GLM Coding Plans: Budget-Friendly AI Coding with Kilo Code

How to Use the GLM Coding Plan in Kilo Code

TLDR: zAI's GLM-4.7 model offers a budget-friendly alternative to expensive AI coding tools, with plans starting at $3/month (doubling after the first month). Users report performance comparable to Sonnet 4.5 for everyday coding tasks.

Summary:

The AI coding tool landscape has an uncomfortable truth: the best models are expensive enough that developers find themselves rationing usage. When you're watching a token counter tick upward during a complex debugging session, something has gone wrong with the economics of developer productivity.

zAI's GLM Coding Plans attempt to address this gap with aggressive pricing. The Lite plan starts at $3/month for the first month, Pro at $15, and Max at $30—all doubling after the promotional period. Even at full price, $6 to $60 per month undercuts many state-of-the-art alternatives significantly.

The key question is whether GLM-4.7 delivers enough capability to justify using it instead of premium options. According to users, the model "feels like Sonnet 4.5 without stopping use 2 hours into a 5 hour use window." That's not a claim about raw benchmark superiority—it's a statement about practical utility. For developers whose primary frustration is hitting rate limits mid-task, this positioning has real appeal.

The integration with Kilo Code makes setup straightforward. The workflow involves creating a Kilo account (free), purchasing a GLM plan, copying the API key, and pasting it into Kilo's BYOK (Bring Your Own Key) page. The entire process stays within the browser, avoiding the credential management headaches that plague some tool integrations.

For teams and architects evaluating AI coding budgets, this represents an interesting middle tier. Premium models remain available for complex architectural work or critical code review. But for routine tasks—boilerplate generation, documentation, simple refactoring—a budget-friendly option that doesn't trigger constant cost anxiety changes the calculus of when and how often developers reach for AI assistance.

The promotional pricing structure deserves scrutiny. First-month pricing creates acquisition incentives that may not reflect long-term costs. Teams should evaluate against doubled prices when making budget decisions.

Key takeaways:

• GLM-4.7 benchmarks competitively with state-of-the-art models for software development tasks
• Pricing starts at $3/month (first month), doubling to $6/month afterward for the Lite tier
• Integration with Kilo Code requires only API key configuration—no complex setup
• Users report the model handles extended coding sessions without the rate limiting frustrations of premium alternatives
• The value proposition targets developers who currently ration AI tool usage due to cost

Tradeoffs:

• Gain cost predictability and extended usage but may sacrifice cutting-edge capability for edge cases
• Budget pricing enables more frequent AI assistance but promotional rates obscure long-term costs
• BYOK integration offers flexibility but adds another subscription to manage

Link: How to Use the GLM Coding Plan in Kilo Code

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