GLM-5.3-Flash vs Grok Code Fast 1
Comparing GLM-5.3-Flash and Grok Code Fast 1 across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.
Zhipu AI · xAI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
GLM-5.3-Flash and Grok Code Fast 1 trade strengths across price, capabilities, and technical limits. The better choice depends on the workload.
On price, GLM-5.3-Flash is roughly 2.2x 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 (1,048,576 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
- cost matters — it's about 2.2x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 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 Code Fast 1
- you want predictable pricing at $0.20/M input and $1.50/M output
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GLM-5.3-Flash and Grok Code Fast 1don't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.
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 1.3x cheaper than Grok Code Fast 1 ($0.20/1M tokens).
For output processing, GLM-5.3-Flash ($0.50/1M tokens) is 3.0x cheaper than Grok Code Fast 1 ($1.50/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Grok Code Fast 1 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 1,048,576 input tokens compared to Grok Code Fast 1's 256,000 tokens. GLM-5.3-Flash can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Grok Code Fast 1 is limited to 10,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
GLM-5.3-Flash supports multimodal inputs, whereas Grok Code Fast 1 does not.
GLM-5.3-Flash can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GLM-5.3-Flash
Grok Code Fast 1
License
Usage and distribution terms
GLM-5.3-Flash is licensed under MIT, while Grok Code Fast 1 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 Code Fast 1 was released on 2025-08-28.
GLM-5.3-Flash is 12 months newer than Grok Code Fast 1.
Aug 26, 2026
0 days ago
12mo newerAug 28, 2025
12 months 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-5.3-Flash is available from DeepInfra, Novita, ZAI. Grok Code Fast 1 is available from xAI.
GLM-5.3-Flash
Grok Code Fast 1
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GLM-5.3-Flash and Grok Code Fast 1 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about GLM-5.3-Flash vs Grok Code Fast 1.