GLM-5 Turbo vs GPT-5 Mini
Complete pricing and performance comparison between Zhipu's GLM-5 Turbo and OpenAI's GPT-5 Mini.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
GPT-5 Mini
4.8x cheaper input, 2.0x cheaper output
Larger Context
GPT-5 Mini
400K vs 200K
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | GLM-5 Turbo | GPT-5 Mini | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Zhipu | OpenAI | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $1.2 | $0.25 | GPT-5 Mini is 79% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $4 | $2 | GPT-5 Mini is 50% more expensive |
| Context Window | 200K | 400K | 2x difference |
| Max Output | 128K | 16K | |
| Tokenizer | cl100k_base | o200k_base |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | GLM-5 Turbo | GPT-5 Mini | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | -- | 41 | N/A |
| Output Speed | -- | 82 tok/s | N/A |
| Value (Quality/$) | -- | 164.8 | 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 | GLM-5 Turbo | GPT-5 Mini | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0024 | $0.0008 | GPT-5 Mini saves $0.0015 |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.024 | $0.0085 | GPT-5 Mini saves $0.015 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.240 | $0.085 | GPT-5 Mini saves $0.155 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $2.40 | $0.850 | GPT-5 Mini saves $1.55 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $24.00 | $8.50 | GPT-5 Mini saves $15.50 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $2400.00 | $850.00 | GPT-5 Mini saves $1550.00 |
Pros & Cons
GLM-5 Turbo Strengths
- +Higher max output tokens
GPT-5 Mini Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
- +Larger context window (400K vs 200K)
When to Use Each Model
Choose GLM-5 Turbo for
- →Generating long-form content or detailed code
Choose GPT-5 Mini for
- →Budget-conscious projects where cost is the primary factor
- →Long documents, large codebases, or multi-turn conversations
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, GLM-5 Turbo or GPT-5 Mini?
For input tokens, GPT-5 Mini is 4.8x cheaper at $0.25/1M tokens. For output tokens, GPT-5 Mini is 2.0x cheaper at $2/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), GLM-5 Turbo costs $2.40 vs GPT-5 Mini at $0.850.
What's the context window difference?
GLM-5 Turbo supports 200K context (200,000 tokens), while GPT-5 Mini supports 400K (400,000 tokens). GPT-5 Mini can handle 2x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
When should I choose GLM-5 Turbo over GPT-5 Mini?
Choose GLM-5 Turbo when you need: Higher max output tokens. Choose GPT-5 Mini when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens, 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 Mini = $8.50. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): GLM-5 Turbo = $160.00, GPT-5 Mini = $45.00.