Side by side
Open Assistant vs Z.ai
Both stand on ai chatbots and assistants. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan APISelf-hostedWeb
Open Assistant combines broad service connections with agent-based automation in a self-hosted package. Its free personal plan does not include LLM API usage, and commercial users need separate terms.
Visit Open Assistant
Free plan APILinuxMac+2
Z.ai combines chatbot, creative, integration, and coding products in one service. Its free plan and broad platform support may suit varied users, while paid coding tiers add specified usage and tooling.
Visit Z.aiThe facts
| Open Assistant | Z.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Self-hosted, Web | API, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | GLM Coding Lite: $12.60 a month |
| Plans published | 1 | 3 |
| Maker | Not published | Z.ai |
| Website | open-assistant.org | chat.z.ai |
| On ai chatbots and assistants | #48 of 65 | #44 of 65 |
Open Assistant: what it does well
- Connects email, calendars, files, notes, and messaging
- Nine agents and 88+ tools are described
- Supports recurring tasks and future reminders
- Runs in a single Docker container
- No telemetry is stated
What to know first
- LLM API usage costs extra
- Commercial use needs a separate agreement
- Self-hosting requires setup
Z.ai: what it does well
- File uploads and image generation
- Discord, Lark, and WeChat integrations
- Multi-agent ZCode coding product
- API, web, Windows, macOS, and Linux access
- Free plan available
What to know first
- Telegram integration is still coming soon
- Linux ZCode support is marked beta
- Broader-service pricing is on request
- Terms restrict high-risk automated decisions
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