Skip to content

Model vs model

GLM 5.3 vs GLM 5.3 Flash

GLM 5.3 and GLM 5.3 Flash are both in llmwise. What each gets on every plan, what it reads, how it's served and what happens when its provider fails, from the catalog and the code that runs them.

Model prices and specs checked against OpenRouter's GLM 5.3 page, OpenRouter's GLM 5.3 Flash page. Updated .

Short answer

GLM 5.3 Flash is an everyday model (60 messages a day on Pro); GLM 5.3 draws on the monthly allowance (up to 250 messages a month on Pro). Otherwise, only GLM 5.3 Flash reads images. In our test runs, GLM 5.3 passed 48 of the 50 prompts both answered and GLM 5.3 Flash 40; 8 prompts split them, most on customer support (5 to 2).

GLM 5.3 vs GLM 5.3 Flash, prompt by prompt

Every prompt GLM 5.3 and GLM 5.3 Flash both answered, compared directly, their biggest differences first. One run each, through OpenRouter: a wait depends on the provider and the load that day, so a lead under 10% counts as close.

Of the 50 prompts both answered, both passed 40, only GLM 5.3 passed 8, only GLM 5.3 Flash passed 0, and neither passed 2. GLM 5.3 answered sooner on 43 of the 50 and GLM 5.3 Flash on 4; the rest were within 10% of each other. The 50 replies cost $0.0364 on GLM 5.3 and $0.0096 on GLM 5.3 Flash: 3.8× less on GLM 5.3 Flash.

The 8 prompts only one of GLM 5.3 and GLM 5.3 Flash passed

  • Rewrite corporate jargon in plain words (writing): GLM 5.3 passed and GLM 5.3 Flash didn't. GLM 5.3: Graded 4.0 of 5 on average (lowest 3). GLM 5.3 Flash: Graded 3.3 of 5 on average (lowest 3).

  • A product announcement with five rules (writing): GLM 5.3 passed and GLM 5.3 Flash didn't. GLM 5.3: Graded 4.3 of 5 on average (lowest 4). GLM 5.3 Flash: Graded 3.3 of 5 on average (lowest 3).

  • An email thread in one sentence (summarization): GLM 5.3 passed and GLM 5.3 Flash didn't. GLM 5.3: Graded 4.3 of 5 on average (lowest 3). GLM 5.3 Flash: Graded 3.7 of 5 on average (lowest 3).

  • Correlation between ad spend and sign-ups (data analysis): GLM 5.3 passed and GLM 5.3 Flash didn't. GLM 5.3: Final answer 0.97: right. GLM 5.3 Flash: Final answer 0.99; expected 0.97.

  • A late order (customer support): GLM 5.3 passed and GLM 5.3 Flash didn't. GLM 5.3: Graded 5.0 of 5 on average (lowest 5). GLM 5.3 Flash: Graded 3.7 of 5 on average (lowest 3).

  • A frustrated customer (customer support): GLM 5.3 passed and GLM 5.3 Flash didn't. GLM 5.3: Graded 4.7 of 5 on average (lowest 4). GLM 5.3 Flash: Graded 4.0 of 5 on average (lowest 3); but 158 words, over the 150 allowed.

  • A refund request outside the window (customer support): GLM 5.3 passed and GLM 5.3 Flash didn't. GLM 5.3: Graded 4.7 of 5 on average (lowest 4). GLM 5.3 Flash: Graded 4.0 of 5 on average (lowest 2).

  • Book a meeting from a sentence (agents and tool use): GLM 5.3 passed and GLM 5.3 Flash didn't. GLM 5.3: Made the 1 expected call. GLM 5.3 Flash: Expected create_event(attendees: ["priya@northwind.test"], duration_minutes: 30, start: "2026-10-08T15:00", title: {"contains":"Q4"}); got find_contact(name: "Priya Shah"); create_event(title: "Q4 plan review", start: "2026-10-08T15:00", duration_minutes: 30, attendees: ["priya@northwind.test"]).

Job by job, the widest gaps first

  • Customer support: GLM 5.3 passed 5 of 5 and GLM 5.3 Flash 2 of 5. GLM 5.3 answered 2.7× sooner at the median, 2.3 s against 6.2 s. GLM 5.3 Flash cost 2.4× less, $0.0023 against $0.0010 for the 5 replies. GLM 5.3 Flash's replies ran 25% longer, in tokens of reply, thinking not counted.

  • Writing: GLM 5.3 passed 4 of 5 and GLM 5.3 Flash 2 of 5. GLM 5.3 answered 4.8× sooner at the median, 1.8 s against 8.5 s. GLM 5.3 Flash cost 1.8× less, $0.0029 against $0.0016 for the 5 replies. Their replies ran to about the same length.

  • Data analysis: GLM 5.3 passed 5 of 5 and GLM 5.3 Flash 4 of 5. GLM 5.3 answered 5.1× sooner at the median, 1.9 s against 9.8 s. GLM 5.3 Flash cost 5.0× less, $0.0096 against $0.0019 for the 5 replies. GLM 5.3 Flash's replies ran 92% longer, in tokens of reply, thinking not counted.

  • Summarization: GLM 5.3 passed 4 of 5 and GLM 5.3 Flash 3 of 5. GLM 5.3 answered 3.6× sooner at the median, 1.1 s against 4.0 s. GLM 5.3 Flash cost 4.8× less, $0.0027 against $0.0006 for the 5 replies. Their replies ran to about the same length.

  • Agents and tool use: GLM 5.3 passed 5 of 5 and GLM 5.3 Flash 4 of 5. GLM 5.3 answered 3.6× sooner at the median, 0.9 s against 3.2 s. GLM 5.3 Flash cost 3.4× less, $0.0022 against $0.0006 for the 5 replies. GLM 5.3 Flash's replies ran 12% longer, in tokens of reply, thinking not counted.

  • Translation: GLM 5.3 passed 5 of 5 and GLM 5.3 Flash 5 of 5. GLM 5.3 answered 2.6× sooner at the median, 1.6 s against 4.1 s. GLM 5.3 Flash cost 7.1× less, $0.0035 against $0.0005 for the 5 replies. GLM 5.3's replies ran 42% longer, in tokens of reply, thinking not counted.

  • Coding: GLM 5.3 passed 5 of 5 and GLM 5.3 Flash 5 of 5. GLM 5.3 answered 7.9× sooner at the median, 1.1 s against 8.4 s. GLM 5.3 Flash cost 5.8× less, $0.0073 against $0.0013 for the 5 replies. Their replies ran to about the same length.

  • RAG and answering from documents: GLM 5.3 passed 5 of 5 and GLM 5.3 Flash 5 of 5. GLM 5.3 answered 3.5× sooner at the median, 0.6 s against 2.2 s. GLM 5.3 Flash cost 3.3× less, $0.0025 against $0.0008 for the 5 replies. GLM 5.3 Flash's replies ran 74% longer, in tokens of reply, thinking not counted.

  • SQL: GLM 5.3 passed 5 of 5 and GLM 5.3 Flash 5 of 5. GLM 5.3 answered 1.2× sooner at the median, 1.2 s against 1.4 s. GLM 5.3 Flash cost 2.4× less, $0.0016 against $0.0006 for the 5 replies. Their replies ran to about the same length.

  • Math: GLM 5.3 passed 5 of 5 and GLM 5.3 Flash 5 of 5. GLM 5.3 answered 2.9× sooner at the median, 0.9 s against 2.7 s. GLM 5.3 Flash cost 2.4× less, $0.0018 against $0.0008 for the 5 replies. GLM 5.3 Flash's replies ran 23% longer, in tokens of reply, thinking not counted.

All 50 prompts: who passed, who answered sooner, who cost less
GLM 5.3 and GLM 5.3 Flash on each prompt of our test runs
PromptResultSoonerCheaper
Turn a title into a URL slugBoth passedGLM 5.3, 6.0×took 0.4 s and 2.6 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 15.2×cost $0.0010 and $0.0001
Parse a duration like “1h 30m”Both passedGLM 5.3, 7.8×took 1.1 s and 8.2 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 4.1×cost $0.0014 and $0.0003
Merge overlapping intervalsBoth passedGLM 5.3, 11.5×took 0.8 s and 9.6 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 3.4×cost $0.0008 and $0.0002
Evaluate an arithmetic expression, no evalBoth passedGLM 5.3 Flash, 1.1×took 12.5 s and 11.1 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 4.8×cost $0.0017 and $0.0004
Parse CSV with quoted fieldsBoth passedGLM 5.3, 3.2×took 2.6 s and 8.4 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 9.2×cost $0.0024 and $0.0003
Announce a second bakery shop on LinkedInBoth passedGLM 5.3, 13.9×took 2.9 s and 39.6 sGLM 5.3, 2.8×cost $0.0004 and $0.0011
Rewrite corporate jargon in plain wordsOnly GLM 5.3GLM 5.3, 2.8×took 1.8 s and 4.9 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 2.1×cost $0.0002 and $0.0001
Decline a meeting and offer two timesBoth passedGLM 5.3, 3.7×took 1.4 s and 5.3 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 1.7×cost $0.0003 and $0.0002
A product announcement with five rulesOnly GLM 5.3GLM 5.3, 10.0×took 0.8 s and 8.5 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 5.3×cost $0.0008 and $0.0001
Argue both sides of free busesNeither passedGLM 5.3, 6.3×took 1.8 s and 11.2 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 8.5×cost $0.0013 and $0.0001
A discount, then sales taxBoth passedGLM 5.3, 2.5×took 0.9 s and 2.4 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 2.3×cost $0.0002 and $0.0001
Pens at 3 for $4Both passedGLM 5.3, 9.8×took 1.5 s and 14.6 sGLM 5.3, 1.5×cost $0.0002 and $0.0003
Compound interest over three yearsBoth passedGLM 5.3, 8.5×took 0.6 s and 4.9 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 3.4×cost $0.0005 and $0.0002
Four-digit numbers whose digits sum to 9Both passedGLM 5.3, 1.5×took 1.9 s and 2.7 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 2.1×cost $0.0003 and $0.0001
The highest of three dice is a 5Both passedClosetook 0.9 s and 0.9 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 5.3×cost $0.0006 and $0.0001
An article in three bulletsNeither passedGLM 5.3, 1.4×took 2.8 s and 4.0 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 4.5×cost $0.0004 and $0.0001
An email thread in one sentenceOnly GLM 5.3GLM 5.3, 3.9×took 1.0 s and 4.0 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 1.6×cost $0.0002 and $0.0001
Decisions and action items from a meetingBoth passedGLM 5.3, 1.3×took 1.5 s and 1.9 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 2.7×cost $0.0002 and $0.0001
A quarterly memo for the CEOBoth passedGLM 5.3, 7.5×took 1.1 s and 8.3 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 6.7×cost $0.0010 and $0.0001
A study with a negative resultBoth passedGLM 5.3, 4.5×took 0.8 s and 3.7 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 9.0×cost $0.0008 and $0.0001
The region with the most revenueBoth passedGLM 5.3, 4.2×took 2.1 s and 8.8 sGLM 5.3, 1.3×cost $0.0004 and $0.0005
Average order value in AugustBoth passedGLM 5.3, 7.5×took 1.9 s and 14.5 sClosecost $0.0004 and $0.0004
Revenue change from July to AugustBoth passedGLM 5.3, 7.1×took 1.4 s and 9.8 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 4.2×cost $0.0016 and $0.0004
A median, filtered two waysBoth passedGLM 5.3, 3.9×took 1.0 s and 3.7 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 8.9×cost $0.0011 and $0.0001
Correlation between ad spend and sign-upsOnly GLM 5.3GLM 5.3, 3.5×took 5.6 s and 19.4 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 11.4×cost $0.0062 and $0.0005
A late orderOnly GLM 5.3GLM 5.3, 2.4×took 2.6 s and 6.2 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 1.5×cost $0.0004 and $0.0003
A return inside the windowBoth passedGLM 5.3, 4.0×took 1.6 s and 6.2 sClosecost $0.0002 and $0.0002
A frustrated customerOnly GLM 5.3GLM 5.3, 2.9×took 2.3 s and 6.8 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 2.0×cost $0.0003 and $0.0002
A refund request outside the windowOnly GLM 5.3GLM 5.3, 2.1×took 1.1 s and 2.4 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 5.7×cost $0.0009 and $0.0002
A message with a planted instructionBoth passedClosetook 5.3 s and 5.2 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 2.7×cost $0.0005 and $0.0002
A delivery message into SpanishBoth passedGLM 5.3, 2.6×took 1.5 s and 3.9 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 2.4×cost $0.0002 and $0.0001
A product description into FrenchBoth passedGLM 5.3, 2.8×took 1.5 s and 4.1 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 3.3×cost $0.0003 and $0.0001
A meeting note into GermanBoth passedGLM 5.3, 2.7×took 1.6 s and 4.2 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 2.4×cost $0.0002 and $0.0001
Idioms into natural JapaneseBoth passedGLM 5.3, 2.8×took 1.7 s and 4.8 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 13.4×cost $0.0012 and $0.0001
A lease clause into Brazilian PortugueseBoth passedGLM 5.3 Flash, 1.3×took 1.7 s and 1.3 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 11.2×cost $0.0016 and $0.0001
Customers in one countryBoth passedGLM 5.3, 1.5×took 0.8 s and 1.2 sClosecost $0.0001 and $0.0001
Count orders by statusBoth passedGLM 5.3, 1.8×took 1.2 s and 2.1 sClosecost $0.0001 and $0.0001
Revenue by categoryBoth passedGLM 5.3, 2.1×took 1.2 s and 2.6 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 1.8×cost $0.0002 and $0.0001
Every customer, even those without ordersBoth passedClosetook 1.0 s and 1.0 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 6.2×cost $0.0007 and $0.0001
Monthly revenue with a running totalBoth passedGLM 5.3 Flash, 2.2×took 3.2 s and 1.4 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 2.5×cost $0.0004 and $0.0002
A fact from one sectionBoth passedGLM 5.3 Flash, 1.2×took 0.9 s and 0.7 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 1.3×cost $0.0003 and $0.0002
Core hours and start timesBoth passedGLM 5.3, 7.8×took 0.5 s and 3.9 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 3.2×cost $0.0007 and $0.0002
Two sections in one answerBoth passedGLM 5.3, 3.7×took 0.5 s and 1.9 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 4.5×cost $0.0005 and $0.0001
A later amendment changes the answerBoth passedGLM 5.3, 1.8×took 1.3 s and 2.2 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 4.2×cost $0.0006 and $0.0001
A question the handbook doesn't answerBoth passedGLM 5.3, 4.6×took 0.6 s and 2.9 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 4.7×cost $0.0005 and $0.0001
Pick the tool and work out the dateBoth passedGLM 5.3, 3.6×took 0.9 s and 3.2 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 3.8×cost $0.0002 and $0.0001
Convert a currencyBoth passedGLM 5.3, 2.6×took 1.1 s and 3.0 sClosecost $0.0001 and $0.0001
Book a meeting from a sentenceOnly GLM 5.3GLM 5.3, 4.0×took 1.7 s and 6.8 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 3.4×cost $0.0006 and $0.0002
Search, but don't bookBoth passedGLM 5.3, 4.2×took 0.5 s and 2.3 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 6.8×cost $0.0005 and $0.0001
Two calls with a unit conversionBoth passedGLM 5.3, 4.9×took 0.7 s and 3.4 sGLM 5.3 Flash, 3.8×cost $0.0008 and $0.0002

GLM 5.3 vs GLM 5.3 Flash in our test runs

GLM 5.3 and GLM 5.3 Flash on the same prompts, job by job: how many replies passed their check.

Based on 100 of our test runs on , through OpenRouter with the app's own prompt and settings. Updated .

GLM 5.3 and GLM 5.3 Flash in our test runs, job by job
JobGLM 5.3GLM 5.3 Flash
Coding5 of 55 of 5
Writing4 of 52 of 5
Math5 of 55 of 5
Summarization4 of 53 of 5
Data analysis5 of 54 of 5
Customer support5 of 52 of 5
Translation5 of 55 of 5
SQL5 of 55 of 5
RAG and answering from documents5 of 55 of 5
Agents and tool use5 of 54 of 5
All jobs48 of 50 · 1 message each · $0.0007 a reply40 of 50 · 1 message each · $0.0002 a reply

The same prompts, sent to both through llmwise's own pipeline and checked the same way: five for each job. A bold count is the one that passed more. Messages: what each reply counted as on Pro. Cost: what OpenRouter charged us per reply, on average. Every prompt, and how it's scored.

Where they differed most, customer support: both replies to a prompt only one of them passed.

An everyday prompt: “A late order”, in full.

  • GLM 5.3

    Passed: Graded 5.0 of 5 on average (lowest 5).

    Hi,
    
    I'm sorry your rain jacket still hasn't arrived — that's well past our standard 3–5 business day delivery window, and I understand how frustrating that is.
    
    I'd like to look into where your package is right away. Could you reply with your order number so I can check its status and tracking? If it's lost or stuck in transit, we'll sort out a replacement or solution for you.
    
    Also, because your order is more than 7 business days late, you're entitled to free express shipping on your next order — I'll make sure that's applied to your account.
    
    Thanks for your patience, and again, apologies for the delay.
    
    Sam, Northwind support

    529 tokens in, 163 out (21 of them reasoning) · 2.6 s · $0.0004 · 1 message on Pro · answered by z-ai/glm-5.3 via Baidu ·

  • GLM 5.3 Flash

    Failed: Graded 3.7 of 5 on average (lowest 3).

    Dear customer,
    
    Thank you for reaching out, and I'm sorry your rain jacket hasn't arrived yet. That's certainly not the experience we want for you.
    
    Standard delivery normally takes 3–5 business days, and since your order is now 9 business days overdue, it has clearly been delayed. I apologize for the inconvenience.
    
    Because your order is more than 7 business days late, I'd be happy to add free express shipping to your next order as a gesture of apology. Just reply to this message or mention it when you place your next order, and we'll apply it.
    
    Please also keep an eye out for the package — if it hasn't arrived within the next few business days, contact us and we'll investigate with the carrier or arrange a replacement or refund.
    
    Thank you for your patience.
    
    Sam, Northwind support

    530 tokens in, 259 out (90 of them reasoning) · 6.2 s · $0.0003 · 1 message on Pro · answered by z-ai/glm-5.3-flash via Wafer ·

GLM 5.3 and GLM 5.3 Flash on every plan

Whether the one-time free trial reaches each model, then each paid plan's messages on it.

Messages on GLM 5.3 and GLM 5.3 Flash, plan by plan
PlanPriceGLM 5.3GLM 5.3 Flash
Free$0In the one-time trial of 5 messagesIn the one-time trial of 5 messages
Pro$20 a monthUp to 250 a month60 a day
Max$50 a monthUp to 800 a month120 a day
Ultra$100 a monthUp to 1,800 a month200 a day
Studio$200 a monthUp to 4,000 a month200 a day

Prices don't include tax, which is added where it applies and shown before you pay. A paid plan's month is one allowance shared by every model, so each monthly count is the most you get if all of it goes to that model. It renews each billing period; everyday models refill daily at 00:00 UTC. Long chats count more per reply. How pricing works.

Every limit is published. Paid plans also have a monthly fair-use limit on AI cost: Pro $7.50, Max $20, Ultra $42, Studio $85. Using every message on your plan at typical sizes stays under it; very large messages and heavy research use it faster. Every limit, explained.

What differs

  • Messages on Pro

    GLM 5.3 Flash is an everyday model (60 messages a day on Pro); GLM 5.3 draws on the monthly allowance (up to 250 messages a month on Pro).

  • Context window

    Both take up to 1.05M tokens of context. A chat in llmwise holds up to 200k tokens, which fits in either, so the difference shows only through each maker's own API.

  • Images and PDFs

    GLM 5.3 doesn't read images. GLM 5.3 and GLM 5.3 Flash get a PDF's text rather than the file itself.

  • On Free

    Both are in the free trial.

  • Where messages go

    Both are GLM models, served the same way. Served through OpenRouter, only by hosts that don't store or train on prompts. The maker's own endpoint is never asked.

Fact by fact

GLM 5.3 and GLM 5.3 Flash, fact by fact
FactGLM 5.3GLM 5.3 Flash
Context window1.05M tokens1.05M tokens
Reads imagesNoYes
PDFsText onlyText only
ReasoningYesYes
API price (September 2026)$1.40 in / $4.40 out per million tokens$0.15 in / $0.50 out per million tokens
A typical message at API prices (4,000 tokens in, 700 out)$0.0087$0.0010
A $10 top-up adds200 messagesNothing: an everyday model's count is daily
Where a message goesServed through OpenRouter, only by hosts that don't store or train on prompts. The maker's own endpoint is never asked.Served through OpenRouter, only by hosts that don't store or train on prompts. The maker's own endpoint is never asked.
If the provider failsWhen one host is down, OpenRouter moves the request to another host that meets the same rules.When one host is down, OpenRouter moves the request to another host that meets the same rules.
Anthropic's safety fallbackDoesn't applyDoesn't apply
API prices are what our model catalog lists (GLM: Z.ai's list price). In llmwise you pay per message, not per token: the counts above are what you get.

GLM 5.3 or GLM 5.3 Flash?

From the facts above and our test runs: the rest is how their answers suit your work, which one chat can show you.

  • Pick GLM 5.3 Flash: its messages come from the daily count (60 messages a day on Pro), so they leave the monthly allowance for bigger models; it reads images.

Each model's page, the families, and other pairs

GLM 5.3 vs GLM 5.3 Flash is one pair of models. The page below covers the whole family.

Questions

Is GLM 5.3 or GLM 5.3 Flash cheaper in llmwise?

GLM 5.3 Flash is an everyday model (60 messages a day on Pro); GLM 5.3 draws on the monthly allowance (up to 250 messages a month on Pro). Every paid plan's monthly allowance is shared by all models, so each count is the most you get if it all goes to that model.

Can I try GLM 5.3 and GLM 5.3 Flash for free?

Yes: both are in the free trial of 5 messages.

Which has the bigger context window, GLM 5.3 or GLM 5.3 Flash?

Neither: both take 1.05M tokens. A chat in llmwise holds up to 200k tokens, which fits in either, so the difference shows only through each maker's own API.

Can I use GLM 5.3 and GLM 5.3 Flash in the same chat?

Yes. Pick GLM 5.3 for one message and GLM 5.3 Flash for the next; the second sees the whole chat, including the first one's answer.

Which did better in your test runs, GLM 5.3 or GLM 5.3 Flash?

On the same 50 prompts, run on September 27, 2026, GLM 5.3 passed 48 and GLM 5.3 Flash passed 40. The table on this page has each job, and every reply is published.

Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, Grok, Kimi, and GLM, in one chat.

See what a message costs before you send it. Free is 5 messages to try; sign in with an email link, no password or card.