Shortlist by what you need
Start here if you know why you are leaving Z.ai.
Want the closest match?
TalkieMost similar to Z.ai in what it does, its category and its price.
Visit (opens Talkie in a new tab)Need a free plan?
DeepSeekHas a free plan, rated 4.5 out of 5.
Visit (opens DeepSeek in a new tab)Want the best rated?
Mistral Le ChatRated 4.4 out of 5 in our review, against 4.2 for Z.ai.
Visit (opens Mistral Le Chat in a new tab)
At a glance
Green means better than Z.ai, red means worse. Prices are starting prices per month.
| Tool | Our rating | Starts at | Free plan | Best for | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Z.aiBaseline | 4.2 | $10/mo | Yes | Zhipu AI's free chat interface for its GLM model family | |
| Talkie | 3.9−0.3 | $8/mo$2 less | Yes | MiniMax's character chat app, built with voice and roleplay first | vs Z.ai |
 ERNIE Bot | 4.1−0.1 | Free | Yes | Repositioned as a search assistant under a new Chinese name | vs Z.ai |
 Doubao | 4.2Same | Free | Yes | ByteDance's chatbot, dominant in China the way ChatGPT is in the West | vs Z.ai |
| Mistral Le Chat | 4.4+0.2 | $14/mo$4 more | Yes | Europe's answer to US and Chinese AI labs | vs Z.ai |
 Kimi | 4.3+0.1 | $19/mo$9 more | Yes | Moonshot AI's long-context model, with a 2025 coding breakout | vs Z.ai |
 You.com | 4.2Same | $15/mo$5 more | Yes | An early mover in AI search, now with a choice of models | vs Z.ai |
| DeepSeek | 4.5+0.3 | Free | Yes | The 2025 model that rattled markets with its training cost claims | vs Z.ai |
 Qwen Chat | 4.3+0.1 | Free | Yes | The consumer face of one of the world's most-downloaded open models | vs Z.ai |
The alternatives in detail
In order of how closely each one matches Z.ai.
Talkie
3.9$8/mo
vs Z.ai$2 less−0.3
MiniMax's character chat app, built with voice and roleplay first.
- Voice-forward character roleplay chat
- Large library of pre-made and custom characters
- Built by Chinese AI company MiniMax
Voice generation quality is a genuine standout in character chat specifically
Data handling practices warrant independent research given its origin
ERNIE Bot
4.1Free
vs Z.ai−0.1
Repositioned as a search assistant under a new Chinese name.
- Built on Baidu's ERNIE model family
- One of the earliest major Chinese ChatGPT competitors
- Rebranded as Wenxiaoyan in China, repositioned as a search assistant
Backed by China's largest search engine and its data advantages
Recent rebranding may cause confusion between old and new naming
Doubao
4.2Free
vs Z.aiSame
ByteDance's chatbot, dominant in China the way ChatGPT is in the West.
- One of the most widely used chatbots in China
- Backed by ByteDance's existing consumer app distribution
- General chat, image generation, and voice interaction
Massive existing user base through ByteDance's distribution
Primary relevance and user base centers on the Chinese market
Mistral Le Chat
4.4$14/mo
vs Z.ai$4 more+0.2
Europe's answer to US and Chinese AI labs.
- Built by Europe's leading independent AI lab
- Open-weight model releases alongside proprietary options
- Strong multilingual performance across European languages
Clear alternative for data sovereignty and non-US, non-Chinese AI needs
Smaller consumer feature set than the largest US competitors
Kimi
4.3$19/mo
vs Z.ai$9 more+0.1
Moonshot AI's long-context model, with a 2025 coding breakout.
- Unusually long context window for processing lengthy documents
- Kimi K2 model release noted for strong coding and agentic performance
- Open-weight model availability
Long context window handles lengthy documents other models struggle with
Less mature consumer feature set than longer-established Western competitors
You.com
4.2$15/mo
vs Z.ai$5 moreSame
An early mover in AI search, now with a choice of models.
- Choice of underlying AI models for search and chat
- App-generation and lightweight agent features
- Search-first design predating most current competitors
Genuine model choice within a search-focused tool
Faces direct competition from better-funded, more recently launched search rivals
DeepSeek
4.5Free
vs Z.ai+0.3
The 2025 model that rattled markets with its training cost claims.
- Open-weight models available for independent deployment
- Reasoning-focused model variants alongside general chat
- Backed by quantitative hedge fund High-Flyer
Open-weight release allows independent verification and deployment
Data handling and privacy practices warrant independent research given its origin
Qwen Chat
4.3Free
vs Z.ai+0.1
The consumer face of one of the world's most-downloaded open models.
- Consumer interface for Alibaba's widely used open-weight Qwen models
- Multimodal chat including image understanding
- Free to use
Backed by one of the most widely adopted open model families available
Consumer app itself is less differentiated than the open model ecosystem behind it
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is Z.ai free?
Z.ai has a free plan, and paid plans start from $10/mo.
What is the best free alternative to Z.ai?
DeepSeek is the highest-rated alternative here with a free plan (4.5 out of 5). Other free options: Mistral Le Chat, Kimi, Qwen Chat.
What is the cheapest alternative to Z.ai?
Among paid plans, Talkie has the lowest starting price (from $8/mo). If you need it free, start with DeepSeek.
How did you pick these alternatives?
We match tools on what they do, their category and their price, using the details in our directory. Ratings come from our reviews and reader reviews.