Model Comparison

GLM-5 vs GPT-4.1Which is better in 2026?

GLM-5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GLM-5 is 2.3x cheaper per token.

Verdict: GLM-5 vs GPT-4.1 — which is better?

GLM-5 (by Zhipu AI) and GPT-4.1 (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-5 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (SWE-Bench Verified), while GPT-4.1 is better at 0 benchmarks. GLM-5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, GLM-5 is roughly 2.3x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

GPT-4.1 also accepts a larger context window (1,047,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose GLM-5 if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
  • cost matters — it's about 2.3x cheaper per token
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Feb 2026
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Choose GPT-4.1 if…

  • you process long inputs — it offers a 1,047,576 token context window
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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

1 benchmarks

GLM-5 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (SWE-Bench Verified), while GPT-4.1 is better at 0 benchmarks.

GLM-5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Sat Jun 06 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 2.0x cheaper than GPT-4.1 ($2.00/1M tokens).

For output processing, GLM-5 ($3.20/1M tokens) is 2.5x cheaper than GPT-4.1 ($8.00/1M tokens).

In conclusion, GPT-4.1 is more expensive than GLM-5.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Sat Jun 06 2026 • llm-stats.com
Zhipu AI
GLM-5
Input tokens$1.00
Output tokens$3.20
Best providerFriendliAI
OpenAI
GPT-4.1
Input tokens$2.00
Output tokens$8.00
Best providerOpenAI
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

GPT-4.1 accepts 1,047,576 input tokens compared to GLM-5's 200,000 tokens. GLM-5 can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while GPT-4.1 is limited to 32,768 tokens.

Zhipu AI
GLM-5
Input200,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
OpenAI
GPT-4.1
Input1,047,576 tokens
Output32,768 tokens
Sat Jun 06 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

GPT-4.1 supports multimodal inputs, whereas GLM-5 does not.

GPT-4.1 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

GLM-5

Text
Images
Audio
Video

GPT-4.1

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

GLM-5 is licensed under MIT, while GPT-4.1 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

GPT-4.1

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GLM-5 was released on 2026-02-11, while GPT-4.1 was released on 2025-04-14.

GLM-5 is 10 months newer than GPT-4.1.

GLM-5

Feb 11, 2026

3 months ago

10mo newer
GPT-4.1

Apr 14, 2025

1.1 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

GPT-4.1 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-06-01, while GLM-5's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm GPT-4.1's training data extends to 2024-06-01, but cannot make a direct comparison without GLM-5's cutoff date.

GLM-5

—

GPT-4.1

Jun 2024

Provider Availability

GLM-5 is available from FriendliAI, ZAI. GPT-4.1 is available from OpenAI.

GLM-5

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

GPT-4.1

openai logo
OpenAI
Input Price:Input: $2.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $8.00/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

Zhipu AI
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights
Higher SWE-Bench Verified score (77.8% vs 54.6%)
OpenAI
Larger context window (1,047,576 tokens)
Supports multimodal inputs
Zhipu AIGLM-5
OpenAIGPT-4.1
Compare in Playground

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Zhipu AI
GLM-5
OpenAI
GPT-4.1

FAQ

Common questions about GLM-5 vs GPT-4.1.

Which is better, GLM-5 or GPT-4.1?

GLM-5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GLM-5 is made by Zhipu AI and GPT-4.1 is made by OpenAI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does GLM-5 compare to GPT-4.1 in benchmarks?

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%. GPT-4.1 scores MMLU: 90.2%, CharXiv-D: 87.9%, IFEval: 87.4%, MMMLU: 87.3%, MMMU: 74.8%.

Is GLM-5 cheaper than GPT-4.1?

GLM-5 is 2.0x cheaper for input tokens. GLM-5 costs $1.00/M input and $3.20/M output via friendli. GPT-4.1 costs $2.00/M input and $8.00/M output via openai.

What are the context window sizes for GLM-5 and GPT-4.1?

GLM-5 supports 200K tokens and GPT-4.1 supports 1.0M tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between GLM-5 and GPT-4.1?

Key differences include context window (200K vs 1.0M), input pricing ($1.00 vs $2.00/M), multimodal support (no vs yes), licensing (MIT vs Proprietary). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes GLM-5 and GPT-4.1?

GLM-5 is developed by Zhipu AI and GPT-4.1 is developed by OpenAI.

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