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GLM-5.3 vs Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning

Comparing GLM-5.3 and Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Zhipu AI · xAI · Updated for 2026

Which is better?

GLM-5.3 and Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning trade strengths across price, capabilities, and technical limits. The better choice depends on the workload.

On price, Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning is roughly 7.8x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning also accepts a larger context window (2,000,000 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

  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2026

Choose Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning

  • cost matters — it's about 7.8x cheaper per token
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 2,000,000 token context window

At a glance

The differences that matter most.

GLM-5.3
Zhipu AI
Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning
xAI
Benchmark wins
—
—
Input price
$1.40 / M
$0.20 / M
Output price
$4.40 / M
$0.50 / M
Context window
1,000,000
2,000,000
Released
Aug 2026
Nov 2025
License
Unknown
Proprietary

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

GLM-5.3 and Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoningdon'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

Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning costs less

For input processing, GLM-5.3 ($1.40/1M tokens) is 7.0x more expensive than Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning ($0.20/1M tokens).

For output processing, GLM-5.3 ($4.40/1M tokens) is 8.8x more expensive than Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning ($0.50/1M tokens).

In conclusion, GLM-5.3 is more expensive than Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Mon Aug 24 2026 • llm-stats.com
Zhipu AI
GLM-5.3
Input tokens$1.40
Output tokens$4.40
Best providerUnknown Organization
xAI
Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning
Input tokens$0.20
Output tokens$0.50
Best providerxAI
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning accepts 2,000,000 input tokens compared to GLM-5.3's 1,000,000 tokens. GLM-5.3 can generate longer responses up to 128,000 tokens, while Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning is limited to 30,000 tokens.

Zhipu AI
GLM-5.3
Input1,000,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
xAI
Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning
Input2,000,000 tokens
Output30,000 tokens
Mon Aug 24 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning supports multimodal inputs, whereas GLM-5.3 does not.

Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

GLM-5.3

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GLM-5.3 was released on 2026-08-14, while Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning was released on 2025-11-17.

GLM-5.3 is 9 months newer than Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning.

GLM-5.3

Aug 14, 2026

1 weeks ago

9mo newer
Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning

Nov 17, 2025

9 months 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-5.3 is available from ZAI. Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning is available from xAI.

GLM-5.3

z logo
Unknown Organization
Input Price:Input: $1.40/1MOutput Price:Output: $4.40/1M

Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning

xai logo
xAI
Input Price:Input: $0.20/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.50/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against GLM-5.3 and Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

GLM-5.3
✓ Preferred
Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning
Open in Playground

FAQ

Common questions about GLM-5.3 vs Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning.

Which is better, GLM-5.3 or Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning?

GLM-5.3 (Zhipu AI) and Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning (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-5.3 compare to Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning in benchmarks?

GLM-5.3 scores Terminal-Bench 2.1: 88.2%, CyberGym: 84.5%, FrontierSWE: 78.1%, Toolathlon: 73.0%, DeepSWE 1.1: 66.9%.

Is GLM-5.3 cheaper than Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning?

Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning is 7.0x cheaper for input tokens. GLM-5.3 costs $1.40/M input and $4.40/M output via z. Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning costs $0.20/M input and $0.50/M output via xai.

What are the context window sizes for GLM-5.3 and Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning?

GLM-5.3 supports 1.0M tokens and Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning supports 2.0M tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between GLM-5.3 and Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning?

Key differences include context window (1.0M vs 2.0M), input pricing ($1.40 vs $0.20/M), multimodal support (no vs yes), licensing (Unknown vs Proprietary). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes GLM-5.3 and Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning?

GLM-5.3 is developed by Zhipu AI and Grok-4.1 Fast Reasoning is developed by xAI.

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