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  5. GLM 4.6vsGLM 5.3
Updated Aug 2026

GLM 4.6vsGLM 5.3

GLM 4.6 is cheaper than GLM 5.3 at $0.4/M vs $0.6538/M input tokens.

GLM 4.6 and GLM 5.3 compared across 13 shared prompts
SpecGLM 4.6GLM 5.3
Input price$0.4/M tokens$0.6538/M tokens
Output price$1.75/M tokens$2.0548/M tokens
Context window203K tokens1.3M tokens
WeightsOpenOpen
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedSep 2025Aug 2026
Side by side

Same prompt, both answers

Opening lines from 6 of the 13 prompts both answered. Formatting stripped, words untouched.

Historical Counterfactual Analysis

If the transistor had been invented in 1920 instead of 1947, trace the likely technological, economic, and geopolitical implications through…

GLM 4.61,573 words
This is a fascinating and complex scenario. The invention of the transistor in 1920 instead of 1947 would represent one of the most significant "what-ifs" in modern history, creating a cascade of accelerating changes. Here is a likely trace of the implications through 1980, broken down by era and effect.
Read the full answer
GLM 5.31,346 words
If the Transistor Had Arrived in 1920 The Premise: Why 1920 Was Nearly Impossible Before tracing effects, note the counterfactual requires heroic assumptions. The transistor depended on quantum mechanics (solid-state band theory, ~1928-1933), ultrapure semiconductor materials (zone refining, 1950s), and wartime radar…
Read the full answer

Simple 7-Ingredient Recipe

Create a simple recipe for a delicious dish (sweet or savory) using only 7 common pantry ingredients. Include a creative name for the dish…

GLM 4.6288 words
Of course! Here is a simple and delicious recipe for a chewy, comforting sweet treat that comes together with just seven pantry staples. Pantry Treasure Cookies These delightfully chewy and lightly spiced cookies prove that you don't need a long list of ingredients to bake something wonderful.
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GLM 5.3210 words
Golden Pantry Fried Rice Total Time: 20 minutes (5 min prep, 15 min cook) Ingredients (7 pantry staples) Cooked white rice (day-old is best) Eggs Soy sauce Garlic (minced or garlic powder) Frozen peas and carrots Canned corn Vegetable oil Instructions Prep (5 min): Break up cold rice with a fork. Drain the corn.
Read the full answer

Ethical Dilemma with Stakeholders

You're the CEO of a pharmaceutical company. Your best-selling drug ($2B annual revenue, used by 4 million patients for chronic pain) has…

GLM 4.61,502 words
This is a defining moment. The decision made in the next 48 hours will determine not only the company's financial future but its soul. My guiding principle is simple: We will control the narrative by doing the right thing, immediately.
Read the full answer
GLM 5.31,143 words
The Core Decision (Made Before Hour 1) The side effect is real, serious, and known to me now. Patients are currently taking this drug without informed consent about a ~1-in-8,000 liver failure risk. Everything else — stock price, board pressure, legal exposure — is secondary.
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Startup Pitch Teardown

Here's a pitch deck summary for a startup called "MindMeld AI": **Slide 1 - Vision:** "We're building the future of human-AI collaboration.…

GLM 4.61,025 words
Excellent. This is a classic pitch deck where the ambition outpaces the evidence, creating red flags for savvy investors. Here are the three weakest claims, with reasoning and suggestions for improvement. The "Consumer-Grade" vs.
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GLM 5.3585 words
3 Weakest Claims in the MindMeld AI Pitch "Reads your brainwaves to predict what you want to type before you think it" Why it's weak: This claim is neurologically incoherent. EEG sensors detect electrical activity on the scalp after neural firing occurs — you cannot decode intent "before" the brain generates it.
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Beginner's Longevity Plan

Outline a simple, actionable 1-month plan for someone starting their journey towards better health and longevity. Focus on 3 key areas…

GLM 4.6918 words
Of course! Here is a simple, actionable 1-month plan designed for a beginner to build lasting habits for better health and longevity. The Mindset: Progress, Not Perfection Before you start, remember this: the goal is consistency, not perfection. You will have off days. That's normal.
Read the full answer
GLM 5.3415 words
1-Month Beginner Health & Longevity Plan Week 1: Foundation & Awareness Goal: Establish baselines, not perfection 🥗 Diet Track what you currently eat for 3 days (no judging—just observe) Drink a glass of water upon waking each morning Add ONE vegetable to one meal daily 🏃 Exercise Walk 15 minutes daily (any pace, any…
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Explain Like I'm a Specific Expert

Explain how a large language model (like GPT or Claude) learns and generates text to each of these three audiences: 1. **An experienced…

GLM 4.6793 words
For the Experienced Software Engineer Think of an LLM's training process as a massive, distributed compression and compilation task. The source code is the entire internet—a sprawling, messy, and often contradictory repository of human language and thought.
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GLM 5.31,164 words
The Software Engineer You've probably written autocomplete logic before, so you're right to be skeptical of the naive version: a Markov chain that looks up "what usually comes after 'the'" is trivially dumb.
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Our Verdict
GLM 4.6
GLM 4.6
GLM 5.3
GLM 5.3

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, nothing separates them.

Too close to call
API pricing

Cost per 1M tokens

GLM 4.6
Input
$0.40
1.6× cheaper
Output
$1.75
1.2× cheaper
GLM 5.3
Input
$0.65
Output
$2.05

GLM 4.6 is cheaper on both: 1.6× input, 1.2× output.

Where to run it

34 hosts, cheapest first

GLM 4.64 hosts
HostInOutContextUptime
VVenicefp4$0.43 in·$1.75 out·198k·99.9% upDDeepInfrafp4$0.50 in·$2.00 out·203k·99.6% upNNovitabf16$0.55 in·$2.20 out·205k·98.8% upZ.aifp4$0.60 in·$2.20 out·203k·99.7% up
GLM 5.330 hosts
HostInOutContextUptime
DDeepInfrafp4$0.56 in·$2.50 out·1M·97.1% upMMorph$0.71 in·$2.24 out·1M·99.7% upRRekafp8$0.76 in·$2.57 out·262k·99.4% upSSail Researchfp8$0.77 in·$4.00 out·1M·99.8% upNNovitafp8$0.78 in·$2.46 out·1M·99.9% upIio.netfp8$0.82 in·$2.77 out·262k·99.8% up
24 more hostsFewer hosts
PPhala$0.84 in·$2.64 out·1M·99.4% upIInferenceNetfp4$0.90 in·$3.00 out·1M·98.2% upDDigitalOcean$0.91 in·$2.86 out·1M·99.7% upGGMI Cloudfp8$0.98 in·$3.08 out·1M·99.5% upIInceptronfp4$1.03 in·$3.73 out·1M·99.4% upMMakorafp4$1.05 in·$4.20 out·980k·97.1% upSSiliconFlowfp8$1.12 in·$3.52 out·1M·99.8% upDDecartfp4$1.19 in·$3.74 out·1M·99.2% upFFriendli$1.26 in·$3.96 out·1M·100% upAAkashMLfp8$1.30 in·$4.40 out·1M·100% upAAtlasCloudfp8$1.40 in·$4.40 out·1M·99.4% upBaidu Qianfanfp8$1.40 in·$4.40 out·1M·99.8% upBBasetenfp4$1.40 in·$4.40 out·1M·99.8% upCloudflare Workers AI$1.40 in·$4.40 out·1.3M·98.9% upCCrusoefp4$1.40 in·$4.40 out·1M·98.9% upFFireworks$1.40 in·$4.40 out·1M·99.5% upMistralnvfp4$1.40 in·$4.40 out·1M·99.4% upModal$1.40 in·$4.40 out·1M·99.1% upPParasailfp8$1.40 in·$4.40 out·1M·99.2% upTTogether$1.40 in·$4.40 out·1M·98.1% upVVenice$1.40 in·$4.40 out·1M·98.5% upWWafer$1.40 in·$4.40 out·1M·99.9% upZ.aifp8$1.40 in·$4.40 out·1M·99.9% upAlibaba Clouddegraded$1.19 in·$3.74 out·1M·99.5% up

Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 23 Sep 2026.

Research

What we learned reading every model

FAQ

Common questions

Both are developed by Zhipu AI but target different use cases. GLM 4.6 has a 203K token context window vs GLM 5.3's 1.3M. You can compare their actual outputs across 13 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

It depends on your use case. GLM 4.6 and GLM 5.3 each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 13 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

GLM 4.6 costs $0.4/M input tokens and GLM 5.3 costs $0.6538/M input tokens. GLM 4.6 is $0.25/M cheaper per input. Check their side-by-side outputs on Rival to see if the price difference is justified by quality.

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of GLM 4.6 and GLM 5.3 across shared challenges. You can vote on which model produced the better output in a blind duel. Browsing and voting are free. No account is needed to look; signing in only saves your votes and likes.

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Explore all of Rival

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