Model Comparison
GLM-5 vs GPT-4Which is better in 2026?
Comparing GLM-5 and GPT-4 across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.
Verdict: GLM-5 vs GPT-4 — which is better?
GLM-5 (by Zhipu AI) and GPT-4 (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.
On price, GLM-5 is roughly 24.2x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GLM-5 also accepts a larger context window (200,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose GLM-5 if…
- cost matters — it's about 24.2x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 200,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Feb 2026
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose GPT-4 if…
- you want predictable pricing at $30.00/M input and $60.00/M output
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GLM-5 and GPT-4 don't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GLM-5 ($1.00/1M tokens) is 30.0x cheaper than GPT-4 ($30.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, GLM-5 ($3.20/1M tokens) is 18.8x cheaper than GPT-4 ($60.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-4 is more expensive than GLM-5.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GLM-5 accepts 200,000 input tokens compared to GPT-4's 32,768 tokens. GLM-5 can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while GPT-4 is limited to 32,768 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
GPT-4 supports multimodal inputs, whereas GLM-5 does not.
GPT-4 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GLM-5
GPT-4
License
Usage and distribution terms
GLM-5 is licensed under MIT, while GPT-4 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-5 was released on 2026-02-11, while GPT-4 was released on 2023-06-13.
GLM-5 is 32 months newer than GPT-4.
Feb 11, 2026
3 months ago
2.7yr newerJun 13, 2023
3.0 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-4 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2022-12-31, while GLM-5's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm GPT-4's training data extends to 2022-12-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without GLM-5's cutoff date.
—
Dec 2022
Provider Availability
GLM-5 is available from FriendliAI, ZAI. GPT-4 is available from Azure, OpenAI.
GLM-5
GPT-4
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GLM-5
View detailsZhipu AI
GPT-4
View detailsOpenAI
Detailed Comparison
FAQ
Common questions about GLM-5 vs GPT-4.