GLM-4.5-Air vs GLM-5.3
GLM-5.3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Zhipu AI · Zhipu AI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
GLM-4.5-Air outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while GLM-5.3 is better at 1 benchmark (Humanity's Last Exam). GLM-5.3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Based on current benchmark, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose GLM-4.5-Air
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose GLM-5.3
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2026
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GLM-4.5-Air outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while GLM-5.3 is better at 1 benchmark (Humanity's Last Exam).
GLM-5.3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Playground indexes and blind preference scores
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
GLM-5.3 has 647.0B more parameters than GLM-4.5-Air, making it 610.4% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Only GLM-5.3 specifies input context (1,000,000 tokens). Only GLM-5.3 specifies output context (128,000 tokens).
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
GLM-4.5-Air was released on 2025-07-28, while GLM-5.3 was released on 2026-08-14.
GLM-5.3 is 13 months newer than GLM-4.5-Air.
Jul 28, 2025
1.1 years ago
Aug 14, 2026
1 weeks ago
1.0yr newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GLM-4.5-Air and GLM-5.3 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about GLM-4.5-Air vs GLM-5.3.