---
# System prepended metadata

title: Affordable Agentic Coding

---

# Step-by-Step Guide: Install OpenCode and Configure `z.ai` as a Custom Model

## Step 1: Install OpenCode

**Using the install script (recommended):**
```bash
curl -fsSL https://opencode.ai/install | bash
```

**Using package managers:**

- **Node.js (npm):**
  ```bash
  npm install -g opencode-ai
  ```

- **Homebrew (macOS and Linux):**
  ```bash
  brew install sst/tap/opencode
  ```

- **Scoop (Windows):**
  ```bash
  scoop bucket add extras
  scoop install extras/opencode
  ```
Alternatively, download the binary directly from the [GitHub Releases page](https://github.com/sst/opencode/releases).

## Step 2: Initialize OpenCode

After installation, run OpenCode to start the interactive terminal UI:
```bash
opencode
```
On first run, OpenCode will:
- Create the `.opencode` data directory in your current working directory
- Initialize a SQLite database for session storage
- Auto-detect available LLM provider API keys from environment variables
- Launch the terminal UI

## Step 3: Configure `z.ai` API Access

`z.ai` provides an OpenAI-compatible API, which allows integration with tools like OpenCode that support the OpenAI protocol.

1. Sign up or log in at [z.ai](https://z.ai/subscribe?ic=WRPEOE7H5H)
2. Navigate to your [account settings](https://z.ai/manage-apikey/apikey-list)
3. Generate your `z.ai` API key
4. Keep this key secure for configuration

## Step 4: Configure OpenCode to Use `z.ai` as a Custom Model

OpenCode supports custom LLM providers through configuration. You'll need to set up `z.ai` as a provider using its compatible endpoint.

1. Run the authentication command:
   ```bash
   opencode auth login
   ```

2. When prompted, select "custom" or "OpenAI-compatible" provider

3. Enter the following configuration:
   - **API Provider:** OpenAI Compatible
   - **API Base URL:** `https://api.z.ai/v1` (or the endpoint specified in `z.ai` documentation)
   - **API Key:** Your `z.ai` API key
   - **Model Name:** The specific model from `z.ai` you want to use (e.g., from the coding plan)

4. Save the configuration. OpenCode will store this in your configuration file.

Alternatively, you can manually edit the configuration file at `~/.opencode/config` to include:
```yaml
providers:
  custom:
    name: z.ai
    api_key: YOUR_ZAI_API_KEY
    base_url: https://api.z.ai/v1
    model: glm-4.6  # or the model from your coding plan
```

## Step 5: Test the Integration

1. Start OpenCode:
   ```bash
   opencode
   ```

2. Create a new session and attempt a coding task
3. Verify that requests are being routed through z.ai by checking for response patterns or latency characteristics
4. Check your `z.ai` dashboard for API usage to confirm the connection is active

## Key Integration Notes

- z\.ai's OpenAI-compatible API is a hard dependency for using custom models with tools like OpenCode
- The integration allows OpenCode to communicate with z.ai models without code modifications
- Configuration details can be adjusted based on your specific task requirements

This setup enables you to leverage the z.ai coding plan within OpenCode's terminal-based AI coding agent workflow, combining the strengths of both platforms for efficient development.