Z-ai model
GLM 5.3 API cost calculator
GLM 5.3 costs $1.40 per 1M input tokens and $4.40 per 1M output tokens on the Z-ai API, with a 1.0M-token context window. A typical request (2K input, 500 output tokens) costs $0.0050 — about $150/month at 1,000 requests per day. Use the calculator below to model your exact workload.
Find me a cheaper modelWhat real workloads cost on GLM 5.3
| Workload | Tokens (in / out) | Per request | Per 1K requests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chatbot message | 500 / 300 | $0.0020 | $2.02 |
| RAG query with context | 4,000 / 500 | $0.0078 | $7.80 |
| Document summarization | 20,000 / 1,000 | $0.03 | $32.40 |
| Agent coding session | 100,000 / 5,000 | $0.16 | $162 |
GLM 5.3 vs other Z-ai models
| Model | Input /1M | Output /1M | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLM 5.3 | $1.40 | $4.40 | 1.0M |
| GLM 5.2 | $0.97 | $3.04 | 1.0M |
| GLM 5.1 | $0.97 | $3.04 | 205K |
| GLM 5V Turbo | $1.20 | $4 | 203K |
| GLM 5 Turbo | $1.20 | $4 | 203K |
Frequently asked questions
How much does GLM 5.3 cost per 1M tokens?
According to current pricing data, GLM 5.3 costs $1.40 per 1M input tokens and $4.40 per 1M output tokens. Processing 1M tokens each way costs $5.80.
What does a typical API request to GLM 5.3 cost?
A typical request with 2,000 input tokens and 500 output tokens costs $0.0050. At 1,000 requests per day that is $5.00 daily, or about $150 per month.
What is GLM 5.3's context window?
GLM 5.3 supports a 1.0M-token context window (1,048,576 tokens).
Does GLM 5.3 support prompt caching?
Yes. Cached input tokens cost $0.26 per 1M — a 81% discount versus the standard input rate, which matters for agents and chat apps that resend the same system prompt.
What is a cheaper alternative to GLM 5.3?
Ling-2.6-flash from Inclusionai is currently the cheapest comparable option at $0.01 per 1M input tokens versus $1.40 for GLM 5.3 — roughly 140x cheaper on input.
Compare all current prices on the live model pricing dashboard, see GLM 5.3 vs Ling-2.6-flash pricing, or run GLM 5.3 head-to-head against other models in the side-by-side comparison playground.
Pricing data via the OpenRouter models API.