Z.ai: Free AI Chatbot That Could Rival ChatGPT and DeepSeek

Introduction

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at its peak in 2025. Every day, we see new AI tools launching that make content creation, coding, and research easier. One of the most promising names in this race is Z.ai, a powerful free AI chatbot developed by the Chinese company Zhipu AI (now rebranded as Z.ai). With the launch of its GLM-4.5 model, Z.ai has caught global attention and is positioning itself as a serious competitor to ChatGPT and DeepSeek.

In this blog post, we’ll explore what Z.ai is, its key features, how it compares with other popular AI chatbots, and why you should consider trying it.

What is Z.ai?

Z.ai is a free and open-source AI chatbot powered by the GLM-4.5 model. The platform was launched in July 2025, when Zhipu AI rebranded itself as Z.ai. Backed by big investors like Alibaba, Tencent, and Xiaomi, Z.ai is designed to bring advanced AI to a wider audience at an affordable cost.

One of the most important aspects of Z.ai is its cost-efficiency. Unlike many AI models that require heavy computing power, GLM-4.5 can run on just eight NVIDIA H20 GPUs—making it about 87% cheaper than DeepSeek in terms of cost per operation.

Key Features of Z.ai

Agentic Reasoning

Z.ai’s GLM-4.5 model uses an “agentic architecture.” This means it can break down complex tasks into smaller steps and solve them one by one. As a result, it performs better in reasoning-based tasks compared to many traditional AI models.

Cost Efficiency

Running Z.ai is far more affordable than most competitors. Its ability to work smoothly with fewer GPUs makes it a cost-saving option for both individuals and organizations.

Open-Source Advantage

Since Z.ai is open-source, developers and researchers can access it for free and even customize it for their own projects. This opens up countless possibilities for innovation in AI applications.

Multimodal Capabilities

In August 2025, Z.ai launched GLM-4.5V, a vision-enabled version of its model. This means Z.ai can now process and understand images alongside text, offering powerful multimodal reasoning. It’s also freely available on Hugging Face.

Wide Use Cases

Content Writing – Blog posts, social media content, and research articles.
Coding Assistance – Debugging, automation, and programming support.
Research – Data analysis, report generation, and academic work.
Multimodal Tasks – Combining text and image input for advanced reasoning.

Z.ai vs ChatGPT vs DeepSeek

When comparing Z.ai with its main competitors, some clear differences emerge:

ChatGPT – Known for strong conversational abilities and premium features, but its paid plans can be expensive.
DeepSeek – Highly cost-efficient and popular in China, but less open to global developers.
Z.ai – Free, open-source, and extremely cost-efficient. With GLM-4.5’s agentic reasoning and multimodal capabilities, it stands out as one of the most accessible AI options available.

This makes Z.ai especially attractive for people who want the power of AI without paying high subscription fees.

Community Feedback

The AI community has already started experimenting with Z.ai, and the feedback has been very positive. On Reddit, one user shared:

“GLM 4.5 Air feels like a discount Gemini Pro 2.5… Fast, accurate, and surprisingly good at coding tasks.”

This shows that real users find Z.ai not only powerful but also practical for everyday use cases.

How to Use Z.ai

Getting started with Z.ai is simple:

Visit the official website (chat.z.ai).
Sign up and access the free GLM-4.5 Air version.
Enter your prompts—whether for writing, coding, or research—and start chatting.
Developers can also integrate the Z.ai API into their projects for custom applications.

Why You Should Try Z.ai

Here’s why Z.ai deserves your attention:

Completely free version available.
Open-source, making it flexible for developers.
Multimodal features (text + image).
Cost-efficient compared to other leading AI tools.
Strong reasoning ability with its agentic architecture.

Whether you’re a blogger, a developer, or a student, Z.ai can help boost your productivity and creativity.

FAQs

Q1. Is Z.ai really free?
Yes, the GLM-4.5 Air version is free to use.

Q2. Can Z.ai replace ChatGPT?
Not entirely, but with its open-source advantage and cost efficiency, Z.ai is quickly becoming a strong competitor.

Q3. What is Z.ai best for?
It’s excellent for coding assistance, content writing, and multimodal reasoning tasks.

Conclusion

Z.ai is more than just another AI chatbot—it’s a game-changing free tool that’s reshaping the AI landscape in 2025. With its agentic reasoning, cost efficiency, multimodal abilities, and open-source nature, it provides real value for users looking for an alternative to expensive AI solutions like ChatGPT or DeepSeek.

If you want a smart, fast, and free AI assistant, Z.ai is definitely worth trying. It has the potential to take your productivity and creativity to the next level.

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