GLM-5.3-Flash vs Grok-4
GLM-5.3-Flash significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GLM-5.3-Flash is 25.3x cheaper per token.
Zhipu AI · xAI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
GLM-5.3-Flash outperforms in 1 benchmarks (Humanity's Last Exam), while Grok-4 is better at 0 benchmarks. GLM-5.3-Flash significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, GLM-5.3-Flash is roughly 25.3x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GLM-5.3-Flash also accepts a larger context window (1,000,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current benchmark, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose GLM-5.3-Flash
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
- cost matters — it's about 25.3x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,000,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2026
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose Grok-4
- you want predictable pricing at $3.00/M input and $15.00/M output
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GLM-5.3-Flash outperforms in 1 benchmarks (Humanity's Last Exam), while Grok-4 is better at 0 benchmarks.
GLM-5.3-Flash significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Playground indexes and blind preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GLM-5.3-Flash ($0.15/1M tokens) is 20.0x cheaper than Grok-4 ($3.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, GLM-5.3-Flash ($0.50/1M tokens) is 30.0x cheaper than Grok-4 ($15.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Grok-4 is more expensive than GLM-5.3-Flash.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GLM-5.3-Flash accepts 1,000,000 input tokens compared to Grok-4's 256,000 tokens. GLM-5.3-Flash can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Grok-4 is limited to 8,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both GLM-5.3-Flash and Grok-4 support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
GLM-5.3-Flash
Grok-4
License
Usage and distribution terms
GLM-5.3-Flash is licensed under MIT, while Grok-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-5.3-Flash was released on 2026-08-26, while Grok-4 was released on 2025-07-09.
GLM-5.3-Flash is 14 months newer than Grok-4.
Aug 26, 2026
0 days ago
1.1yr newerJul 9, 2025
1.1 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Grok-4 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-12-31, while GLM-5.3-Flash's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Grok-4's training data extends to 2024-12-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without GLM-5.3-Flash's cutoff date.
—
Dec 2024
Provider Availability
GLM-5.3-Flash is available from ZAI. Grok-4 is available from xAI.
GLM-5.3-Flash
Grok-4
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GLM-5.3-Flash and Grok-4 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about GLM-5.3-Flash vs Grok-4.