GLM-5 Turbo vs Qwen 3.5 397B
Complete pricing and performance comparison between Zhipu's GLM-5 Turbo and Alibaba's Qwen 3.5 397B.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
Qwen 3.5 397B
2.0x cheaper input, 1.1x cheaper output
Larger Context
GLM-5 Turbo
200K vs 128K
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | GLM-5 Turbo | Qwen 3.5 397B | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Zhipu | Alibaba | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $1.2 | $0.6 | Qwen 3.5 397B is 50% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $4 | $3.6 | Qwen 3.5 397B is 10% more expensive |
| Context Window | 200K | 128K | 2x difference |
| Max Output | 128K | 33K |
Cost at Scale
Estimated cost at different usage levels (3:1 input-to-output token ratio, typical for chat).
| Usage | GLM-5 Turbo | Qwen 3.5 397B | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0024 | $0.0017 | Same |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.024 | $0.017 | Qwen 3.5 397B saves $0.0072 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.240 | $0.168 | Qwen 3.5 397B saves $0.072 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $2.40 | $1.68 | Qwen 3.5 397B saves $0.720 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $24.00 | $16.80 | Qwen 3.5 397B saves $7.20 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $2400.00 | $1680.00 | Qwen 3.5 397B saves $720.00 |
Pros & Cons
GLM-5 Turbo Strengths
- +Larger context window (200K vs 128K)
- +Higher max output tokens
Qwen 3.5 397B Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
When to Use Each Model
Choose GLM-5 Turbo for
- →Long documents, large codebases, or multi-turn conversations
- →Generating long-form content or detailed code
Choose Qwen 3.5 397B for
- →Budget-conscious projects where cost is the primary factor
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, GLM-5 Turbo or Qwen 3.5 397B?
For input tokens, Qwen 3.5 397B is 2.0x cheaper at $0.6/1M tokens. For output tokens, Qwen 3.5 397B is 1.1x cheaper at $3.6/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), GLM-5 Turbo costs $2.40 vs Qwen 3.5 397B at $1.68.
What's the context window difference?
GLM-5 Turbo supports 200K context (200,000 tokens), while Qwen 3.5 397B supports 128K (128,000 tokens). GLM-5 Turbo can handle 2x more context in a single request.
When should I choose GLM-5 Turbo over Qwen 3.5 397B?
Choose GLM-5 Turbo when you need: Larger context window (200K vs 128K), Higher max output tokens. Choose Qwen 3.5 397B when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens.
How much would 10,000 API requests cost?
At 1K input + 300 output tokens per request (typical chat): GLM-5 Turbo = $24.00, Qwen 3.5 397B = $16.80. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): GLM-5 Turbo = $160.00, Qwen 3.5 397B = $96.00.