Model Comparison

GLM-5 vs Nova LiteWhich is better in 2026?

Comparing GLM-5 and Nova Lite across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Verdict: GLM-5 vs Nova Lite — which is better?

GLM-5 (by Zhipu AI) and Nova Lite (by Amazon) 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, Nova Lite is roughly 14.8x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Nova Lite also accepts a larger context window (300,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose GLM-5 if…

  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Feb 2026
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Choose Nova Lite if…

  • cost matters — it's about 14.8x cheaper per token
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 300,000 token context window
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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

GLM-5 and Nova Lite 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

Nova Lite costs less

For input processing, GLM-5 ($1.00/1M tokens) is 16.7x more expensive than Nova Lite ($0.06/1M tokens).

For output processing, GLM-5 ($3.20/1M tokens) is 13.3x more expensive than Nova Lite ($0.24/1M tokens).

In conclusion, GLM-5 is more expensive than Nova Lite.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Sun Jun 07 2026 • llm-stats.com
Zhipu AI
GLM-5
Input tokens$1.00
Output tokens$3.20
Best providerFriendliAI
Amazon
Nova Lite
Input tokens$0.06
Output tokens$0.24
Best providerAWS Bedrock
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Nova Lite accepts 300,000 input tokens compared to GLM-5's 200,000 tokens. GLM-5 can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while Nova Lite is limited to 2,048 tokens.

Zhipu AI
GLM-5
Input200,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
Amazon
Nova Lite
Input300,000 tokens
Output2,048 tokens
Sun Jun 07 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Nova Lite supports multimodal inputs, whereas GLM-5 does not.

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

GLM-5

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Nova Lite

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

GLM-5 is licensed under MIT, while Nova Lite 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

Nova Lite

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GLM-5 was released on 2026-02-11, while Nova Lite was released on 2024-11-20.

GLM-5 is 15 months newer than Nova Lite.

GLM-5

Feb 11, 2026

3 months ago

1.2yr newer
Nova Lite

Nov 20, 2024

1.5 years ago

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. Nova Lite is available from Bedrock.

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

Nova Lite

bedrock logo
AWS Bedrock
Input Price:Input: $0.06/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.24/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

Zhipu AI
Has open weights
Amazon
Larger context window (300,000 tokens)
Supports multimodal inputs
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Zhipu AI
GLM-5
Amazon
Nova Lite

FAQ

Common questions about GLM-5 vs Nova Lite.

Which is better, GLM-5 or Nova Lite?

GLM-5 (Zhipu AI) and Nova Lite (Amazon) 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 Nova Lite 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%. Nova Lite scores GSM8k: 94.5%, ARC-C: 92.4%, DocVQA: 92.4%, IFEval: 89.7%, Translation en→Set1 COMET22: 88.8%.

Is GLM-5 cheaper than Nova Lite?

Nova Lite is 16.7x cheaper for input tokens. GLM-5 costs $1.00/M input and $3.20/M output via friendli. Nova Lite costs $0.06/M input and $0.24/M output via bedrock.

What are the context window sizes for GLM-5 and Nova Lite?

GLM-5 supports 200K tokens and Nova Lite supports 300K 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 Nova Lite?

Key differences include context window (200K vs 300K), input pricing ($1.00 vs $0.06/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 Nova Lite?

GLM-5 is developed by Zhipu AI and Nova Lite is developed by Amazon.

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