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Head-to-head comparison

Gemma 4 31B vs GLM 5.3

Gemma 4 31B (Google) and GLM 5.3 (Z.ai) compared on the ModelCap Index, API price, context window, provider availability, weight access and every public benchmark board they share. Figures are the same ones shown on the live rankings; nothing here is a hidden score.

Snapshot as of 2 October 2026

As of 2 October 2026, GLM 5.3 holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#11 vs #28); Gemma 4 31B is 12.9× cheaper per output token ($0.34/1M vs $4.40/1M); GLM 5.3 offers the longer context window (1M vs 262K tokens); and Gemma 4 31B ships open weights.

Which should you choose?

Choose Gemma 4 31B if…

  • API cost matters — $0.34/1M output tokens against $4.40/1M, about 12.9× cheaper.
  • your workload is prompt-heavy — input tokens cost $0.09/1M against $1.40/1M.
  • you want to self-host: Gemma 4 31B ships open weights while GLM 5.3 is restricted license.

Choose GLM 5.3 if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #11 against #28 (80.0 vs 71.8 points).
  • you need the longer context window — 1M tokens against 262K.
  • you want provider choice — 32 listed API providers against 13.
  • Arena text is your yardstick — 1479 against 1453.
  • Arena coding is your yardstick — 1521 against 1502.
  • AA Terminal-Bench 2.1 is your yardstick — 83.9% against 29.2%.
  • AA Humanity's Last Exam is your yardstick — 42.3% against 11.8%.
  • you want the more recently listed model — GLM 5.3 was listed 18 August 2026, Gemma 4 31B 2 April 2026.

Gemma 4 31B vs GLM 5.3: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of Gemma 4 31B and GLM 5.3
FieldGemma 4 31BGoogleGLM 5.3Z.ai
ModelCap Index position#28#11
Index score71.880.0
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokens$0.09$1.40
Output price / 1M tokens$0.34$4.40
Context window262K tokens1M tokens
Declared route output cap16K131K
API providers listed1332
Weight accessOpen weightsRestricted license
Input modalitiesImage, Text, VideoText
First listed2 April 202618 August 2026
PublisherGoogleZ.ai

Evidence: 3 public benchmark observations across 3 boards · 4 public benchmark observations across 4 boards. Prices are the lowest listed API offer per million tokens observed on the OpenRouter catalogue.

Benchmark scores: Gemma 4 31B vs GLM 5.3

Public benchmark boards where Gemma 4 31B or GLM 5.3 has a published result
BoardGemma 4 31BGLM 5.3Leads
Arena textArena (LMArena)14531445–1460Not reported14791474–1485MaxGLM 5.3
Arena codingArena (LMArena)15021487–151715211512–1531MaxGLM 5.3
LMArena AgentLMArena—2.6%1.9%–3.3%MaxOnly one result
AA Intelligence IndexArtificial Analysis—44.8MaxOnly one result
AA Terminal-Bench 2.1Artificial Analysis29.2%Non-reasoning83.9%MaxGLM 5.3
AA τ²-Bench TelecomArtificial Analysis65.5%Non-reasoning—Only one result
AA Humanity's Last ExamArtificial Analysis11.8%Non-reasoning42.3%MaxGLM 5.3
Terminal-Bench 4.0Terminal-Bench (Laude Institute)—41.8%38.6%–45.1%Claude Code · MaxOnly one result
WildClawBench OpenClawWildClawBench37.6—Only one result

Scores are the sources' own published figures for each model's best evaluated configuration; ModelCap never re-runs a benchmark.

Want a different pairing? Open the interactive comparison tool to swap either model for any current ranked language model.

Gemma 4 31B vs GLM 5.3: common questions

Is Gemma 4 31B better than GLM 5.3?

GLM 5.3 ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 2 October 2026: #11 against #28. That is a capability ranking built from public benchmark evidence with published uncertainty; whether it is "better" for you also depends on price, context and where you can run it. Their published uncertainty intervals overlap, so the rank difference alone does not establish a reliable capability advantage for your workload.

Is Gemma 4 31B cheaper than GLM 5.3?

Gemma 4 31B is cheaper on output tokens: $0.34/1M against $4.40/1M. Input tokens are $0.09/1M for Gemma 4 31B and $1.40/1M for GLM 5.3. Prices are the lowest listed API offer ModelCap observed, in USD per million tokens. For 1,000 requests with 2,000 input and 500 output tokens each (2M input + 0.5M output), the listed-rate estimate is $0.35 for Gemma 4 31B versus $5.00 for GLM 5.3. Gemma 4 31B costs 93.0% less in this scenario. This excludes caching, batch discounts, prompt-length tiers, tool charges and retries; verify the selected endpoint before budgeting.

Which has the bigger context window, Gemma 4 31B or GLM 5.3?

GLM 5.3 has the larger context window: 1M tokens against 262K. OpenRouter catalogue or provider-endpoint declaration. Limits can vary by provider and prompt length; a model-wide maximum has not been independently verified.

Which is better for coding, Gemma 4 31B or GLM 5.3?

Arena coding: Gemma 4 31B 1502, GLM 5.3 1521 — GLM 5.3 leads. AA Terminal-Bench 2.1: Gemma 4 31B 29.2%, GLM 5.3 83.9% — GLM 5.3 leads.

Are Gemma 4 31B and GLM 5.3 open-weight models?

Gemma 4 31B: Open weights. GLM 5.3: Restricted license. Open weights mean the checkpoint can be downloaded and self-hosted under its licence. A missing weight link does not identify every API or chat product that offers a model.

Where can I run Gemma 4 31B and GLM 5.3?

ModelCap currently lists 13 API providers for Gemma 4 31B and 32 for GLM 5.3, from the OpenRouter catalogue snapshot the site serves; each model page lists the providers and their prices.

How current is this Gemma 4 31B vs GLM 5.3 comparison?

Every figure and ModelCap Index position comes from the same published snapshot dated 2 October 2026. Publication and page updates happen separately; use the snapshot date shown on the page.

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