Zhipu AI launches Tmall flagship store to sell model subscriptions

Chinese large language model providers Zhipu AI and MiniMax are shifting their commercial focus toward aggressive Token sales and subscription models.

Zhipu AI has officially launched an official flagship store on Tmall, marking a move to bring AI model subscriptions into traditional e-commerce platforms. The store offers various GLM Coding Plan subscription packages, including Lite, Pro, Max, and Team versions, with monthly, quarterly, and annual options. These plans are based on the GLM-5.3 model and are designed to support various agents such as ZCode and Claude Code.

Similarly, MiniMax is seeing a significant shift in its revenue structure, with B2B income increasing by 703.1% in the first half of the year, making it the company's primary revenue source. Both companies are employing different strategies to monetize their technology: Zhipu AI focuses on a tiered approach emphasizing coding and network security capabilities, while MiniMax utilizes an integrated approach that combines text models for coding with multi-modal models for content creation.