01What GLM 5.1 Is and How It Works

GLM 5.1 free is ZAI's latest flagship language model that you can run at no cost using cloud-hosted Olama or directly through z.ai. It is designed to work with third-party agent tools like OpenClaw and Claude Code without requiring a paid Anthropic subscription.

The model processes text quickly and uses fewer tokens compared to other models, making it affordable or free for light use. You access it via a terminal command, Olama chat UI, or the z.ai website. Once set up, you can run it locally or in the cloud and use it for coding, agents, and chat.

02Main Features of GLM 5.1

GLM 5.1 offers several features that make it stand out among open-source models:

  • Free access through Olama cloud and z.ai, with token limits that cover most casual users.
  • Fast response times – the transcript shows replies nearly instant in the terminal and OpenClaw UI.
  • Low token consumption, so you can do more with fewer credits.
  • Compatibility with OpenClaw and Claude Code – you can replace Claude with GLM 5.1 in these tools.
  • Benchmark performance outperforms DeepSeek and Minimax on HLE (31 vs 28 and 25.1) and matches closely with Claude Opus on tool-use tests like HLE with tools.

03How to Set Up GLM 5.1 Free

Setting up GLM 5.1 is simple and takes only a few minutes. Follow these steps:

  1. Download Olama from the official website by copying the install command and pasting it into your terminal.
  2. Go to the models page on Olama and select GLM 5.1.
  3. Choose your interface: use GLM 5.1 directly in the terminal, or open Olama chat and select GLM 5.1 cloud from the model list.
  4. For agent use with Claude Code, open a new terminal tab and paste the command to link GLM 5.1 to Claude Code.
  5. For OpenClaw, paste the setup command and confirm with “yes”. The assistant will start with GLM 5.1 cloud.

You can also access GLM 5.1 free at z.ai without any setup – just visit the site and start chatting or using the agent.

04How to Use GLM 5.1 with OpenClaw and Claude Code

Once set up, you can use GLM 5.1 in several ways. In the terminal, you type queries and get near-instant replies. Inside Olama chat, you create a new chat, select GLM 5.1 cloud, and type your questions.

To use it with OpenClaw, launch OpenClaw with GLM 5.1 as the backend. The transcript shows that it opens a web UI which is cleaner to work with. You can ask the agent to perform tasks and it responds very fast – the host comments that he has never seen an API move that quickly.

With Claude Code, you simply run the terminal command after installing GLM 5.1. The model works as a drop-in replacement for Claude, so you can keep using your existing Claude Code workflows without paying for Anthropic.

05Results and Benchmarks Shown in the Episode

The episode compares GLM 5.1 against other models using published benchmarks. On HLE (Humanity's Last Exam), GLM 5.1 scores 31, beating DeepSeek at 28 and Minimax M2.7 at 25.1.

On tool-use tasks (HLE with tools), GLM 5.1 outperforms all open-source models. The host notes that Claude Opus 4.6 is still more powerful overall but requires payment, while GLM 5.1 is free. On other benchmarks like GBQA Diamond and Terminal Bench, GLM 5.1 also shows strong performance.

The practical test shows that GLM 5.1 replies almost instantly in the terminal and OpenClaw web UI, making it practical for real-time agent work.

06Tips, Limits and Mistakes to Avoid

The free tier of GLM 5.1 has token limits. You can use it within reason, but if you “rinse the credits” you may need to upgrade to the $20/month plan. For most casual users, the free allowance is enough.

  • Do not exceed token limits – otherwise you lose free access until the next cycle or must pay.
  • If you want full agent capabilities, use z.ai directly – it gives free access to the agent and chat without any terminal setup.
  • When using with OpenClaw, prefer the web UI over terminal chat – it is cleaner and easier to manage.
  • The command-line setup is copy-paste simple, so there is no need to modify any files. Just run the command and confirm.

Avoid trying to use GLM 5.1 with Anthropic's OAuth login – that method is no longer supported for third-party agents.

07Who GLM 5.1 Free Is For and Why It Matters

GLM 5.1 free is for anyone who wants a capable AI model for agents, coding, or chat without paying monthly fees. It is especially useful if you relied on OpenClaw or Claude Code but lost access due to Anthropic cutting OAuth support.

Developers, hobbyists, and AI enthusiasts can use it to run agents locally or in the cloud. The low token consumption means you can experiment and build projects on a tight budget. By offering free access through Olama and z.ai, ZAI makes advanced AI accessible to more people.

This matters because it reduces the barrier to using state-of-the-art models for real-world applications.