GLM-5 Turbo vs GPT-4o
Complete pricing and performance comparison between Zhipu's GLM-5 Turbo and OpenAI's GPT-4o.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
GLM-5 Turbo
2.1x cheaper input, 2.5x cheaper output
Larger Context
GLM-5 Turbo
200K vs 128K
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | GLM-5 Turbo | GPT-4o | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Zhipu | OpenAI | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $1.2 | $2.5 | GLM-5 Turbo is 52% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $4 | $10 | GLM-5 Turbo is 60% more expensive |
| Context Window | 200K | 128K | 2x difference |
| Max Output | 128K | 16K | |
| Tokenizer | cl100k_base | o200k_base |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | GLM-5 Turbo | GPT-4o | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | -- | 17 | N/A |
| Output Speed | -- | 135 tok/s | N/A |
| Value (Quality/$) | -- | 6.9 | 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 | GLM-5 Turbo | GPT-4o | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0024 | $0.0055 | GLM-5 Turbo saves $0.0031 |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.024 | $0.055 | GLM-5 Turbo saves $0.031 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.240 | $0.550 | GLM-5 Turbo saves $0.310 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $2.40 | $5.50 | GLM-5 Turbo saves $3.10 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $24.00 | $55.00 | GLM-5 Turbo saves $31.00 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $2400.00 | $5500.00 | GLM-5 Turbo saves $3100.00 |
Pros & Cons
GLM-5 Turbo Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
- +Larger context window (200K vs 128K)
- +Higher max output tokens
GPT-4o Strengths
Part of the OpenAI ecosystem
When to Use Each Model
Choose GLM-5 Turbo for
- →Budget-conscious projects where cost is the primary factor
- →Long documents, large codebases, or multi-turn conversations
- →Generating long-form content or detailed code
Choose GPT-4o for
- →Projects already integrated with OpenAI's ecosystem
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, GLM-5 Turbo or GPT-4o?
For input tokens, GLM-5 Turbo is 2.1x cheaper at $1.2/1M tokens. For output tokens, GLM-5 Turbo is 2.5x cheaper at $4/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), GLM-5 Turbo costs $2.40 vs GPT-4o at $5.50.
What's the context window difference?
GLM-5 Turbo supports 200K context (200,000 tokens), while GPT-4o supports 128K (128,000 tokens). GLM-5 Turbo can handle 2x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
When should I choose GLM-5 Turbo over GPT-4o?
Choose GLM-5 Turbo when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens, Larger context window (200K vs 128K), Higher max output tokens. Choose GPT-4o when you need: a OpenAI ecosystem model.
How much would 10,000 API requests cost?
At 1K input + 300 output tokens per request (typical chat): GLM-5 Turbo = $24.00, GPT-4o = $55.00. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): GLM-5 Turbo = $160.00, GPT-4o = $350.00.