Model Comparison

Gemini 3 Flash vs GLM-5.2Which is better in 2026?

GLM-5.2 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. Gemini 3 Flash is 1.9x cheaper per token.

Verdict: Gemini 3 Flash vs GLM-5.2 — which is better?

Gemini 3 Flash (by Google) and GLM-5.2 (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.

Gemini 3 Flash outperforms in 1 benchmarks (Toolathlon), while GLM-5.2 is better at 3 benchmarks (GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam, MCP Atlas). GLM-5.2 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

On price, Gemini 3 Flash is roughly 1.9x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Choose Gemini 3 Flash if…

  • cost matters — it's about 1.9x cheaper per token

Choose GLM-5.2 if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 3 of 4 shared benchmarks
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jun 2026
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

4 benchmarks

Gemini 3 Flash outperforms in 1 benchmarks (Toolathlon), while GLM-5.2 is better at 3 benchmarks (GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam, MCP Atlas).

GLM-5.2 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

Tue Jun 16 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Gemini 3 Flash costs less

For input processing, Gemini 3 Flash ($0.50/1M tokens) is 2.8x cheaper than GLM-5.2 ($1.40/1M tokens).

For output processing, Gemini 3 Flash ($3.00/1M tokens) is 1.5x cheaper than GLM-5.2 ($4.40/1M tokens).

In conclusion, GLM-5.2 is more expensive than Gemini 3 Flash.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Tue Jun 16 2026 • llm-stats.com
Google
Gemini 3 Flash
Input tokens$0.50
Output tokens$3.00
Best providerGoogle
Zhipu AI
GLM-5.2
Input tokens$1.40
Output tokens$4.40
Best providerFriendliAI
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Both models have the same input context window of 1,000,000 tokens. GLM-5.2 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Gemini 3 Flash is limited to 65,536 tokens.

Google
Gemini 3 Flash
Input1,000,000 tokens
Output65,536 tokens
Zhipu AI
GLM-5.2
Input1,000,000 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Tue Jun 16 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Gemini 3 Flash supports multimodal inputs, whereas GLM-5.2 does not.

Gemini 3 Flash can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

Gemini 3 Flash

Text
Images
Audio
Video

GLM-5.2

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Gemini 3 Flash is licensed under a proprietary license, while GLM-5.2 uses MIT.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

Gemini 3 Flash

Proprietary

Closed source

GLM-5.2

MIT

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Gemini 3 Flash was released on 2025-12-17, while GLM-5.2 was released on 2026-06-16.

GLM-5.2 is 6 months newer than Gemini 3 Flash.

Gemini 3 Flash

Dec 17, 2025

6 months ago

GLM-5.2

Jun 16, 2026

0 days ago

6mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Gemini 3 Flash has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2025-01-31, while GLM-5.2's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Gemini 3 Flash's training data extends to 2025-01-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without GLM-5.2's cutoff date.

Gemini 3 Flash

Jan 2025

GLM-5.2

—

Provider Availability

Gemini 3 Flash is available from Google. GLM-5.2 is available from FriendliAI, Novita, ZAI.

Gemini 3 Flash

google logo
Google
Input Price:Input: $0.50/1MOutput Price:Output: $3.00/1M

GLM-5.2

friendli logo
FriendliAI
Input Price:Input: $1.40/1MOutput Price:Output: $4.40/1M
novita logo
Novita
Input Price:Input: $1.40/1MOutput Price:Output: $4.40/1M
z logo
Unknown Organization
Input Price:Input: $1.40/1MOutput Price:Output: $4.40/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

Google
Supports multimodal inputs
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Higher Toolathlon score (49.4% vs 48.2%)
Zhipu AI
Has open weights
Higher GPQA score (91.2% vs 90.4%)
Higher Humanity's Last Exam score (54.7% vs 43.5%)
Higher MCP Atlas score (76.8% vs 57.4%)

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Google
Gemini 3 Flash
Zhipu AI
GLM-5.2

FAQ

Common questions about Gemini 3 Flash vs GLM-5.2.

Which is better, Gemini 3 Flash or GLM-5.2?

GLM-5.2 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. Gemini 3 Flash is made by Google and GLM-5.2 is made by Zhipu AI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Gemini 3 Flash compare to GLM-5.2 in benchmarks?

Gemini 3 Flash scores Vending-Bench 2: 100.0%, AIME 2025: 99.7%, Global PIQA: 92.8%, MMMLU: 91.8%, GPQA: 90.4%. GLM-5.2 scores AIME 2026: 99.2%, HMMT 2025: 94.4%, HMMT Feb 26: 92.5%, GPQA: 91.2%, IMO-AnswerBench: 91.0%.

Is Gemini 3 Flash cheaper than GLM-5.2?

Gemini 3 Flash is 2.8x cheaper for input tokens. Gemini 3 Flash costs $0.50/M input and $3.00/M output via google. GLM-5.2 costs $1.40/M input and $4.40/M output via friendli.

What are the context window sizes for Gemini 3 Flash and GLM-5.2?

Gemini 3 Flash supports 1.0M tokens and GLM-5.2 supports 1.0M tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between Gemini 3 Flash and GLM-5.2?

Key differences include input pricing ($0.50 vs $1.40/M), multimodal support (yes vs no), licensing (Proprietary vs MIT). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Gemini 3 Flash and GLM-5.2?

Gemini 3 Flash is developed by Google and GLM-5.2 is developed by Zhipu AI.

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