Kimi Code vs Z Code: Side-by-Side Comparison 2026

Kimi Code vs Z Code comparison 2026. Side-by-side features, pricing & capabilities.

Kimi Code is a CLI-based coding agent from Moonshot AI — ai coding agent with deep context understanding. Z Code is an AI IDE from Z.ai (Zhipu AI) — ai-powered code editor from zhipu ai (z.ai).

Kimi Code

Autonomous AI coding agent by Moonshot AI. Available as a CLI tool and VS Code extension (technical preview). Built on the Kimi K2.5 model with long-context capabilities.

  • ✓ AI chat
  • ✓ Agentic mode
  • ✓ Multi-file editing
  • ✓ Terminal commands
  • ✓ Test generation

Free / $19/mo · 4 plans

Z Code

Desktop code editor from Z.ai (Zhipu AI) powered by GLM models. Integrates multiple AI agents within one interface with codebase understanding, automated code review, and support for external models. Also available as a VS Code extension.

  • ✓ GLM-5 flagship model (77.8% SWE-bench)
  • ✓ 200K token context window
  • ✓ OpenAI-compatible API
  • ✓ Free GLM-4.7-Flash model
  • ✓ Vision capabilities (Pro/Max)

$10/mo · 3 plans

Feature Kimi Code Z Code
Category CLIAI IDE
Starting Price Free $10/mo
Model Family KimiGLM
Open Source Yes (CLI is open source)Models are open-weight (MIT for GLM-4.6)

Pricing verified Feb 25, 2026. Kimi Code pricing | Z Code pricing

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Key Differences

  • Category: Kimi Code is a CLI-based coding agent; Z Code is an AI IDE.
  • Free tier: Kimi Code has a free tier; Z Code does not.
  • Starting price: Kimi Code starts at $19/mo; Z Code starts at $10/mo.
  • Model family: Kimi Code uses Kimi; Z Code uses GLM.
  • Open source: Kimi Code: Yes (CLI is open source). Z Code: Models are open-weight (MIT for GLM-4.6).
  • Bring your own key: Z Code supports BYOK; Kimi Code does not.
  • Platforms: Kimi Code runs on Linux, Windows, macOS; Z Code runs on Windows, macOS.
  • Provider: Kimi Code is built by Moonshot AI; Z Code is built by Z.ai (Zhipu AI).

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Kimi Code if you want AI-powered coding with strong context understanding. Choose Z Code if you want competitive coding AI starting at $10/mo with free model access. Read our full reviews to see which fits your workflow.

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