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Head-to-head comparison

GLM 5.3 vs GLM 5V Turbo

GLM 5.3 (Z.ai) and GLM 5V Turbo (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 #46); GLM 5V Turbo is cheaper per output token ($4.00/1M vs $4.40/1M); and GLM 5.3 offers the longer context window (1M vs 203K tokens).

Which should you choose?

Choose GLM 5.3 if…

  • you want the stronger overall ModelCap Index position — #11 against #46 (80.0 vs 66.9 points).
  • you need the longer context window — 1M tokens against 203K.
  • you want provider choice — 32 listed API providers against 1.
  • Arena text is your yardstick — 1479 against 1434.
  • Arena coding is your yardstick — 1521 against 1488.
  • AA Humanity's Last Exam is your yardstick — 42.3% against 17.1%.
  • you want the more recently listed model — GLM 5.3 was listed 18 August 2026, GLM 5V Turbo 1 April 2026.

Choose GLM 5V Turbo if…

  • API cost matters — $4.00/1M output tokens against $4.40/1M.
  • your workload is prompt-heavy — input tokens cost $1.20/1M against $1.40/1M.

GLM 5.3 vs GLM 5V Turbo: specs, pricing and context

Specification comparison of GLM 5.3 and GLM 5V Turbo
FieldGLM 5.3Z.aiGLM 5V TurboZ.ai
ModelCap Index position#11#46
Index score80.066.9
EvidenceMeasuredMeasured
Input price / 1M tokens$1.40$1.20
Output price / 1M tokens$4.40$4.00
Context window1M tokens203K tokens
Declared route output cap131K131K
API providers listed321
Weight accessRestricted licenseNo linked weights
Input modalitiesTextImage, Text, Video
First listed18 August 20261 April 2026
PublisherZ.aiZ.ai

Evidence: 4 public benchmark observations across 4 boards · 2 public benchmark observations across 2 boards. Prices are the lowest listed API offer per million tokens observed on the OpenRouter catalogue.

Benchmark scores: GLM 5.3 vs GLM 5V Turbo

Public benchmark boards where GLM 5.3 or GLM 5V Turbo has a published result
BoardGLM 5.3GLM 5V TurboLeads
Arena textArena (LMArena)14791474–1485Max14341427–1440Not reportedGLM 5.3
Arena codingArena (LMArena)15211512–1531Max14881477–1499GLM 5.3
LMArena AgentLMArena2.6%1.9%–3.3%Max—Only one result
AA Intelligence IndexArtificial Analysis44.8Max—Only one result
AA Terminal-Bench 2.1Artificial Analysis83.9%Max—Only one result
AA τ²-Bench TelecomArtificial Analysis—98.5%ReasoningOnly one result
AA Humanity's Last ExamArtificial Analysis42.3%Max17.1%ReasoningGLM 5.3
Terminal-Bench 4.0Terminal-Bench (Laude Institute)41.8%38.6%–45.1%Claude Code · Max—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.

GLM 5.3 vs GLM 5V Turbo: common questions

Is GLM 5.3 better than GLM 5V Turbo?

GLM 5.3 ranks higher on the ModelCap Index as of 2 October 2026: #11 against #46. 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 do not overlap, but the aggregate Index does not predict performance on every task; compare the relevant benchmark configurations before choosing.

Is GLM 5.3 cheaper than GLM 5V Turbo?

GLM 5V Turbo is cheaper on output tokens: $4.00/1M against $4.40/1M. Input tokens are $1.40/1M for GLM 5.3 and $1.20/1M for GLM 5V Turbo. 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 $5.00 for GLM 5.3 versus $4.40 for GLM 5V Turbo. GLM 5V Turbo costs 12.0% 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, GLM 5.3 or GLM 5V Turbo?

GLM 5.3 has the larger context window: 1M tokens against 203K. 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, GLM 5.3 or GLM 5V Turbo?

Arena coding: GLM 5.3 1521, GLM 5V Turbo 1488 — GLM 5.3 leads.

Are GLM 5.3 and GLM 5V Turbo open-weight models?

GLM 5.3: Restricted license. GLM 5V Turbo: No linked weights. 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 GLM 5.3 and GLM 5V Turbo?

ModelCap currently lists 32 API providers for GLM 5.3 and 1 for GLM 5V Turbo, from the OpenRouter catalogue snapshot the site serves; each model page lists the providers and their prices.

How current is this GLM 5.3 vs GLM 5V Turbo 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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