Zhipu AI has launched ZCode, a code-writing tool designed to compete with Claude Code and OpenAI Codex. The tool is built on GLM-5.2 and allows users to write, debug, test, and review code using natural language. A dedicated agent manages tasks, file access, terminal output, browser context, and Git changes within a single workflow. According to Z.ai, the 1M-token context window enables multi-step programming tasks without losing context. ZCode also includes a browser-based Gomoku game with integrated Git tools and task tracking, powered by GLM-5.2.
Z.ai offers new customers a free five-day trial with up to 5 million tokens per day. Users with Feishu, WeChat, or smartphone access can remotely control the ZCode agent. GLM-5.2, which shipped in June 2026 under an MIT license, has quickly gained traction among developers who view it as competitive with pricier Western models like Claude Opus. A hands-on comparison by Snowflake across 103 tasks showed GLM-5.2 and Opus 4.7 nearly tied after three attempts.
Z.ai said the ZCode tool is part of its strategy to compete with Western models on price and functionality. The company emphasized that ZCode is designed to provide developers with a cost-effective alternative to existing code-writing tools.
Source: thedecoder
