kitio.aiMistral Vibe vs Z.ai
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Z.ai is completely free, while Mistral Vibe is freemium.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Fast and think modes
- Web search with sources
- Code execution
- Document and OCR analysis
- Image generation
- Connectors
- GLM model choice
- Thinking mode
- Web search
- Slide and web page generation
- File uploads
| Feature | Mistral Vibe | Z.ai |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Mistral's assistant for work and code, formerly called Le Chat | Free chatbot running Zhipu's GLM models for chat, code and slides |
| Category | Chat assistants | Chat assistants |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Free |
| Starting price | $14.99/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes, fully free |
| Made by | Mistral AI | Z.ai (formerly Zhipu AI) |
| Based in | France | China |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
|
Pricing compared
Z.ai is completely free, while Mistral Vibe is freemium.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
4 plans
Free
Free
- Vibe on web, CLI and IDE
- Limited usage
Pro
$14.99/mo
- Full access to Vibe for all-day coding
- More messages and image generations
- $15/mo in API credits
- Chat and email support
Team
$24.99/mo
- Per user
- Even higher limits
- Up to 30 GB storage per user
- Domain verification and data export
Enterprise
Contact sales
- Private deployments and custom models
- Audit logs and SAML SSO
- White label
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Mistral Vibe
- Very fast responses
- EU-based company and hosting
- Free tier covers most features
- Rename from Le Chat confuses users
- Smaller app ecosystem than rivals
- Voice features are more limited
Z.ai
- Free access to a frontier-class model
- Good at building small web apps
- Open-weight models behind it
- Less known outside developer circles
- Data handled by a Chinese company
- Fewer integrations than big rivals
Which one should you choose?
Choose Mistral Vibe if you want:
- Very fast responses
- EU-based company and hosting
- Free tier covers most features
Watch out: rename from le chat confuses users.
Choose Z.ai if you want:
- Free access to a frontier-class model
- Good at building small web apps
- Open-weight models behind it
Watch out: less known outside developer circles.
Mistral Vibe vs Z.ai FAQ
What is the difference between Mistral Vibe and Z.ai?
Mistral Vibe: Mistral's assistant for work and code, formerly called Le Chat. Z.ai: Free chatbot running Zhipu's GLM models for chat, code and slides. Both are chat assistants tools.
Is Mistral Vibe or Z.ai cheaper?
Z.ai is completely free, while Mistral Vibe is freemium.
Do Mistral Vibe and Z.ai have free plans?
Mistral Vibe: Yes. Z.ai: Yes, fully free.
Who makes Mistral Vibe?
Mistral Vibe is made by Mistral AI, based in France.
Who makes Z.ai?
Z.ai is made by Z.ai (formerly Zhipu AI), based in China.
Which should I choose, Mistral Vibe or Z.ai?
Choose Mistral Vibe if you value very fast responses and eu-based company and hosting. Choose Z.ai if you value free access to a frontier-class model and good at building small web apps.