I tested Claude's two biggest competitors because of its usage limits, and one banned my account

Claude's shifting usage limits prompted a hands-on comparison of two alternatives: MiniMax M2.7 and Qwen3-Coder-Next, with GLM-5.1 (Z.ai) also tested. All models were given the same Python CLI coding task. MiniMax M2.7 performed well — close to Claude Opus quality at 17-21x lower cost — making it a credible everyday alternative. Qwen3-Coder-Next remains the top local model for privacy-sensitive work. Z.ai's GLM-5.1 subscription was banned mid-test with no warning, no accessible appeal, and a non-refundable policy, with multiple other users reporting the same experience. The recommendation: MiniMax M2.7 as a Claude fallback, Qwen3-Coder-Next for local use, and avoid Z.ai until its enforcement practices improve.