Claude Sonnet 5 vs GLM-5.3
GLM-5.3 leads the LLM Stats Score 53.6 to 48.5. GLM-5.3 is 1.9x cheaper per token.
Anthropic · Zhipu AI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
GLM-5.3 leads the overall LLM Stats Score 53.6 to 48.5, ranking #9 overall.
In the 5 individual benchmarks reported for both models, GLM-5.3 wins 5; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, GLM-5.3 is roughly 1.9x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Claude Sonnet 5
- you want predictable pricing at $2.00/M input and $10.00/M output
Choose GLM-5.3
- overall performance matters — it scores 53.6 and ranks #9 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning and agents — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 5 of 5 exact shared results
- cost matters — it's about 1.9x cheaper per token
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2026
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
23 reported for Claude Sonnet 5 · 17 for GLM-5.3
Claude Sonnet 5 outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while GLM-5.3 is better at 5 benchmarks (AutomationBench, DeepSWE 1.1, Humanity's Last Exam, Terminal-Bench 4.0, Toolathlon).
GLM-5.3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Claude Sonnet 5 ($2.00/1M tokens) is 1.4x more expensive than GLM-5.3 ($1.40/1M tokens).
For output processing, Claude Sonnet 5 ($10.00/1M tokens) is 2.3x more expensive than GLM-5.3 ($4.40/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Claude Sonnet 5 is more expensive than GLM-5.3.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Both models have the same input context window of 1,000,000 tokens. GLM-5.3 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Claude Sonnet 5 is limited to 64,000 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Claude Sonnet 5 supports multimodal inputs, whereas GLM-5.3 does not.
Claude Sonnet 5 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
Claude Sonnet 5
GLM-5.3
License
Usage and distribution terms
Claude Sonnet 5 is licensed under a proprietary license, while GLM-5.3 uses GLM-5.3 License.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Proprietary
Closed source
GLM-5.3 License
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Claude Sonnet 5 was released on 2026-06-30, while GLM-5.3 was released on 2026-08-14.
GLM-5.3 is 2 months newer than Claude Sonnet 5.
Jun 30, 2026
2 months ago
Aug 14, 2026
3 weeks ago
1mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
Claude Sonnet 5 is available from Anthropic. GLM-5.3 is available from FriendliAI, Novita, ZAI.
Claude Sonnet 5
GLM-5.3
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Claude Sonnet 5 and GLM-5.3 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Claude Sonnet 5 vs GLM-5.3.