GLM-5.3 vs Qwen3.8 Max
GLM-5.3 and Qwen3.8 Max are closely matched at 53.6 and 52.1 on the LLM Stats Score. GLM-5.3 is 1.2x cheaper per token.
Zhipu AI · Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
GLM-5.3 and Qwen3.8 Max are closely matched on the overall LLM Stats Score at 53.6 and 52.1.
In the 8 individual benchmarks reported for both models, GLM-5.3 wins 7; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, GLM-5.3 is roughly 1.2x 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 LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose GLM-5.3
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 7 of 8 exact shared results
- cost matters — it's about 1.2x 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
Choose Qwen3.8 Max
- you want predictable pricing at $1.65/M input and $4.95/M output
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 · 42 for Qwen3.8 Max
GLM-5.3 outperforms in 7 benchmarks (AutomationBench, DeepSWE 1.1, FrontierSWE, Humanity's Last Exam, NL2Repo, Terminal-Bench 2.1, Toolathlon), while Qwen3.8 Max is better at 1 benchmark (Agents' Last Exam).
GLM-5.3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GLM-5.3 ($1.40/1M tokens) is 1.2x cheaper than Qwen3.8 Max ($1.65/1M tokens).
For output processing, GLM-5.3 ($4.40/1M tokens) is 1.1x cheaper than Qwen3.8 Max ($4.95/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Qwen3.8 Max is more expensive than GLM-5.3.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
Qwen3.8 Max has 1647.0B more parameters than GLM-5.3, making it 218.7% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
GLM-5.3 accepts 1,000,000 input tokens compared to Qwen3.8 Max's 256,000 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 131,072 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Qwen3.8 Max supports multimodal inputs, whereas GLM-5.3 does not.
Qwen3.8 Max can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
GLM-5.3
Qwen3.8 Max
License
Usage and distribution terms
GLM-5.3 is licensed under GLM-5.3 License, while Qwen3.8 Max uses Qwen3.8-Max License.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
GLM-5.3 License
Open weights
Qwen3.8-Max License
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
GLM-5.3 was released on 2026-08-14, while Qwen3.8 Max was released on 2026-08-02.
GLM-5.3 is 0 month newer than Qwen3.8 Max.
Aug 14, 2026
3 weeks ago
1w newerAug 2, 2026
1 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 is available from FriendliAI, Novita, ZAI. Qwen3.8 Max is available from DeepInfra, Fireworks, Novita, Together.
GLM-5.3
Qwen3.8 Max
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GLM-5.3 and Qwen3.8 Max side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about GLM-5.3 vs Qwen3.8 Max.