text model comparison
GLM-5.3-Flash vs GPT-6 Sol
GLM-5.3-Flash and GPT-6 Sol are both current text models, from Z.ai and OpenAI. GLM-5.3-Flash is 93% cheaper per 1M input tokens than GPT-6 Sol, $0.15 vs $2. On Arena Text, GLM-5.3-Flash scores 1475 Elo and GPT-6 Sol 1456 Elo (Arena, measured October 8, 2026). GPT-6 Sol has the larger context window, 1,050,000 vs 1,000,000 tokens.
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 | GLM-5.3-Flash | GPT-6 Sol |
|---|---|---|
| Price per 1M input tokens | $0.15 (better) | $2 |
| Price per 1M output tokens | $0.50 (better) | $10 |
| Cost of 10M input and 2M output tokens | $2.50 (better) | $40 |
| Arena Text | 1475 Elo (#21 of 49) (better) | 1456 Elo (#31 of 49) |
| GPQA Diamond | 90.2% (#27 of 40) | 94.3% (#7 of 40) (better) |
| FrontierMath Tiers 1-3 (v2) | 55.8% (#31 of 40) | 89.8% (#5 of 40) (better) |
| SimpleQA Verified | Not measured | 60.7% (#14 of 36) |
| Provider | Z.ai | OpenAI |
| Release date | August 26, 2026 | September 22, 2026 |
| Access | API and open weights | API only |
| Context window | 1,000,000 tokens | 1,050,000 tokens |
| Max output | 128,000 tokens | 128,000 tokens |
| Input | text, image, video | text, image |
| Output | text | text |
When to choose each
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
GPT-6 Sol
Best for
- General production work that does not need Astra's capability or price
- Workloads kept under the 272,000-token threshold
Watch out for
- Prompts over 272,000 input tokens are rebilled for the whole request at $4 input and $15 output, so crossing the line roughly doubles input cost
- GPT-6.1 Sol lists the same base rates with half the cached-input price, so there is little reason to pick this one for a cache-heavy workload
GLM-5.3-Flash vs GPT-6 Sol FAQ
Which is cheaper, GLM-5.3-Flash or GPT-6 Sol?
GLM-5.3-Flash is 93% cheaper per 1M input tokens than GPT-6 Sol, $0.15 vs $2. For 10M input and 2M output tokens, GLM-5.3-Flash costs $2.50 and GPT-6 Sol $40 at standard rates.
Which scores higher on independent benchmarks, GLM-5.3-Flash or GPT-6 Sol?
GLM-5.3-Flash leads on Arena Text, 1475 Elo to 1456 Elo; GPT-6 Sol leads on GPQA Diamond, 94.3% to 90.2%; GPT-6 Sol leads on FrontierMath Tiers 1-3 (v2), 89.8% to 55.8%. Scores are independent evaluations, not either vendor's launch figures.
Which has the larger context window, GLM-5.3-Flash or GPT-6 Sol?
GPT-6 Sol has the larger context window, 1,050,000 vs 1,000,000 tokens.
Can I run GLM-5.3-Flash or GPT-6 Sol myself?
GLM-5.3-Flash is released as open weights you can run yourself; GPT-6 Sol is available through its provider's API only.
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Production evaluation
Choosing between GLM-5.3-Flash and GPT-6 Sol?
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