Coding · Head-to-head
GLM-5.2 vs Devin
GLM-5.2 (freemium, AI Score 8.7/10) vs Devin (paid, AI Score 8.5/10). Side-by-side pricing, features, pros and cons, and which to pick.
The verdict
Pick GLM-5.2 if…
- →you need a genuinely free option
- →budget is the constraint
- →you want our editor's pick for this category
Side-by-side specs
| Spec | GLM-5.2 | Devin |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Coding | Coding |
| Pricing model | freemium | paid |
| Headline pricing | Free 20M tokens on signup + open weights; paid API & coding plans (check site) | Teams ~$500/user/mo, Enterprise custom |
| Free tier | Free chat access plus 20M free tokens on API signup, and open weights available to download and self-host under MIT. | — |
| AI Score | 8.7/10 | 8.5/10 |
| Best for | — | — |
| Editor's pick | ✓ Yes | — |
| Use cases | — | — |
| Date added | 2026-06-27 | 2026-05-01 |
Pros and cons
GLM-5.2
Coding · freemium
Pros
- ✓MIT-licensed open weights — full commercial use, self-hosting, and fine-tuning with no revocable API terms
- ✓1M-token context handles whole codebases and long agent histories in one pass
- ✓Benchmark results competitive with top closed frontier models, especially on coding and agentic tasks
- ✓Genuinely free to start: chat UI, 20M signup tokens, or download the weights
- ✓Strong fit for coding agents thanks to its long-horizon, tool-use orientation
Cons
- ×At 744B parameters, self-hosting demands serious GPU hardware — out of reach for most individual developers
- ×Vendor-published benchmarks need independent verification; real-world coding performance may vary from the claims
- ×Hosted API and coding-plan pricing isn't transparently listed, so budgeting requires checking the site
- ×As a model from Zhipu AI, some enterprises face data-residency or procurement constraints around China-based providers
Devin
Coding · paid
Pros
- ✓True autonomous execution — assign a task and Devin works through it independently
- ✓Full sandboxed environment with shell, browser, and editor for realistic development
- ✓Real-time session replays let you watch and understand its reasoning process
- ✓Excels at well-scoped tasks like migrations, bug fixes, and boilerplate generation
Cons
- ×Steep pricing at $500/user/month puts it out of reach for individuals and small teams
- ×Struggles with ambiguous requirements and open-ended architectural decisions
- ×Can go down wrong paths on complex tasks, wasting time before you intervene
- ×No free tier or trial to evaluate before committing
FAQ
Is GLM-5.2 better than Devin? ▾
GLM-5.2 scores 8.7/10 in our evaluation versus Devin at 8.5/10. GLM-5.2 edges ahead overall, but "better" depends on your use case — see the verdict block above.
Does GLM-5.2 or Devin have a free tier? ▾
GLM-5.2 has a free tier (Free chat access plus 20M free tokens on API signup, and open weights available to download and self-host under MIT.). Devin is paid.
Should I choose GLM-5.2 or Devin in 2026? ▾
If you need a genuinely free option pick GLM-5.2. If devin's overall approach fits you better pick Devin. Both are credible — neither is a wrong choice.
Related comparisons
Updated 2026-06-27. Spec data sourced from official product pages and tracked in our public directory at /tools.