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Gemini 3.6 Flash vs GLM-5.3-Flash

Gemini 3.6 Flash and GLM-5.3-Flash are closely matched at 43.4 and 50.3 on the LLM Stats Score. GLM-5.3-Flash is 12.6x cheaper per token.

Google · Zhipu AI · Updated for 2026

Which is better?

Gemini 3.6 Flash and GLM-5.3-Flash are closely matched on the overall LLM Stats Score at 43.4 and 50.3.

In the 3 individual benchmarks reported for both models, GLM-5.3-Flash wins 3; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.

On price, GLM-5.3-Flash is roughly 12.6x 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 Gemini 3.6 Flash

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

Choose GLM-5.3-Flash

  • your work emphasizes agents — it leads those capability indexes
  • you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 3 of 3 exact shared results
  • cost matters — it's about 12.6x 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.

Gemini 3.6 Flash
Google
GLM-5.3-Flash
Zhipu AI
Core performance indexes
LLM Stats Score
43.4
#38
50.3
#17
Reasoning
40.1
#53
49.0
#16
Coding
29.1
#54
34.5
#32
Agents
27.9
#41
37.2
#13
Cost, coverage & limits
Benchmark wins
0 of 3
3 of 3
Input price
$1.50 / M
$0.15 / M
Output price
$7.50 / M
$0.50 / M
Context window
1,048,576
1,048,576

Capability indexes

Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks

2 shared
Index
Gemini 3.6 Flash
GLM-5.3-Flash
Vision
31.9#23
31.7#24
Multimodal
33.3#18
31.4#26
Conservative TrueSkill rating · higher is betterHow scores work

Individual benchmarks

7 reported for Gemini 3.6 Flash · 15 for GLM-5.3-Flash

3 shared

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

GLM-5.3-Flash shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

Fri Sep 11 2026 • llm-stats.com

Human preference

Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

GLM-5.3-Flash costs less

For input processing, Gemini 3.6 Flash ($1.50/1M tokens) is 10.0x more expensive than GLM-5.3-Flash ($0.15/1M tokens).

For output processing, Gemini 3.6 Flash ($7.50/1M tokens) is 15.0x more expensive than GLM-5.3-Flash ($0.50/1M tokens).

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

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Fri Sep 11 2026 • llm-stats.com
Google
Gemini 3.6 Flash
Input tokens$1.50
Output tokens$7.50
Best providerGoogle
Zhipu AI
GLM-5.3-Flash
Input tokens$0.15
Output tokens$0.50
Best providerDeepinfra
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-Flash can generate longer responses up to 1,048,576 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-Flash
Input1,048,576 tokens
Output1,048,576 tokens
Fri Sep 11 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input capabilities

Documented input modalities across available providers

Both Gemini 3.6 Flash and GLM-5.3-Flash support multimodal inputs.

They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.

Gemini 3.6 Flash

Text
Images
Audio
Video

GLM-5.3-Flash

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Gemini 3.6 Flash is licensed under a proprietary license, while GLM-5.3-Flash uses MIT.

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

Gemini 3.6 Flash

Proprietary

Closed source

GLM-5.3-Flash

MIT

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Gemini 3.6 Flash was released on 2026-07-21, while GLM-5.3-Flash was released on 2026-08-26.

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

Gemini 3.6 Flash

Jul 21, 2026

1 months ago

GLM-5.3-Flash

Aug 26, 2026

2 weeks ago

1mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Gemini 3.6 Flash has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-03-31, while GLM-5.3-Flash'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-Flash's cutoff date.

Gemini 3.6 Flash

Mar 2026

GLM-5.3-Flash

—

Provider Availability

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

Gemini 3.6 Flash

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

GLM-5.3-Flash

deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.15/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.50/1M
friendli logo
FriendliAI
Input Price:Input: $0.15/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.50/1M
novita logo
Novita
Input Price:Input: $0.15/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.50/1M
z logo
Unknown Organization
Input Price:Input: $0.15/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.50/1M
* 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-Flash side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Gemini 3.6 Flash
✓ Preferred
GLM-5.3-Flash
Open in Playground

FAQ

Common questions about Gemini 3.6 Flash vs GLM-5.3-Flash.

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

Gemini 3.6 Flash and GLM-5.3-Flash are closely matched on the LLM Stats Score at 43.4 and 50.3. Gemini 3.6 Flash is made by Google and GLM-5.3-Flash is made by Zhipu AI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their capability indexes, individual benchmarks, pricing, and limits above.

How does Gemini 3.6 Flash compare to GLM-5.3-Flash 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-Flash scores CharXiv-R: 89.4%, Terminal-Bench 2.1: 84.3%, MMVU: 80.5%, Toolathlon: 78.4%, Chartography: 78.0%.

Is Gemini 3.6 Flash cheaper than GLM-5.3-Flash?

GLM-5.3-Flash is 10.0x cheaper for input tokens. Gemini 3.6 Flash costs $1.50/M input and $7.50/M output via google. GLM-5.3-Flash costs $0.15/M input and $0.50/M output via deepinfra.

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

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

Key differences include LLM Stats Score (43.4 vs 50.3), input pricing ($1.50 vs $0.15/M), licensing (Proprietary vs MIT). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Gemini 3.6 Flash and GLM-5.3-Flash?

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

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