OpenClaw + GLM: Use GLM-4 / GLM-5 (Zhipu AI) with OpenClaw

What Is GLM?

GLM is the flagship model family from Zhipu AI, a leading Chinese AI lab. Originally known as ChatGLM, the series has evolved through GLM-4, GLM-4-Plus, and the latest GLM-5 / GLM-5.1 — models that are competitive with GPT-4 on many benchmarks, especially for Chinese-language tasks. Zhipu AI was founded in 2019 as a spin-off from Tsinghua University and has been at the forefront of Chinese large language model research.

GLM models support a 128K context window, tool/function calling, vision (GLM-4V), and strong bilingual (Chinese + English) generation. They are available via the Zhipu AI API directly and through OpenRouter, making them easy to integrate with OpenClaw.

Why Use GLM with OpenClaw?

• Best-in-class Chinese language support — GLM models are among the strongest available for Chinese understanding, generation, and conversation. Ideal for agents serving Chinese-speaking users.
• Competitive with GPT-4 — GLM-4-Plus and GLM-5.1 score closely to GPT-4 on English benchmarks while significantly outperforming it on Chinese language tasks.
• Competitive pricing — GLM models are priced well below most Western frontier models, making them cost-effective for high-volume deployments.
• Available via OpenRouter — No need to manage a separate Zhipu AI account. Access GLM models through your existing OpenRouter API key.
• 128K context window — Handle long documents, extended conversations, and large knowledge bases without truncation.

GLM vs Qwen vs DeepSeek vs Claude

All four models are excellent choices for OpenClaw agents. Here's how they compare on the dimensions that matter most:

GLM and Qwen are both excellent for Chinese-language agents. GLM has a slight edge for formal Chinese writing and customer service contexts, while Qwen tends to be stronger for code generation. DeepSeek excels at math and reasoning. For pure English-language agents, Claude or GPT-4 remain the gold standard.

Option 1: Use GLM on OpenClaw Launch (Easiest)

The fastest way to get started. On OpenClaw Launch, select GLM from the model dropdown in the visual configurator, choose your chat platform (Telegram, Discord, or Web), and deploy in 10 seconds. No config files, no command line, no API key management needed.

1. Go to openclawlaunch.com and open the configurator.
2. Select GLM-4-Plus or GLM-5.1 from the model dropdown.
3. Choose your chat platform and paste your bot token.
4. Click Deploy — your GLM-powered agent is live.

Option 2: Use GLM on Self-Hosted OpenClaw (via OpenRouter)

If you run your own OpenClaw instance, connect GLM through OpenRouter. You'll need an OpenRouter API key — sign up free at openrouter.ai.

1. Get an OpenRouter API key — Sign up at openrouter.ai/keys and create a key.
2. Add credits to your OpenRouter account — GLM models cost a fraction of Western frontier models, so even a small credit balance goes a long way.
3. Configure OpenClaw — Edit your openclaw.json to add OpenRouter as a provider and set GLM as your default model.

GLM Config Example

Add the following to your openclaw.json to use GLM-4-Plus via OpenRouter:

"models": {
  "providers": {
    "openrouter": {
      "apiKey": "sk-or-..."
    }
  }
},
"agents": {
  "defaults": {
    "model": {
      "primary": "openrouter/zhipu/glm-4-plus"
    }
  }
}

To use the newer GLM-5.1 model, change the model ID to openrouter/zhipu/glm-5.1. Check OpenRouter's model list for the latest available GLM variants and exact model IDs.

Best Use Cases for GLM

• Chinese-language customer support — GLM handles formal and informal Chinese fluently, making it ideal for support bots serving Chinese-speaking users on Telegram, Discord, or WeChat.
• Bilingual agents — GLM seamlessly switches between Chinese and English within the same conversation, with no quality degradation in either language.
• Chinese market product assistants — Build agents that understand Chinese business context, cultural nuance, and local terminology out of the box.
• Document processing in Chinese — Summarization, Q&A over Chinese documents, translation assistance, and content generation all benefit from GLM's native Chinese training.
• Cost-sensitive deployments — GLM's low per-token cost makes it suitable for high-volume agent workloads where budget is a constraint.

FAQ

What is the difference between GLM-4, GLM-4-Plus, and GLM-5.1?

GLM-4 is the base model. GLM-4-Plus is a significantly improved version with better instruction following, stronger Chinese performance, and enhanced tool calling. GLM-5.1 (part of the GLM-5 series) is the latest generation, offering further improvements in reasoning, multilingual performance, and efficiency. For most use cases, GLM-4-Plus offers the best balance of capability and cost. Use GLM-5.1 if you need the latest advances.

How does GLM pricing compare to other models?

GLM models are significantly cheaper than Western frontier models like GPT-4o or Claude Sonnet. On OpenRouter, GLM-4-Plus is priced at a fraction of GPT-4o's cost per token. For Chinese-language tasks where GLM matches or exceeds GPT-4o in quality, this makes GLM one of the best value options available. Check OpenRouter for current pricing.

Is GLM as good as GPT-4 in English?

GLM-4-Plus and GLM-5.1 are competitive with GPT-4 on English benchmarks, though Claude Sonnet 4.6 and GPT-4o still edge ahead for the most nuanced English writing and complex reasoning tasks. For general English conversation and instruction following, GLM performs very well. If your agent primarily serves Chinese-speaking users or operates in a bilingual context, GLM is an excellent choice — you don't sacrifice English quality for Chinese gains.

Can I use the Zhipu AI API directly instead of OpenRouter?

Yes. Zhipu AI provides their own API at open.bigmodel.cn. However, OpenRouter is generally easier to set up since you may already have an account, and it provides unified billing across all models. If you have specific compliance requirements or want to use the Zhipu API directly, you can configure OpenClaw with a custom apiBase pointing to the Zhipu endpoint.

What's Next?

• Compare with Qwen — See how GLM stacks up against Alibaba's Qwen for Chinese-language tasks
• OpenRouter setup guide — Full walkthrough for configuring OpenRouter with OpenClaw
• Add skills to your agent — Browse 3,200+ skills for web search, coding, automation, and more
• Connect to Telegram — Deploy your GLM-powered agent to Telegram
• Compare all models — Full pricing and capability comparison across all supported models