Kimi K3 vs GLM-5.3: API price comparison (2026)
As of 2026-10-17, By blended price, GLM-5.3 is cheaper — about 3.1× less. Kimi K3: ¥20 / ¥100 (Official (China)); GLM-5.3: ¥8 / ¥28 (Official (China)), per 1M input/output tokens.
 Kimi K3 |  GLM-5.3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Blended | $5.97 | $1.94 |
| Cheapest channel | Official (China) | Official (China) |
| AA Intelligence | 43.6 | 44.8 |
| Context | 1M | 1M |
| China usability | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✓ID✗Intl card Official (China) | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✓ID✗Intl card Official (China) |
Kimi K3
| Channel | Blended | Input | Output | Cached | Access & payment (this channel) | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official (China) ¥20 / ¥100 | $5.97 | $2.99 | $14.93 | $0.299 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✓ID✗Intl card conditions source2026-10-17 | 缓存写入 ¥20（TTL 5min）/ ¥40（1h） models.dev ✓ | platform.moonshot.cn 2026-10-17 |
| Official (Intl) $3 / $15 | $6 | $3 | $15 | $0.3 | ?CN direct·unverified?Alipay·unverified?ID·unverified?Intl card·unverified | Cache write $3.00 (TTL 5min) / $6.00 (TTL 1h) models.dev ✓ | platform.moonshot.ai 2026-10-17 |
| OpenRouter $3 / $15 | $6 | $3 | $15 | $0.3 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card conditions source2026-10-17 | Original vendor endpoint: Moonshot AI Quantized min $0.504 / $8.1 (fp4, Sail Research) Licensed cloud alternative: Amazon Bedrock $3 / $15 | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
GLM-5.3
| Channel | Blended | Input | Output | Cached | Access & payment (this channel) | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Official (China) ¥8 / ¥28 | $1.94 | $1.19 | $4.18 | $0.299 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✓ID✗Intl card conditions source2026-10-17 | models.dev ✓ | open.bigmodel.cn 2026-10-17 |
| OpenRouter $1.4 / $4.4 | $2.15 | $1.4 | $4.4 | $0.26 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card conditions source2026-10-17 | Original vendor endpoint: Z.AI Quantized min $0.55 / $1.505 (fp4, Inceptron) | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
Kimi (Moonshot) hub · GLM (Zhipu) hub ·
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Kimi K3 or GLM-5.3?
As of 2026-10-17, By blended price, GLM-5.3 is cheaper — about 3.1× less. Kimi K3: ¥20 / ¥100 (Official (China)); GLM-5.3: ¥8 / ¥28 (Official (China)), per 1M input/output tokens.
What are the context windows of Kimi K3 and GLM-5.3?
Kimi K3: 1M; GLM-5.3: 1M.
Can I use Kimi K3 and GLM-5.3 directly from mainland China?
Kimi K3（Official (China)）direct yes, Alipay yes; GLM-5.3（Official (China)）direct yes, Alipay yes. Via each cheapest channel.
Which is stronger, Kimi K3 or GLM-5.3?
Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index (via OpenRouter rankings, 2026-10-17): Kimi K3 43.6, GLM-5.3 44.8.
How much can I save switching between them?
Blended (0.75×in+0.25×out): Kimi K3 $5.97 vs GLM-5.3 $1.94, a difference of $4.03 per 1M tokens.