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ModelCap

Head-to-head comparison

GLM 4.6V vs GLM 5.3

GLM 4.6V (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 #77); GLM 4.6V is 4.9× cheaper per output token ($0.90/1M vs $4.40/1M); GLM 5.3 offers the longer context window (1M vs 131K tokens); and GLM 4.6V ships open weights.

Which should you choose?

Choose GLM 4.6V if…

  • API cost matters — $0.90/1M output tokens against $4.40/1M, about 4.9× cheaper.
  • your workload is prompt-heavy — input tokens cost $0.30/1M against $1.40/1M.
  • you want to self-host: GLM 4.6V ships open weights while GLM 5.3 is api only.
  • you want provider choice — 2 listed API providers against 1.

Choose GLM 5.3 if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #7 against #77 (78.4 vs 33.5 points).
  • you need the longer context window — 1M tokens against 131K.
  • Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index is your yardstick — 59.5 against 10.9.
  • you want the more recently listed model — GLM 5.3 was listed 18 August 2026, GLM 4.6V 8 December 2025.

GLM 4.6V vs GLM 5.3: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of GLM 4.6V and GLM 5.3
FieldGLM 4.6VZ.aiGLM 5.3Z.ai
ModelCap Index position#77#7
Index score33.578.4
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokens$0.30$1.40
Output price / 1M tokens$0.90$4.40
Context window131K tokens1M tokens
Max output tokens33K131K
API providers listed21
Weight accessOpen weightsAPI only
Input modalitiesImage, Text, VideoText
First listed8 December 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 4.6V vs GLM 5.3

Public benchmark boards where GLM 4.6V or GLM 5.3 has a published result
BoardGLM 4.6VGLM 5.3Leads
Arena codingArena (LMArena)14171392–1442—Only one result
Artificial Analysis Intelligence IndexArtificial Analysis10.9intelligence-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 4.6V vs GLM 5.3: common questions

Is GLM 4.6V better than GLM 5.3?

GLM 5.3 ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 19 August 2026: #7 against #77. 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 4.6V cheaper than GLM 5.3?

GLM 4.6V is cheaper on output tokens: $0.90/1M against $4.40/1M. Input tokens are $0.30/1M for GLM 4.6V 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 4.6V or GLM 5.3?

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

Which is better for coding, GLM 4.6V 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 4.6V and GLM 5.3 open-weight models?

GLM 4.6V: 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 4.6V and GLM 5.3?

ModelCap currently lists 2 API providers for GLM 4.6V 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 4.6V 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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