GLM-5.3 vs Inkling-Small
GLM-5.3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Inkling-Small is 4.1x cheaper per token.
Zhipu AI · Thinking Machines Lab · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
GLM-5.3 outperforms in 4 benchmarks (GDPval-AA, Humanity's Last Exam, Terminal-Bench 2.1, Toolathlon), while Inkling-Small is better at 0 benchmarks. GLM-5.3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Inkling-Small is roughly 4.1x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
GLM-5.3 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
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 4 of 4 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,000,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2026
Choose Inkling-Small
- cost matters — it's about 4.1x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GLM-5.3 outperforms in 4 benchmarks (GDPval-AA, Humanity's Last Exam, Terminal-Bench 2.1, Toolathlon), while Inkling-Small is better at 0 benchmarks.
GLM-5.3 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 ($1.40/1M tokens) is 4.7x more expensive than Inkling-Small ($0.30/1M tokens).
For output processing, GLM-5.3 ($4.40/1M tokens) is 3.7x more expensive than Inkling-Small ($1.20/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GLM-5.3 is more expensive than Inkling-Small.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
GLM-5.3 has 477.0B more parameters than Inkling-Small, making it 172.8% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GLM-5.3 accepts 1,000,000 input tokens compared to Inkling-Small's 256,000 tokens. Inkling-Small can generate longer responses up to 256,000 tokens, while GLM-5.3 is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Inkling-Small supports multimodal inputs, whereas GLM-5.3 does not.
Inkling-Small can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GLM-5.3
Inkling-Small
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
GLM-5.3 was released on 2026-08-14, while Inkling-Small was released on 2026-07-30.
GLM-5.3 is 1 month newer than Inkling-Small.
Aug 14, 2026
1 weeks ago
2w newerJul 30, 2026
3 weeks 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 is available from ZAI. Inkling-Small is available from Thinking Machines Lab.
GLM-5.3
Inkling-Small
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GLM-5.3 and Inkling-Small side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about GLM-5.3 vs Inkling-Small.