Model Comparison

GLM-5 vs Claude Sonnet 4.6

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks. GLM-5 is 3.9x cheaper per token.

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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

4 benchmarks

GLM-5 outperforms in 2 benchmarks (BrowseComp, MCP Atlas), while Claude Sonnet 4.6 is better at 2 benchmarks (SWE-Bench Verified, Terminal-Bench 2.0).

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.

Fri Apr 17 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

GLM-5 costs less

For input processing, GLM-5 ($1.00/1M tokens) is 3.0x cheaper than Claude Sonnet 4.6 ($3.00/1M tokens).

For output processing, GLM-5 ($3.20/1M tokens) is 4.7x cheaper than Claude Sonnet 4.6 ($15.00/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Claude Sonnet 4.6 is more expensive than GLM-5.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Fri Apr 17 2026 • llm-stats.com
Zhipu AI
GLM-5
Input tokens$1.00
Output tokens$3.20
Best providerUnknown Organization
Anthropic
Claude Sonnet 4.6
Input tokens$3.00
Output tokens$15.00
Best providerAnthropic
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Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Both models have the same input context window of 200,000 tokens. GLM-5 can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while Claude Sonnet 4.6 is limited to 64,000 tokens.

Zhipu AI
GLM-5
Input200,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
Anthropic
Claude Sonnet 4.6
Input200,000 tokens
Output64,000 tokens
Fri Apr 17 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Claude Sonnet 4.6 supports multimodal inputs, whereas GLM-5 does not.

Claude Sonnet 4.6 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

GLM-5

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Claude Sonnet 4.6

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

GLM-5 is licensed under MIT, while Claude Sonnet 4.6 uses a proprietary license.

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

GLM-5

MIT

Open weights

Claude Sonnet 4.6

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GLM-5 was released on 2026-02-11, while Claude Sonnet 4.6 was released on 2026-02-17.

Claude Sonnet 4.6 is 0 month newer than GLM-5.

GLM-5

Feb 11, 2026

2 months ago

Claude Sonnet 4.6

Feb 17, 2026

1 months ago

6d newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.

Unable to compare the recency of their training data.

No cutoff dates available

Provider Availability

GLM-5 is available from ZAI. Claude Sonnet 4.6 is available from Anthropic.

GLM-5

z logo
Unknown Organization
Input Price:Input: $1.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $3.20/1M

Claude Sonnet 4.6

anthropic logo
Anthropic
Input Price:Input: $3.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $15.00/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

Zhipu AI
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights
Higher BrowseComp score (75.9% vs 74.7%)
Higher MCP Atlas score (67.8% vs 61.3%)
Anthropic
Supports multimodal inputs
Higher SWE-Bench Verified score (79.6% vs 77.8%)
Higher Terminal-Bench 2.0 score (59.1% vs 56.2%)

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Zhipu AI
GLM-5
Anthropic
Claude Sonnet 4.6

FAQ

Common questions about GLM-5 vs Claude Sonnet 4.6

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks. GLM-5 is made by Zhipu AI and Claude Sonnet 4.6 is made by Anthropic. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.
GLM-5 scores t2-bench: 89.7%, SWE-Bench Verified: 77.8%, BrowseComp: 75.9%, MCP Atlas: 67.8%, Terminal-Bench 2.0: 56.2%. Claude Sonnet 4.6 scores Tau2 Telecom: 97.9%, Tau2 Retail: 91.7%, GPQA: 89.9%, MMMLU: 89.3%, SWE-Bench Verified: 79.6%.
GLM-5 is 3.0x cheaper for input tokens. GLM-5 costs $1.00/M input and $3.20/M output via z. Claude Sonnet 4.6 costs $3.00/M input and $15.00/M output via anthropic.
GLM-5 supports 200K tokens and Claude Sonnet 4.6 supports 200K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.
Key differences include input pricing ($1.00 vs $3.00/M), multimodal support (no vs yes), licensing (MIT vs Proprietary). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.
GLM-5 is developed by Zhipu AI and Claude Sonnet 4.6 is developed by Anthropic.