Claude Sonnet 4.6 vs GLM-5 Turbo
Complete pricing and performance comparison between Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 4.6 and Zhipu's GLM-5 Turbo.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
GLM-5 Turbo
2.5x cheaper input, 3.8x cheaper output
Larger Context
Claude Sonnet 4.6
200K vs 200K
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | GLM-5 Turbo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Anthropic | Zhipu | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $3 | $1.2 | GLM-5 Turbo is 60% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $15 | $4 | GLM-5 Turbo is 73% more expensive |
| Context Window | 200K | 200K | Same |
| Max Output | 64K | 128K |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | GLM-5 Turbo | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | 44 | -- | N/A |
| Output Speed | 54 tok/s | -- | N/A |
| Value (Quality/$) | 14.8 | -- | Higher = better value |
Benchmark data from Artificial Analysis. Quality Index is a composite score across reasoning, coding, and knowledge tasks.
Cost at Scale
Estimated cost at different usage levels (3:1 input-to-output token ratio, typical for chat).
| Usage | Claude Sonnet 4.6 | GLM-5 Turbo | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0075 | $0.0024 | GLM-5 Turbo saves $0.0051 |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.075 | $0.024 | GLM-5 Turbo saves $0.051 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.750 | $0.240 | GLM-5 Turbo saves $0.510 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $7.50 | $2.40 | GLM-5 Turbo saves $5.10 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $75.00 | $24.00 | GLM-5 Turbo saves $51.00 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $7500.00 | $2400.00 | GLM-5 Turbo saves $5100.00 |
Pros & Cons
Claude Sonnet 4.6 Strengths
Part of the Anthropic ecosystem
GLM-5 Turbo Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
- +Higher max output tokens
When to Use Each Model
Choose Claude Sonnet 4.6 for
- →Projects already integrated with Anthropic's ecosystem
Choose GLM-5 Turbo for
- →Budget-conscious projects where cost is the primary factor
- →Generating long-form content or detailed code
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, Claude Sonnet 4.6 or GLM-5 Turbo?
For input tokens, GLM-5 Turbo is 2.5x cheaper at $1.2/1M tokens. For output tokens, GLM-5 Turbo is 3.8x cheaper at $4/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), Claude Sonnet 4.6 costs $7.50 vs GLM-5 Turbo at $2.40.
What's the context window difference?
Claude Sonnet 4.6 supports 200K context (200,000 tokens), while GLM-5 Turbo supports 200K (200,000 tokens). GLM-5 Turbo can handle 1x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
When should I choose Claude Sonnet 4.6 over GLM-5 Turbo?
Choose Claude Sonnet 4.6 when you need: a Anthropic ecosystem model. Choose GLM-5 Turbo when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens, Higher max output tokens.
How much would 10,000 API requests cost?
At 1K input + 300 output tokens per request (typical chat): Claude Sonnet 4.6 = $75.00, GLM-5 Turbo = $24.00. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): Claude Sonnet 4.6 = $450.00, GLM-5 Turbo = $160.00.
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