GLM-5 Turbo vs Grok 4
Complete pricing and performance comparison between Zhipu's GLM-5 Turbo and xAI's Grok 4.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
GLM-5 Turbo
2.5x cheaper input, 3.8x cheaper output
Larger Context
Grok 4
2.0M vs 200K
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | GLM-5 Turbo | Grok 4 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Zhipu | xAI | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $1.2 | $3 | GLM-5 Turbo is 60% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $4 | $15 | GLM-5 Turbo is 73% more expensive |
| Context Window | 200K | 2.0M | 10x difference |
| Max Output | 128K | 16K |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | GLM-5 Turbo | Grok 4 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | -- | 42 | N/A |
| Output Speed | -- | 49 tok/s | N/A |
| Value (Quality/$) | -- | 13.8 | 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 | Grok 4 | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0024 | $0.0075 | GLM-5 Turbo saves $0.0051 |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.024 | $0.075 | GLM-5 Turbo saves $0.051 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.240 | $0.750 | GLM-5 Turbo saves $0.510 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $2.40 | $7.50 | GLM-5 Turbo saves $5.10 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $24.00 | $75.00 | GLM-5 Turbo saves $51.00 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $2400.00 | $7500.00 | GLM-5 Turbo saves $5100.00 |
Pros & Cons
GLM-5 Turbo Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
- +Higher max output tokens
Grok 4 Strengths
- +Larger context window (2.0M 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 Grok 4 for
- →Long documents, large codebases, or multi-turn conversations
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, GLM-5 Turbo or Grok 4?
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), GLM-5 Turbo costs $2.40 vs Grok 4 at $7.50.
What's the context window difference?
GLM-5 Turbo supports 200K context (200,000 tokens), while Grok 4 supports 2.0M (2,000,000 tokens). Grok 4 can handle 10x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
When should I choose GLM-5 Turbo over Grok 4?
Choose GLM-5 Turbo when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens, Higher max output tokens. Choose Grok 4 when you need: Larger context window (2.0M 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, Grok 4 = $75.00. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): GLM-5 Turbo = $160.00, Grok 4 = $450.00.