text model comparison
Gemini 3.8 Flash vs GLM-5.3-Flash
Gemini 3.8 Flash and GLM-5.3-Flash are both current text models, from Google and Z.ai. GLM-5.3-Flash is 80% cheaper per 1M input tokens than Gemini 3.8 Flash, $0.15 vs $0.75. On Arena Text, Gemini 3.8 Flash scores 1497 Elo and GLM-5.3-Flash 1475 Elo (Arena, measured October 8, 2026). Both accept about 1.05M tokens of context (1,048,576 and 1,000,000).
Data verified October 13, 2026 · Dataset 2026-10-13
Side by side
Standard-tier prices in effect today. The better value in each row is highlighted.
| Fact | Gemini 3.8 Flash | GLM-5.3-Flash |
|---|---|---|
| Price per 1M input tokens | $0.75 | $0.15 (better) |
| Price per 1M output tokens | $3.75 | $0.50 (better) |
| Cost of 10M input and 2M output tokens | $15 | $2.50 (better) |
| Arena Text | 1497 Elo (#5 of 49) (better) | 1475 Elo (#21 of 49) |
| GPQA Diamond | 95.4% (#3 of 40) (better) | 90.2% (#27 of 40) |
| FrontierMath Tiers 1-3 (v2) | 68.4% (#22 of 40) (better) | 55.8% (#31 of 40) |
| SimpleQA Verified | 69.7% (#7 of 36) | Not measured |
| Provider | Z.ai | |
| Release date | September 2, 2026 | August 26, 2026 |
| Access | API only | API and open weights |
| Context window | 1,048,576 tokens | 1,000,000 tokens |
| Max output | 65,536 tokens | 128,000 tokens |
| Input | text, image, audio, video | text, image, video |
| Output | text | text |
When to choose each
Gemini 3.8 Flash
Best for
- High-volume agentic and coding workloads where per-token cost dominates the decision
- Multimodal pipelines that need audio, video and PDF input in one model
Watch out for
- The listed price is promotional and ends 31 December 2026; on 1 January 2027 input and output both double, to $1.50 and $7.50, and cached input goes from $0.075 to $0.15
- Output pricing is billed inclusive of thinking tokens, so reasoning-heavy prompts cost more than the output length suggests
- Google’s published comparisons are against its own previous Flash release and were not independently reproduced here
GLM-5.3-Flash
Best for
- Low-cost coding from screenshots or screen recordings
- Document and research agents on a budget
Watch out for
- Thinking cannot be disabled
- A faster GLM-5.3-FlashX is a separate model id at $0.37 input and $1.25 output per 1M tokens
Gemini 3.8 Flash vs GLM-5.3-Flash FAQ
Which is cheaper, Gemini 3.8 Flash or GLM-5.3-Flash?
GLM-5.3-Flash is 80% cheaper per 1M input tokens than Gemini 3.8 Flash, $0.15 vs $0.75. For 10M input and 2M output tokens, Gemini 3.8 Flash costs $15 and GLM-5.3-Flash $2.50 at standard rates.
Which scores higher on independent benchmarks, Gemini 3.8 Flash or GLM-5.3-Flash?
Gemini 3.8 Flash leads on Arena Text, 1497 Elo to 1475 Elo; Gemini 3.8 Flash leads on GPQA Diamond, 95.4% to 90.2%; Gemini 3.8 Flash leads on FrontierMath Tiers 1-3 (v2), 68.4% to 55.8%. Scores are independent evaluations, not either vendor's launch figures.
Which has the larger context window, Gemini 3.8 Flash or GLM-5.3-Flash?
Both accept about 1.05M tokens of context (1,048,576 and 1,000,000).
Can I run Gemini 3.8 Flash or GLM-5.3-Flash myself?
GLM-5.3-Flash is released as open weights you can run yourself; Gemini 3.8 Flash is available through its provider's API only.
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Production evaluation
Choosing between Gemini 3.8 Flash and GLM-5.3-Flash?
Public benchmarks narrow the shortlist. We run both on your own tasks, data and cost limits, then build the routing and review controls to run the winner in production.
- A head-to-head evaluation on your real workload
- Routing between models by cost and difficulty