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Gemini 3.6 Flash vs GLM-5.3

GLM-5.3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GLM-5.3 is 1.4x cheaper per token.

Google · Zhipu AI · Updated for 2026

Which is better?

Gemini 3.6 Flash outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while GLM-5.3 is better at 2 benchmarks (DeepSWE 1.1, Terminal-Bench 2.1). GLM-5.3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, GLM-5.3 is roughly 1.4x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Based on current benchmark, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.

Choose Gemini 3.6 Flash

  • you want predictable pricing at $1.50/M input and $7.50/M output

Choose GLM-5.3

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 2 shared benchmarks
  • cost matters — it's about 1.4x cheaper per token
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2026

At a glance

The differences that matter most.

Gemini 3.6 Flash
Google
GLM-5.3
Zhipu AI
Benchmark wins
0 of 2
2 of 2
Input price
$1.50 / M
$1.40 / M
Output price
$7.50 / M
$4.40 / M
Context window
1,048,576
1,048,576
Released
Jul 2026
Aug 2026
License
Proprietary
Unknown

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

2 benchmarks

Gemini 3.6 Flash outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while GLM-5.3 is better at 2 benchmarks (DeepSWE 1.1, Terminal-Bench 2.1).

GLM-5.3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Wed Aug 26 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Playground indexes and blind preference scores

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

GLM-5.3 costs less

For input processing, Gemini 3.6 Flash ($1.50/1M tokens) is 1.1x more expensive than GLM-5.3 ($1.40/1M tokens).

For output processing, Gemini 3.6 Flash ($7.50/1M tokens) is 1.7x more expensive than GLM-5.3 ($4.40/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Gemini 3.6 Flash is more expensive than GLM-5.3.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Wed Aug 26 2026 • llm-stats.com
Google
Gemini 3.6 Flash
Input tokens$1.50
Output tokens$7.50
Best providerGoogle
Zhipu AI
GLM-5.3
Input tokens$1.40
Output tokens$4.40
Best providerNovita
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 1,048,576 tokens. GLM-5.3 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Gemini 3.6 Flash is limited to 65,536 tokens.

Google
Gemini 3.6 Flash
Input1,048,576 tokens
Output65,536 tokens
Zhipu AI
GLM-5.3
Input1,048,576 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Wed Aug 26 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Gemini 3.6 Flash supports multimodal inputs, whereas GLM-5.3 does not.

Gemini 3.6 Flash can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

Gemini 3.6 Flash

Text
Images
Audio
Video

GLM-5.3

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Gemini 3.6 Flash was released on 2026-07-21, while GLM-5.3 was released on 2026-08-14.

GLM-5.3 is 1 month newer than Gemini 3.6 Flash.

Gemini 3.6 Flash

Jul 21, 2026

1 months ago

GLM-5.3

Aug 14, 2026

1 weeks ago

3w newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Gemini 3.6 Flash has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-03-31, while GLM-5.3's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Gemini 3.6 Flash's training data extends to 2026-03-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without GLM-5.3's cutoff date.

Gemini 3.6 Flash

Mar 2026

GLM-5.3

—

Provider Availability

Gemini 3.6 Flash is available from Google. GLM-5.3 is available from Novita, ZAI.

Gemini 3.6 Flash

google logo
Google
Input Price:Input: $1.50/1MOutput Price:Output: $7.50/1M

GLM-5.3

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

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Gemini 3.6 Flash and GLM-5.3 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Gemini 3.6 Flash
✓ Preferred
GLM-5.3
Open in Playground

FAQ

Common questions about Gemini 3.6 Flash vs GLM-5.3.

Which is better, Gemini 3.6 Flash or GLM-5.3?

GLM-5.3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Gemini 3.6 Flash is made by Google and GLM-5.3 is made by Zhipu AI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Gemini 3.6 Flash compare to GLM-5.3 in benchmarks?

Gemini 3.6 Flash scores CharXiv-R: 89.4%, OSWorld-Verified: 83.0%, Terminal-Bench 2.1: 78.0%, MLE-Bench: 63.9%, SWE-Bench Pro: 58.7%. GLM-5.3 scores Terminal-Bench 2.1: 88.2%, CyberGym: 84.5%, FrontierSWE: 78.1%, Toolathlon: 73.0%, DeepSWE 1.1: 66.9%.

Is Gemini 3.6 Flash cheaper than GLM-5.3?

GLM-5.3 is 1.1x cheaper for input tokens. Gemini 3.6 Flash costs $1.50/M input and $7.50/M output via google. GLM-5.3 costs $1.40/M input and $4.40/M output via novita.

What are the context window sizes for Gemini 3.6 Flash and GLM-5.3?

Gemini 3.6 Flash supports 1.0M tokens and GLM-5.3 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 3.6 Flash and GLM-5.3?

Key differences include input pricing ($1.50 vs $1.40/M), multimodal support (yes vs no), licensing (Proprietary vs Unknown). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Gemini 3.6 Flash and GLM-5.3?

Gemini 3.6 Flash is developed by Google and GLM-5.3 is developed by Zhipu AI.

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