How to Use GLM-5 API for Free in 2026
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How to Use GLM-5 API for Free in 2026
GLM-5 is the latest large language model from ZAI (智谱AI / Zhipu AI), one of China's leading AI companies. With strong coding capabilities and a 128K context window, GLM-5 competes with top-tier models while offering significantly lower pricing. This guide shows you how to access GLM-5 for free and integrate it into your projects.
What Is GLM-5?
GLM-5 is ZAI's flagship model, built for complex reasoning, code generation, and long-context tasks. Key specs include:
- 128K context window -- process entire codebases, long documents, or extended conversations
- Strong coding performance -- competitive with leading models on code generation benchmarks
- Multilingual support -- excellent in both Chinese and English
- Efficient architecture -- fast inference with high-quality output
GLM-5 Official Pricing
ZAI's official API pricing for GLM-5:
| Input (per 1M tokens) | Output (per 1M tokens) | |
|---|---|---|
| ZAI Official | $1.00 | $4.50 |
| Hypereal | $0.60 | $2.70 |
| Savings | 40% off | 40% off |
Hypereal offers GLM-5 at a 40% discount compared to ZAI's direct pricing, making it one of the most affordable ways to use this model at scale.
Free Ways to Access GLM-5
1. ZAI Platform Free Tier
ZAI (zhipuai.cn) provides free credits for new users on their platform. Sign up and you can experiment with GLM-5 directly through their console. This is a good option for quick testing, though the free credits are limited.
2. Hypereal -- 35 Free Credits
Hypereal gives every new user 35 free credits on signup, with no credit card required. These credits can be used with any supported model, including GLM-5. Since Hypereal uses an OpenAI-compatible API format, you can integrate it into existing projects with minimal changes.
Code Examples
Python
from openai import OpenAI
client = OpenAI(
api_key="your-hypereal-api-key",
base_url="https://hypereal.tech/api/v1/chat"
)
response = client.chat.completions.create(
model="glm-5",
messages=[
{"role": "system", "content": "You are a helpful coding assistant."},
{"role": "user", "content": "Write a Python function to merge two sorted arrays."}
],
max_tokens=2048
)
print(response.choices[0].message.content)
TypeScript
import OpenAI from "openai";
const client = new OpenAI({
apiKey: "your-hypereal-api-key",
baseURL: "https://hypereal.tech/api/v1/chat",
});
const response = await client.chat.completions.create({
model: "glm-5",
messages: [
{ role: "system", content: "You are a helpful coding assistant." },
{ role: "user", content: "Write a TypeScript function to debounce any callback." },
],
max_tokens: 2048,
});
console.log(response.choices[0].message.content);
cURL
curl https://hypereal.tech/api/v1/chat/completions \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer your-hypereal-api-key" \
-d '{
"model": "glm-5",
"messages": [
{"role": "system", "content": "You are a helpful coding assistant."},
{"role": "user", "content": "Explain how async/await works in JavaScript."}
],
"max_tokens": 2048
}'
Provider Comparison
| Feature | ZAI Direct | Hypereal |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price | $1.00 / 1M tokens | $0.60 / 1M tokens |
| Output Price | $4.50 / 1M tokens | $2.70 / 1M tokens |
| Free Credits | Limited new user credits | 35 credits on signup |
| API Format | Custom SDK | OpenAI-compatible |
| Credit Card Required | Yes | No |
| 128K Context | Yes | Yes |
Integration Tips
- OpenAI SDK compatible -- if you already use the OpenAI Python or JS SDK, just change the
base_urlandapi_keyto use GLM-5 through Hypereal - Streaming supported -- add
stream: trueto your request for real-time token output - System prompts -- GLM-5 responds well to detailed system prompts, especially for coding tasks
- Temperature -- for code generation, use a lower temperature (0.1-0.3) for deterministic output; for creative tasks, go higher (0.7-1.0)
When to Use GLM-5
GLM-5 is a strong choice when you need:
- Cost-effective coding assistance at scale
- Long-context processing (up to 128K tokens)
- A reliable alternative to more expensive Western models
- Bilingual (Chinese/English) capabilities
Get Started
Try Hypereal AI free -- 35 credits, no credit card required.
Sign up, grab your API key from the dashboard, and start making requests in minutes. The OpenAI-compatible format means you can drop GLM-5 into any existing workflow with a two-line config change.
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