Which AI coding plan should you actually buy?
FREE · NO SIGNUP · FOR DEVSShort answer: if you run Claude Code or Cline and keep hitting rate limits, point it at the GLM Coding Plan (from $18/mo, GLM-5.2 — independently #2 on LMArena Code) via z.ai's Anthropic-compatible endpoint. It's a drop-in and gives far higher limits per dollar than Claude Max ($100–$200). Set your stack below for the exact settings.json and your real numbers — and if a data-governance policy bars China-origin models, it'll tell you to stay on a US plan instead.
Unlike the "best Claude Code alternative" listicles, this runs honest deterministic math on your inputs and names the trade-offs — including when GLM is the wrong pick. Here's the log behind it.
The exact switch config (settings.json) — works for any reader
Questions devs actually ask
What's the cheapest way to fix Claude Code rate limits?
Point Claude Code (or Cline) at the GLM Coding Plan via z.ai's Anthropic-compatible endpoint: in ~/.claude/settings.json set ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://api.z.ai/api/anthropic and ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN to your GLM key, with glm-5.2 for Sonnet/Opus and glm-4.7 for Haiku. The GLM Coding Plan starts at $18/mo (GLM-5.2, independently #2 on LMArena Code) versus Claude Max at $100–$200/mo.
Can I use GLM in Cursor or GitHub Copilot?
Cursor: partially — add GLM as a custom OpenAI-compatible model in settings (not a clean drop-in). GitHub Copilot: no — it's locked to its built-in model menu, so run a CLI (Claude Code or Cline) pointed at GLM instead.
Is GLM safe, and where is my code processed?
z.ai's international service is a Singapore entity that states data is generally processed in Singapore and API content is not stored. It's a data-governance / model-origin question (parent company Zhipu is Chinese), not "more or less secure." For regulated work, pick No China-origin above and we steer you to a US provider.
Which GLM tier should I pick?
GLM Lite ($18) covers light-to-heavy solo use; Pro ($72) suits heavy daily agentic coding; Max ($160) is for all-day, many-parallel-agent workloads. The advisor picks the tier from your intensity + budget above.
Independent — not affiliated with Anthropic, Cursor, GitHub, or z.ai. The "Get the GLM Coding Plan" button is a referral link (disclosed): it discounts your purchase 5% and may earn us z.ai credits — shown only when GLM actually fits your answers. Prices + the LMArena ranking checked against each vendor's own page (2026-06-26); the switch config matches z.ai's official docs.