Gemini 3.5 Flash vs GLM-5.3
GLM-5.3 leads the LLM Stats Score 53.6 to 43.0. GLM-5.3 is 1.6x cheaper per token.
Google · Zhipu AI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
GLM-5.3 leads the overall LLM Stats Score 53.6 to 43.0, ranking #9 overall.
In the 3 individual benchmarks reported for both models, GLM-5.3 wins 3; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, GLM-5.3 is roughly 1.6x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Gemini 3.5 Flash also accepts a larger context window (1,048,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Gemini 3.5 Flash
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
Choose GLM-5.3
- overall performance matters — it scores 53.6 and ranks #9 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning and coding — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 3 of 3 exact shared results
- cost matters — it's about 1.6x 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
16 reported for Gemini 3.5 Flash · 17 for GLM-5.3
Gemini 3.5 Flash outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while GLM-5.3 is better at 3 benchmarks (DeepSWE 1.1, Humanity's Last Exam, 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, Gemini 3.5 Flash ($1.50/1M tokens) is 1.1x more expensive than GLM-5.3 ($1.40/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemini 3.5 Flash ($9.00/1M tokens) is 2.0x more expensive than GLM-5.3 ($4.40/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Gemini 3.5 Flash 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
Gemini 3.5 Flash accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to GLM-5.3's 1,000,000 tokens. GLM-5.3 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Gemini 3.5 Flash is limited to 65,536 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Gemini 3.5 Flash supports multimodal inputs, whereas GLM-5.3 does not.
Gemini 3.5 Flash can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
Gemini 3.5 Flash
GLM-5.3
License
Usage and distribution terms
Gemini 3.5 Flash 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
Gemini 3.5 Flash was released on 2026-05-19, while GLM-5.3 was released on 2026-08-14.
GLM-5.3 is 3 months newer than Gemini 3.5 Flash.
May 19, 2026
3 months ago
Aug 14, 2026
3 weeks ago
2mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemini 3.5 Flash has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-01-31, while GLM-5.3's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Gemini 3.5 Flash's training data extends to 2026-01-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without GLM-5.3's cutoff date.
Jan 2026
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Provider Availability
Gemini 3.5 Flash is available from Google. GLM-5.3 is available from FriendliAI, Novita, ZAI.
Gemini 3.5 Flash
GLM-5.3
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Gemini 3.5 Flash and GLM-5.3 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Gemini 3.5 Flash vs GLM-5.3.