Model Comparison
GLM-4.5 vs Grok-3 MiniWhich is better in 2026?
Grok-3 Mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Grok-3 Mini is 2.0x cheaper per token.
Verdict: GLM-4.5 vs Grok-3 Mini — which is better?
GLM-4.5 (by Zhipu AI) and Grok-3 Mini (by xAI) 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.
GLM-4.5 outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Grok-3 Mini is better at 3 benchmarks (AIME 2024, GPQA, LiveCodeBench). Grok-3 Mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Grok-3 Mini is roughly 2.0x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GLM-4.5 also accepts a larger context window (131,072 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose GLM-4.5 if…
- you process long inputs — it offers a 131,072 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2025
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose Grok-3 Mini if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 3 of 3 shared benchmarks
- cost matters — it's about 2.0x cheaper per token
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GLM-4.5 outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Grok-3 Mini is better at 3 benchmarks (AIME 2024, GPQA, LiveCodeBench).
Grok-3 Mini significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GLM-4.5 ($0.40/1M tokens) is 1.3x more expensive than Grok-3 Mini ($0.30/1M tokens).
For output processing, GLM-4.5 ($1.60/1M tokens) is 3.2x more expensive than Grok-3 Mini ($0.50/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GLM-4.5 is more expensive than Grok-3 Mini.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GLM-4.5 accepts 131,072 input tokens compared to Grok-3 Mini's 128,000 tokens. GLM-4.5 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Grok-3 Mini is limited to 8,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Grok-3 Mini supports multimodal inputs, whereas GLM-4.5 does not.
Grok-3 Mini can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GLM-4.5
Grok-3 Mini
License
Usage and distribution terms
GLM-4.5 is licensed under MIT, while Grok-3 Mini uses a proprietary license.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
MIT
Open weights
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
GLM-4.5 was released on 2025-07-28, while Grok-3 Mini was released on 2025-02-17.
GLM-4.5 is 5 months newer than Grok-3 Mini.
Jul 28, 2025
11 months ago
5mo newerFeb 17, 2025
1.4 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Grok-3 Mini has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-11-17, while GLM-4.5's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Grok-3 Mini's training data extends to 2024-11-17, but cannot make a direct comparison without GLM-4.5's cutoff date.
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Nov 2024
Provider Availability
GLM-4.5 is available from DeepInfra, Fireworks, Novita. Grok-3 Mini is available from xAI.
GLM-4.5
Grok-3 Mini
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GLM-4.5
View detailsZhipu AI
GLM-4.5Grok-3 MiniDetailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GLM-4.5 and Grok-3 Mini side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about GLM-4.5 vs Grok-3 Mini.