2,000 credits / 5 hours
GLM Coding Lite is the entry rung of Z.ai's ladder at $18/month list, and it buys 2,000 credits per 5-hour window and 10,000 per week. The models are identical to every other tier — GLM-5.3 and GLM-5.3-Flash — so what you are buying is purely allowance. It is enough to evaluate GLM-5.3 properly inside Claude Code, Cline, Kilo Code, OpenCode or Cursor, and enough for an hour or two of agent work a day, particularly if you push heavy jobs off-peak where credits burn at half rate.
GLM Coding Pro
Mid tier — 12,000 credits / 5 hours
GLM Coding Pro is the working developer's tier at $72-80/month list, carrying 12,000 credits per 5-hour window and 60,000 per week — six times Lite's allowance for roughly four times the price. The model access is unchanged; what you gain is headroom plus a curated MCP toolset. It is the right rung if you hit Lite's 5-hour ceiling more than occasionally and want to stop thinking about the meter on ordinary working days.
GLM Coding Max
Top tier — 28,000 credits / 5 hours
GLM Coding Max is the top rung at $160-168/month list, with 28,000 credits per 5-hour window and 140,000 per week — fourteen times Lite. Beyond raw allowance it adds peak-hour resource priority, which matters if your working day overlaps the Mon-Fri 14:00-18:00 UTC+8 peak when everyone else is competing for capacity. It only pays for itself if you genuinely run agents most of the day, or fan several out at once.
Bottom line
All three GLM Coding Plan tiers include exactly the same models — GLM-5.3 and GLM-5.3-Flash — and differ only in credit allowance: 2,000, 12,000 and 28,000 credits per 5-hour window, and 10,000, 60,000 and 140,000 per week. Lite is the right buy for evaluating GLM-5.3 or light daily use; Pro is the working developer's tier at 6x Lite's allowance; Max adds 14x Lite's allowance plus peak-hour resource priority and only pays for itself if you genuinely run agents all day. Because off-peak work burns credits at half rate, shifting heavy jobs outside Mon-Fri 14:00-18:00 UTC+8 can be worth more than a tier upgrade.
Pricing
| Feature | GLM Coding Lite | GLM Coding Pro | GLM Coding Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price/mo | $18/mo list ($12.60 discounted) | $72-80/mo list ($56 discounted) | $160-168/mo list ($117.60 discounted) |
| Intro promo | ~20-30% off on the CNY store and on quarterly/yearly terms | ~20-30% off on the CNY store and on quarterly/yearly terms | ~20-30% off on the CNY store and on quarterly/yearly terms |
| Billing shape | Credits on 5-hour + weekly windows | Credits on 5-hour + weekly windows | Credits on 5-hour + weekly windows |
Allowance
| Feature | GLM Coding Lite | GLM Coding Pro | GLM Coding Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limits (5h / weekly / monthly) | 2,000 credits / 5 hrs · 10,000 / week | 12,000 credits / 5 hrs · 60,000 / week | 28,000 credits / 5 hrs · 140,000 / week |
| Relative to Lite | 1x | 6x | 14x |
| Off-peak discount | 50% fewer credits | 50% fewer credits | 50% fewer credits |
| Peak-hour resource priority | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Models & tools
| Feature | GLM Coding Lite | GLM Coding Pro | GLM Coding Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Models included | GLM-5.3, GLM-5.3-Flash (older GLM auto-routes up) | GLM-5.3, GLM-5.3-Flash (older GLM auto-routes up) | GLM-5.3, GLM-5.3-Flash (older GLM auto-routes up) |
| Context window | Per model; no plan-level max published | Per model; no plan-level max published | Per model; no plan-level max published |
| Host agents & IDEs supported | Claude Code, Cline, Roo Code, Kilo Code, OpenCode, OpenClaw, Crush, Goose, Cursor, ZCode | Claude Code, Cline, Roo Code, Kilo Code, OpenCode, OpenClaw, Crush, Goose, Cursor, ZCode | Claude Code, Cline, Roo Code, Kilo Code, OpenCode, OpenClaw, Crush, Goose, Cursor, ZCode |
| Curated MCP toolset | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
Limits & access
| Feature | GLM Coding Lite | GLM Coding Pro | GLM Coding Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| What happens past the cap | Hard 429 until the window resets (errors 1308/1310/1316/1317) | Hard 429 until the window resets (errors 1308/1310/1316/1317) | Hard 429 until the window resets (errors 1308/1310/1316/1317) |
| Gives you an API key | Coding Plan key — tool-restricted, not a general API key | Coding Plan key — tool-restricted, not a general API key | Coding Plan key — tool-restricted, not a general API key |
| BYOK-able elsewhere | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Payment / region friction | Cards internationally; Alipay/WeChat on the CN store; no app-backend use | Cards internationally; Alipay/WeChat on the CN store; no app-backend use | Cards internationally; Alipay/WeChat on the CN store; no app-backend use |
Verdict at a glance
| Feature | GLM Coding Lite | GLM Coding Pro | GLM Coding Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Trying GLM-5.3 in an agent, or light daily use | Daily agent work on real repositories | All-day agents plus peak-hour resource priority |
The Verdict
Choose GLM Coding Lite if...
- ✓You're evaluating GLM-5.3 before committing real money
- ✓You use an agent for an hour or two a day, not continuously
- ✓You can push heavy jobs off-peak, where credits burn at half rate
- ✓You want the cheapest way into Claude Code, Cline, Kilo, Crush, Goose or Cursor with GLM
Choose GLM Coding Pro if...
- ✓You hit Lite's 2,000-credit 5-hour ceiling more than once a week
- ✓You work on real repositories daily and want headroom without thinking about it
- ✓6x Lite's allowance is the step you need — not 14x
- ✓You want the curated MCP toolset that comes with the tier
Choose GLM Coding Max if...
- ✓You run agents most of the working day and Pro's weekly 60,000 credits run out
- ✓You want peak-hour resource priority rather than competing for capacity
- ✓You're fanning out several agents and need the 14x allowance to feed them
- ✓The cost of being throttled mid-task exceeds the price difference
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between GLM Coding Lite, GLM Coding Pro and GLM Coding Max?
GLM Coding Lite is the entry rung of Z.ai's ladder at $18/month list, and it buys 2,000 credits per 5-hour window and 10,000 per week. GLM Coding Pro is the working developer's tier at $72-80/month list, carrying 12,000 credits per 5-hour window and 60,000 per week — six times Lite's allowance for roughly four times the price. GLM Coding Max is the top rung at $160-168/month list, with 28,000 credits per 5-hour window and 140,000 per week — fourteen times Lite.
How much do GLM Coding Lite, GLM Coding Pro and GLM Coding Max cost?
GLM Coding Lite: $18/mo list ($12.60 discounted). GLM Coding Pro: $72-80/mo list ($56 discounted). GLM Coding Max: $160-168/mo list ($117.60 discounted). See the pricing table above for full plan details.
Which of GLM Coding Lite, GLM Coding Pro and GLM Coding Max should I pick?
Choose GLM Coding Lite if you're evaluating GLM-5.3 before committing real money. Choose GLM Coding Pro if you hit Lite's 2,000-credit 5-hour ceiling more than once a week. Choose GLM Coding Max if you run agents most of the working day and Pro's weekly 60,000 credits run out.
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