FAQ

Is it really free?

The CLI is free and open source (Apache-2.0). The free model tier — GLM-4.7-Flash through the Delta community proxy — is free under a fair-use budget of 500 units/day per device. There are no ads, no upsells, no accounts.

Do I need an API key?

For Delta Free Models, no. For any other provider, yes — your own key.

Does it work on Linux or Windows?

Currently macOS only. The codebase is cross-platform TypeScript, but the supported, tested platform is macOS.

How much does the free tier cost you?

Nothing directly — GLM-4.7-Flash is free at Z.AI. The proxy enforces fair use with per-device budgets and abuse guards (per-IP rate limits, global daily cap, body size limits) so the free tier stays usable for everyone.

Why am I seeing “retrying…” messages?

Z.AI’s free tier rate-limits aggressively. DeltaCode retries automatically with backoff (one merged status line) and recovers on its own. If it never recovers, Z.AI may be having an outage — check /usage and try again in a minute.

What does the device id do?

~/.delta/device-id is a random 32-hex string, hashed with SHA-256, sent to the free-model proxy to enforce your daily budget. It contains no personal or hardware data. Delete the file to rotate it.

What happens to my prompts?

With Delta Free Models, prompts go to Z.AI’s servers for processing. With a BYOK provider, they go to that provider. Session files stay local. Don’t send anything sensitive either way.

Can the agent modify files outside my project?

Only with permission. By default, writes outside the current folder prompt first. Run from your home directory if you want whole-computer scope.

Is DeltaCode affiliated with Z.AI?

No. DeltaCode is an independent project by WEHNIT STUDIOS. Z.AI’s services are subject to Z.AI’s own terms and availability.

How do I report a bug?

Open an issue at github.com/wehnnit/DeltaCode/issues. Include your macOS version, deltacode --version, and what you were doing.