GLM-5 Turbo vs GPT-5
Complete pricing and performance comparison between Zhipu's GLM-5 Turbo and OpenAI's GPT-5.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
GLM-5 Turbo
1.0x cheaper input, 2.5x cheaper output
Larger Context
GPT-5
400K vs 200K
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | GLM-5 Turbo | GPT-5 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Zhipu | OpenAI | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $1.2 | $1.25 | GLM-5 Turbo is 4% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $4 | $10 | GLM-5 Turbo is 60% more expensive |
| Context Window | 200K | 400K | 2x difference |
| Max Output | 128K | 16K | |
| Tokenizer | cl100k_base | o200k_base |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | GLM-5 Turbo | GPT-5 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | -- | 45 | N/A |
| Output Speed | -- | 60 tok/s | N/A |
| Value (Quality/$) | -- | 35.7 | 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-5 | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0024 | $0.0042 | GLM-5 Turbo saves $0.0018 |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.024 | $0.042 | GLM-5 Turbo saves $0.018 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.240 | $0.425 | GLM-5 Turbo saves $0.185 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $2.40 | $4.25 | GLM-5 Turbo saves $1.85 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $24.00 | $42.50 | GLM-5 Turbo saves $18.50 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $2400.00 | $4250.00 | GLM-5 Turbo saves $1850.00 |
Pros & Cons
GLM-5 Turbo Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
- +Higher max output tokens
GPT-5 Strengths
- +Larger context window (400K vs 200K)
When to Use Each Model
Choose GLM-5 Turbo for
- →Budget-conscious projects where cost is the primary factor
- →Generating long-form content or detailed code
Choose GPT-5 for
- →Long documents, large codebases, or multi-turn conversations
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, GLM-5 Turbo or GPT-5?
For input tokens, GLM-5 Turbo is 1.0x 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-5 at $4.25.
What's the context window difference?
GLM-5 Turbo supports 200K context (200,000 tokens), while GPT-5 supports 400K (400,000 tokens). GPT-5 can handle 2x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
When should I choose GLM-5 Turbo over GPT-5?
Choose GLM-5 Turbo when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens, Higher max output tokens. Choose GPT-5 when you need: Larger context window (400K vs 200K).
How much would 10,000 API requests cost?
At 1K input + 300 output tokens per request (typical chat): GLM-5 Turbo = $24.00, GPT-5 = $42.50. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): GLM-5 Turbo = $160.00, GPT-5 = $225.00.