GLM-5.3 vs Llama 3.1 405B Instruct
GLM-5.3 leads the LLM Stats Score 49.9 to 14.2. Llama 3.1 405B Instruct is 2.1x cheaper per token.
Zhipu AI · Meta · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
GLM-5.3 leads the overall LLM Stats Score 49.9 to 14.2, ranking #22 overall.
On price, Llama 3.1 405B Instruct is roughly 2.1x 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 (1,048,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose GLM-5.3
- overall performance matters — it scores 49.9 and ranks #22 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning and coding — it leads those capability indexes
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2026
Choose Llama 3.1 405B Instruct
- cost matters — it's about 2.1x cheaper per token
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
17 reported for GLM-5.3 · 18 for Llama 3.1 405B Instruct
GLM-5.3 and Llama 3.1 405B Instructdon't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GLM-5.3 ($1.20/1M tokens) is 1.3x more expensive than Llama 3.1 405B Instruct ($0.89/1M tokens).
For output processing, GLM-5.3 ($4.00/1M tokens) is 4.5x more expensive than Llama 3.1 405B Instruct ($0.89/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GLM-5.3 is more expensive than Llama 3.1 405B Instruct.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
GLM-5.3 has 348.0B more parameters than Llama 3.1 405B Instruct, making it 85.9% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GLM-5.3 accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to Llama 3.1 405B Instruct's 128,000 tokens. GLM-5.3 can generate longer responses up to 1,048,576 tokens, while Llama 3.1 405B Instruct is limited to 128,000 tokens.
License
Usage and distribution terms
GLM-5.3 is licensed under GLM-5.3 License, while Llama 3.1 405B Instruct uses Llama 3.1 Community License.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
GLM-5.3 License
Open weights
Llama 3.1 Community License
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
GLM-5.3 was released on 2026-08-14, while Llama 3.1 405B Instruct was released on 2024-07-23.
GLM-5.3 is 25 months newer than Llama 3.1 405B Instruct.
Aug 14, 2026
3 months ago
2.1yr newerJul 23, 2024
2.3 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-5.3 is available from DeepInfra, FriendliAI, Novita, ZAI. Llama 3.1 405B Instruct is available from Lambda, DeepInfra, Fireworks, Bedrock, Together, Hyperbolic, Google, Replicate.
GLM-5.3
Llama 3.1 405B Instruct
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GLM-5.3 and Llama 3.1 405B Instruct side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about GLM-5.3 vs Llama 3.1 405B Instruct.