Model Comparison
DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max vs GLM-5.1Which is better in 2026?
DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max is 1.1x cheaper per token.
Verdict: DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max vs GLM-5.1 — which is better?
DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max (by DeepSeek) and GLM-5.1 (by Zhipu AI) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.
DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max outperforms in 8 benchmarks (BrowseComp, GDPval-AA, GPQA, HMMT Feb 26, IMO-AnswerBench, LiveBench, MCP Atlas, Toolathlon), while GLM-5.1 is better at 4 benchmarks (FrontierSWE, Humanity's Last Exam, SWE-Bench Pro, Terminal-Bench 2.0). DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
On price, DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max is roughly 1.1x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max also accepts a larger context window (1,048,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 8 of 12 shared benchmarks
- cost matters — it's about 1.1x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Apr 2026
Choose GLM-5.1 if…
- you want predictable pricing at $1.40/M input and $4.40/M output
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max outperforms in 8 benchmarks (BrowseComp, GDPval-AA, GPQA, HMMT Feb 26, IMO-AnswerBench, LiveBench, MCP Atlas, Toolathlon), while GLM-5.1 is better at 4 benchmarks (FrontierSWE, Humanity's Last Exam, SWE-Bench Pro, Terminal-Bench 2.0).
DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max ($1.60/1M tokens) is 1.1x more expensive than GLM-5.1 ($1.40/1M tokens).
For output processing, DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max ($3.20/1M tokens) is 1.4x cheaper than GLM-5.1 ($4.40/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GLM-5.1 is more expensive than DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max has 846.0B more parameters than GLM-5.1, making it 112.2% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to GLM-5.1's 200,000 tokens. DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while GLM-5.1 is limited to 128,000 tokens.
License
Usage and distribution terms
Both models are licensed under MIT.
Both models share the same licensing terms, providing consistent usage rights.
MIT
Open weights
MIT
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max was released on 2026-04-23, while GLM-5.1 was released on 2026-04-07.
DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max is 1 month newer than GLM-5.1.
Apr 23, 2026
2 months ago
2w newerApr 7, 2026
3 months ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max is available from Novita, DeepInfra, DeepSeek, Fireworks, Together. GLM-5.1 is available from FriendliAI, ZAI.
DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max
GLM-5.1
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max
View detailsDeepSeek
GLM-5.1
View detailsZhipu AI
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max and GLM-5.1 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about DeepSeek-V4-Pro-Max vs GLM-5.1.