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Head-to-head comparison

GLM 4.5 Air vs GLM 5.3

GLM 4.5 Air (Z.ai) 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 19 August 2026

As of 19 August 2026, GLM 5.3 holds the stronger ModelCap Index position (#7 vs #69); GLM 4.5 Air is 5.2× cheaper per output token ($0.85/1M vs $4.40/1M); GLM 5.3 offers the longer context window (1M vs 131K tokens); and GLM 4.5 Air ships open weights.

Which should you choose?

Choose GLM 4.5 Air if…

  • API cost matters — $0.85/1M output tokens against $4.40/1M, about 5.2× cheaper.
  • your workload is prompt-heavy — input tokens cost $0.13/1M against $1.40/1M.
  • you want to self-host: GLM 4.5 Air ships open weights while GLM 5.3 is api only.
  • you want provider choice — 3 listed API providers against 1.

Choose GLM 5.3 if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #7 against #69 (78.4 vs 37.2 points).
  • you need the longer context window — 1M tokens against 131K.
  • Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index is your yardstick — 59.5 against 16.7.
  • you want the more recently listed model — GLM 5.3 was listed 18 August 2026, GLM 4.5 Air 25 July 2025.

GLM 4.5 Air vs GLM 5.3: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of GLM 4.5 Air and GLM 5.3
FieldGLM 4.5 AirZ.aiGLM 5.3Z.ai
ModelCap Index position#69#7
Index score37.278.4
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokens$0.13$1.40
Output price / 1M tokens$0.85$4.40
Context window131K tokens1M tokens
Max output tokens98K131K
API providers listed31
Weight accessOpen weightsAPI only
Input modalitiesTextText
First listed25 July 202518 August 2026
PublisherZ.aiZ.ai

Evidence: 3 public benchmark observations across 3 boards · 1 public benchmark observation across 1 board. Prices are the lowest listed API offer per million tokens observed on the OpenRouter catalogue.

Benchmark scores: GLM 4.5 Air vs GLM 5.3

Public benchmark boards where GLM 4.5 Air or GLM 5.3 has a published result
BoardGLM 4.5 AirGLM 5.3Leads
Arena codingArena (LMArena)14261419–1434—Only one result
Artificial Analysis Intelligence IndexArtificial Analysis16.7intelligence-index59.5intelligence-indexGLM 5.3

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.

GLM 4.5 Air vs GLM 5.3: common questions

Is GLM 4.5 Air better than GLM 5.3?

GLM 5.3 ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 19 August 2026: #7 against #69. 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.

Is GLM 4.5 Air cheaper than GLM 5.3?

GLM 4.5 Air is cheaper on output tokens: $0.85/1M against $4.40/1M. Input tokens are $0.13/1M for GLM 4.5 Air and $1.40/1M for GLM 5.3. Prices are the lowest listed API offer ModelCap observed, in USD per million tokens.

Which has the bigger context window, GLM 4.5 Air or GLM 5.3?

GLM 5.3 has the larger context window: 1M tokens against 131K.

Which is better for coding, GLM 4.5 Air or GLM 5.3?

The two models do not share a coding benchmark board on ModelCap yet, so no head-to-head coding score is published; the ModelCap Index position is the closest overall signal.

Are GLM 4.5 Air and GLM 5.3 open-weight models?

GLM 4.5 Air: Open weights. GLM 5.3: API only. Open weights mean the checkpoint can be downloaded and self-hosted under its licence; API-only models are available solely through hosted endpoints.

Where can I run GLM 4.5 Air and GLM 5.3?

ModelCap currently lists 3 API providers for GLM 4.5 Air and 1 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 GLM 4.5 Air vs GLM 5.3 comparison?

Every figure comes from the sealed ModelCap dataset published 19 August 2026; the page re-renders within a minute of each data refresh, and the ModelCap Index positions are the same ones shown on the live rankings.

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