Model Comparison

Grok 4.5 vs GLM-5.1Which is better in 2026?

Grok 4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GLM-5.1 is 1.4x cheaper per token.

Verdict: Grok 4.5 vs GLM-5.1 — which is better?

Grok 4.5 (by xAI) and GLM-5.1 (by Zhipu AI) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.

Grok 4.5 outperforms in 3 benchmarks (GDPval-AA, GPQA, SWE-Bench Pro), while GLM-5.1 is better at 0 benchmarks. Grok 4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, GLM-5.1 is roughly 1.4x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Grok 4.5 also accepts a larger context window (500,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose Grok 4.5 if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 3 of 3 shared benchmarks
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 500,000 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026

Choose GLM-5.1 if…

  • cost matters — it's about 1.4x cheaper per token
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

3 benchmarks

Grok 4.5 outperforms in 3 benchmarks (GDPval-AA, GPQA, SWE-Bench Pro), while GLM-5.1 is better at 0 benchmarks.

Grok 4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Fri Jul 17 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

GLM-5.1 costs less

For input processing, Grok 4.5 ($2.00/1M tokens) is 1.4x more expensive than GLM-5.1 ($1.40/1M tokens).

For output processing, Grok 4.5 ($6.00/1M tokens) is 1.4x more expensive than GLM-5.1 ($4.40/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Grok 4.5 is more expensive than GLM-5.1.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Fri Jul 17 2026 • llm-stats.com
xAI
Grok 4.5
Input tokens$2.00
Output tokens$6.00
Best providerxAI
Zhipu AI
GLM-5.1
Input tokens$1.40
Output tokens$4.40
Best providerFriendliAI
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Grok 4.5 accepts 500,000 input tokens compared to GLM-5.1's 200,000 tokens. Only GLM-5.1 specifies output context (128,000 tokens).

xAI
Grok 4.5
Input500,000 tokens
Output- tokens
Zhipu AI
GLM-5.1
Input200,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
Fri Jul 17 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Grok 4.5 supports multimodal inputs, whereas GLM-5.1 does not.

Grok 4.5 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

Grok 4.5

Text
Images
Audio
Video

GLM-5.1

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Grok 4.5 is licensed under a proprietary license, while GLM-5.1 uses MIT.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

Grok 4.5

Proprietary

Closed source

GLM-5.1

MIT

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Grok 4.5 was released on 2026-07-08, while GLM-5.1 was released on 2026-04-07.

Grok 4.5 is 3 months newer than GLM-5.1.

Grok 4.5

Jul 8, 2026

1 weeks ago

3mo newer
GLM-5.1

Apr 7, 2026

3 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

Grok 4.5 is available from xAI. GLM-5.1 is available from FriendliAI, ZAI.

Grok 4.5

xai logo
xAI
Input Price:Input: $2.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $6.00/1M

GLM-5.1

friendli logo
FriendliAI
Input Price:Input: $1.40/1MOutput Price:Output: $4.40/1M
z logo
Unknown Organization
Input Price:Input: $1.40/1MOutput Price:Output: $4.40/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

xAI
Larger context window (500,000 tokens)
Supports multimodal inputs
Higher GDPval-AA score (51.4% vs 42.7%)
Higher GPQA score (93.0% vs 86.2%)
Higher SWE-Bench Pro score (64.7% vs 58.4%)
Zhipu AI
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Grok 4.5 and GLM-5.1 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Grok 4.5
✓ Preferred
GLM-5.1
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
xAI
Grok 4.5
Zhipu AI
GLM-5.1

FAQ

Common questions about Grok 4.5 vs GLM-5.1.

Which is better, Grok 4.5 or GLM-5.1?

Grok 4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Grok 4.5 is made by xAI and GLM-5.1 is made by Zhipu AI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Grok 4.5 compare to GLM-5.1 in benchmarks?

Grok 4.5 scores GPQA: 93.0%, Terminal-Bench 2.1: 83.3%, Artificial Analysis Coding Agent Index v1.1: 76.0%, SWE-Bench Pro: 64.7%, AA-Omniscience Index: 63.0%. GLM-5.1 scores Vending-Bench 2: 100.0%, AIME 2026: 95.3%, HMMT 2025: 94.0%, GPQA: 86.2%, IMO-AnswerBench: 83.8%.

Is Grok 4.5 cheaper than GLM-5.1?

GLM-5.1 is 1.4x cheaper for input tokens. Grok 4.5 costs $2.00/M input and $6.00/M output via xai. GLM-5.1 costs $1.40/M input and $4.40/M output via friendli.

What are the context window sizes for Grok 4.5 and GLM-5.1?

Grok 4.5 supports 500K tokens and GLM-5.1 supports 200K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between Grok 4.5 and GLM-5.1?

Key differences include context window (500K vs 200K), input pricing ($2.00 vs $1.40/M), multimodal support (yes vs no), licensing (Proprietary vs MIT). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Grok 4.5 and GLM-5.1?

Grok 4.5 is developed by xAI and GLM-5.1 is developed by Zhipu AI.

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