Model Comparison

GLM-5 vs Grok 4.5Which is better in 2026?

Comparing GLM-5 and Grok 4.5 across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Verdict: GLM-5 vs Grok 4.5 — which is better?

GLM-5 (by Zhipu AI) and Grok 4.5 (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.

On price, GLM-5 is roughly 1.9x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Grok 4.5 also accepts a larger context window (500,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose GLM-5 if…

  • cost matters — it's about 1.9x cheaper per token
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Choose Grok 4.5 if…

  • you process long inputs — it offers a 500,000 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

GLM-5 and Grok 4.5don'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

GLM-5 costs less

For input processing, GLM-5 ($1.00/1M tokens) is 2.0x cheaper than Grok 4.5 ($2.00/1M tokens).

For output processing, GLM-5 ($3.20/1M tokens) is 1.9x cheaper than Grok 4.5 ($6.00/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Grok 4.5 is more expensive than GLM-5.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Fri Jul 17 2026 • llm-stats.com
Zhipu AI
GLM-5
Input tokens$1.00
Output tokens$3.20
Best providerFriendliAI
xAI
Grok 4.5
Input tokens$2.00
Output tokens$6.00
Best providerxAI
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Grok 4.5 accepts 500,000 input tokens compared to GLM-5's 200,000 tokens. Only GLM-5 specifies output context (128,000 tokens).

Zhipu AI
GLM-5
Input200,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
xAI
Grok 4.5
Input500,000 tokens
Output- tokens
Fri Jul 17 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Grok 4.5 supports multimodal inputs, whereas GLM-5 does not.

Grok 4.5 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

GLM-5

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Grok 4.5

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

GLM-5 is licensed under MIT, while Grok 4.5 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

Grok 4.5

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GLM-5 was released on 2026-02-11, while Grok 4.5 was released on 2026-07-08.

Grok 4.5 is 5 months newer than GLM-5.

GLM-5

Feb 11, 2026

5 months ago

Grok 4.5

Jul 8, 2026

1 weeks ago

4mo 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 FriendliAI, ZAI. Grok 4.5 is available from xAI.

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

Grok 4.5

xai logo
xAI
Input Price:Input: $2.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $6.00/1M
* 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
xAI
Larger context window (500,000 tokens)
Supports multimodal inputs

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against GLM-5 and Grok 4.5 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

GLM-5
✓ Preferred
Grok 4.5
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Zhipu AI
GLM-5
xAI
Grok 4.5

FAQ

Common questions about GLM-5 vs Grok 4.5.

Which is better, GLM-5 or Grok 4.5?

GLM-5 (Zhipu AI) and Grok 4.5 (xAI) each have strengths in different areas. Compare their benchmark scores, pricing, context windows, and capabilities above to determine which fits your needs.

How does GLM-5 compare to Grok 4.5 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%. Grok 4.5 scores GPQA: 93.0%, Terminal-Bench 2.1: 83.3%, Artificial Analysis Coding Agent Index v1.1: 76.0%, SWE-Bench Pro: 64.7%, AA-Omniscience Index: 63.0%.

Is GLM-5 cheaper than Grok 4.5?

GLM-5 is 2.0x cheaper for input tokens. GLM-5 costs $1.00/M input and $3.20/M output via friendli. Grok 4.5 costs $2.00/M input and $6.00/M output via xai.

What are the context window sizes for GLM-5 and Grok 4.5?

GLM-5 supports 200K tokens and Grok 4.5 supports 500K 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 Grok 4.5?

Key differences include context window (200K vs 500K), 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 Grok 4.5?

GLM-5 is developed by Zhipu AI and Grok 4.5 is developed by xAI.

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