Model Comparison
GLM-4.6 vs GPT-5 miniWhich is better in 2026?
GLM-4.6 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. GPT-5 mini is 1.3x cheaper per token.
Verdict: GLM-4.6 vs GPT-5 mini — which is better?
GLM-4.6 (by Zhipu AI) and GPT-5 mini (by OpenAI) 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-4.6 outperforms in 2 benchmarks (AIME 2025, Humanity's Last Exam), while GPT-5 mini is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA). GLM-4.6 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
On price, GPT-5 mini is roughly 1.3x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GPT-5 mini also accepts a larger context window (400,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose GLM-4.6 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 3 shared benchmarks
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Sep 2025
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose GPT-5 mini if…
- cost matters — it's about 1.3x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 400,000 token context window
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GLM-4.6 outperforms in 2 benchmarks (AIME 2025, Humanity's Last Exam), while GPT-5 mini is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA).
GLM-4.6 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GLM-4.6 ($0.55/1M tokens) is 2.2x more expensive than GPT-5 mini ($0.25/1M tokens).
For output processing, GLM-4.6 ($2.00/1M tokens) costs the same as GPT-5 mini ($2.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GLM-4.6 is more expensive than GPT-5 mini.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GPT-5 mini accepts 400,000 input tokens compared to GLM-4.6's 131,072 tokens. GLM-4.6 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while GPT-5 mini is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both GLM-4.6 and GPT-5 mini support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
GLM-4.6
GPT-5 mini
License
Usage and distribution terms
GLM-4.6 is licensed under MIT, while GPT-5 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-4.6 was released on 2025-09-30, while GPT-5 mini was released on 2025-08-07.
GLM-4.6 is 2 months newer than GPT-5 mini.
Sep 30, 2025
9 months ago
1mo newerAug 7, 2025
11 months ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-5 mini has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-05-30, while GLM-4.6's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm GPT-5 mini's training data extends to 2024-05-30, but cannot make a direct comparison without GLM-4.6's cutoff date.
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May 2024
Provider Availability
GLM-4.6 is available from Fireworks, DeepInfra. GPT-5 mini is available from OpenAI.
GLM-4.6
GPT-5 mini
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GLM-4.6
View detailsZhipu AI
GPT-5 mini
View detailsOpenAI
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GLM-4.6 and GPT-5 mini side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about GLM-4.6 vs GPT-5 mini.