Model Comparison
GLM-5 vs Qwen3 30B A3BWhich is better in 2026?
Comparing GLM-5 and Qwen3 30B A3B across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.
Verdict: GLM-5 vs Qwen3 30B A3B — which is better?
GLM-5 (by Zhipu AI) and Qwen3 30B A3B (by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team) 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, Qwen3 30B A3B is roughly 10.3x 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…
- you process long inputs — it offers a 200,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Feb 2026
Choose Qwen3 30B A3B if…
- cost matters — it's about 10.3x cheaper per token
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GLM-5 and Qwen3 30B A3B 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 10.0x more expensive than Qwen3 30B A3B ($0.10/1M tokens).
For output processing, GLM-5 ($3.20/1M tokens) is 10.7x more expensive than Qwen3 30B A3B ($0.30/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GLM-5 is more expensive than Qwen3 30B A3B.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
GLM-5 has 713.5B more parameters than Qwen3 30B A3B, making it 2339.3% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GLM-5 accepts 200,000 input tokens compared to Qwen3 30B A3B's 128,000 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 128,000 tokens.
License
Usage and distribution terms
GLM-5 is licensed under MIT, while Qwen3 30B A3B uses Apache 2.0.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
MIT
Open weights
Apache 2.0
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
GLM-5 was released on 2026-02-11, while Qwen3 30B A3B was released on 2025-04-29.
GLM-5 is 10 months newer than Qwen3 30B A3B.
Feb 11, 2026
3 months ago
9mo newerApr 29, 2025
1.1 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
GLM-5 is available from FriendliAI, ZAI. Qwen3 30B A3B is available from DeepInfra, Novita, Fireworks.
GLM-5
Qwen3 30B A3B
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GLM-5
View detailsZhipu AI
Qwen3 30B A3B
View detailsAlibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about GLM-5 vs Qwen3 30B A3B.