The May 21 answer was simple: use OpenAI first while your GPT-5.5 high/xhigh capacity was open. Keep GLM-5.1 as the cheap overflow lane. Use Claude or Kimi K2.6 when OpenAI limits bit or the task needed a second premium pass.
Anthropic is viable again after doubling Claude Code five-hour limits for paid tiers and removing peak-hour reductions for Pro and Max. The SpaceX story is capacity, not magic: Anthropic says it is using SpaceX Colossus 1 capacity, with more than 300 MW and over 220,000 NVIDIA GPUs coming online.
Google is the weak primary choice this week. Official Gemini docs now describe compute-shaped limits: stronger models, higher thinking levels, large context, Deep Think, video generation, and other heavy features consume more of the meter. That is the wrong failure mode for coding work, where the expensive prompts are usually the important ones.
OpenAI still gets the first seat because GPT-5.5 is the strongest practical subscription lane when available. The caveat is opacity: I did not find a public OpenAI note confirming a May 21 limit reset, so account-level reset banners should be treated as observed behavior, not a published entitlement.
| Lane | Role | Why | Caveat |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAI GPT-5.5 high/xhigh | Primary paid lane | Best current coding/productivity subscription path when capacity is available | Account and plan limits are still opaque |
| GLM-5.1 / Z.AI | Cheap overflow | $18+ coding plan, 200K context, 128K output, low API price anchor | Supported-tool and quota restrictions |
| Claude Max / Claude Code Pro | Premium second lane | Doubled Claude Code five-hour limits and new SpaceX-backed capacity | Still expensive and limit-managed |
| Kimi K2.6 | API-heavy overflow | 256K context, low API pricing, strong coding positioning | API setup and provider routing required |
| Google Gemini paid | Watch only | Large context and useful tools | Compute-based usage punishes hard coding prompts |
| Model/lane | Coding signal | Context/output | Cost signal | Use now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-5.5 | 82.7% Terminal-Bench 2.0; 58.6% SWE-Bench Pro | API: 1.05M / 128K | $5 / $30 per 1M API tokens | First |
| Claude Opus 4.7 | 64.3% SWE-Bench Pro in OpenAI’s comparison table | premium large-context lane | $5 / $25 per 1M API tokens | Second pass |
| GLM-5.1 | Z.AI-published 58.4 SWE-Bench Pro | 200K / 128K | $1.40 / $4.40 API; $18+ coding plan | Cheap overflow |
| Kimi K2.6 | strong coding/agent positioning | 256K context | $0.95 / $4.00 official API | Long-output overflow |
| Gemini paid apps | not the buying signal here | AI Pro/Ultra up to 1M app context | compute-based app limits | Wait |
Recommendation for the next 30 days:
- Start in OpenAI GPT-5.5 high/xhigh.
- Route routine overflow to GLM-5.1 through Z.AI when your tool is supported.
- Use Claude for review, hard debugging, and architecture after the limit boost.
- Use Kimi K2.6 for long-output or API-heavy coding.
- Do not build the stack around Google paid app limits until the compute meter stabilizes.
Source notes
- OpenAI: GPT-5.5 launch, ChatGPT limits, and API model pricing.
- Anthropic: higher Claude limits and SpaceX compute capacity.
- Google: Gemini Apps limits and upgrades.
- Z.AI: GLM-5.1 docs, Z.AI pricing, and the local Z.AI GLM Coding Plan guide.
- Kimi: Kimi K2.6 model card and Kimi K2.6 pricing.