GLM 5.2 comparable to GPT-5.5
Dax says open-source model GLM 5.2 is very comparable to OpenAI's GPT-5.5, with half the team switching to it after losing access to preview models.
Snapshot · Syntax - Tasty Web Development Treats
1021: We got addicted to an AI model we can't talk about
Explore episode
Jul 15, 2026
Where this was said
Comparing Open Source and Proprietary Models
At 26:55 · chapter starts 26:23
After losing the unnamed preview model, the OpenCode team split — half went back to GPT-5.5, half migrated to GLM 5.2, an open-source model that Dax describes as very comparable in day-to-day use. Post-preview-model experience, the frontier models all feel 'roughly the same' anyway, so the choice is mostly pragmatic. The broader argument is that the gap between open-source and proprietary frontier models is closing — and that the economics differ dramatically. GLM 5.2 replacing GPT-5.5 is a meaningful data point. [1] — Dax Raad "GLM 5.2 comparable to GPT-5.5: Dax says open-source model GLM 5.2 is very comparable to OpenAI's GPT-5.5, with half the team switching to i…" 26:55 Meanwhile, OpenCode's cheap Go plan — designed for international developers who can't afford frontier model pricing — has the US as its single largest subscriber base. The $200/month frontier model plan is out of reach for more people, even domestically, than the tech community typically assumes.
US is #1 subscriber for Go plan
Contrary to expectations, the US is the top subscriber country for OpenCode's cheap Go plan, designed for open-source models, showing price sensitivity even among US developers.
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