GLM 5.2 Free Download: Official Model Weights and Local Setup Options

If you are looking for a GLM 5.2 free download, use the official model page from the Z.ai organization on Hugging Face:

zai-org/GLM-5.2

Avoid unofficial installers, repackaged model archives, and repositories that promise a "one-click GLM 5.2 download" with hidden API routing. The safest path is to start from the official model card and then choose a serving method that matches your hardware.

What is actually free

The model weights are available as an open model. That makes the download free in the licensing and access sense. It does not make inference free.

You still need:

• enough disk space for the model files
• enough CPU/GPU memory for the precision or quantization you choose
• a supported serving stack
• time to download, test, monitor, and update the deployment
• hardware or cloud GPU budget

For many users, the API is the faster way to test GLM 5.2. For teams that need local control, the download route is more flexible.

Official local serving options

The official Hugging Face page points to several ways to run the model:

• Transformers for direct Python experimentation
• vLLM for OpenAI-compatible local serving
• SGLang for model serving
• Docker Model Runner
• compatible local apps and quantized variants where available

A local OpenAI-compatible server can make your app code similar to hosted API code, but the base URL points to your own server instead of the Z.ai API platform.

Download checklist

Before downloading GLM 5.2, confirm:

• you are on the official zai-org/GLM-5.2 page
• the license works for your use case
• your hardware can run the chosen precision or quantization
• your serving stack supports the model
• you have a fallback if local latency or memory usage is too high
• your team can patch and monitor the deployment

Do not assume local deployment will be cheaper until you estimate utilization. Idle GPU time can cost more than hosted API usage for small workloads.

API versus free download

Use the API when you want:

• fast setup
• hosted reliability
• simpler scaling
• easier billing visibility
• less infrastructure work

Use the free download path when you want:

• local experimentation
• private deployment
• custom serving
• offline tests
• more control over model runtime

If you are not sure which path fits, start by testing the hosted model and measuring your workload. Then compare against local serving cost.

Related pages

For the hosted route, read GLM 5.2 API Key. For cost planning, read GLM 5.2 Pricing. For free hosted and trial options, see GLM 5.2 Free.