Prices › Hot models › GLM
GLM API pricing, free access & setup
As of 2026-10-17, we track 6 GLM models (Zhipu GLM (Z.ai)). The cheapest is GLM-5.3 Flash: ¥0.8 / ¥2.8 per 1M input/output tokens via the official API (blended $0.194). On OpenRouter's weekly ranking (as of 2026-10-16) the GLM family routed about 17.9T tokens, #2 among our 10 hot families. 2 verified free/deal routes are listed.
Conclusions & evidence
| Topic | Conclusion | Channel | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Cheapest overall: GLM-5.3 Flash, ¥0.8 / ¥2.8 per 1M input/output | Official (China) | open.bigmodel.cn | 2026-10-17 12:16 UTC+8 |
| Region | Mainland direct: yes | Official (China) | docs.bigmodel.cn | 2026-10-17 |
| Payment | Alipay: yes; overseas card: not required | Official (China) | docs.bigmodel.cn | 2026-10-17 |
| Real-name | ID verification: required | Official (China) | docs.bigmodel.cn | 2026-10-17 |
| Region | Mainland direct: yes; provider region limits unverified (GLM-5.3 Flash) | OpenRouter | our test | 2026-10-17 |
| Payment | Alipay: yes; overseas card: not required | OpenRouter | verified | 2026-10-17 |
| Real-name | ID verification: not required | OpenRouter | verified | 2026-10-17 |
Each conclusion is tied to one channel, one source link and a check time; “verified” means checked by the site owner, conclusion only.
Last updated: 2026-10-17 · Zhipu GLM (Z.ai) · Official pricing
Contents: Evidence · Prices · Free & deals · China · Setup · Benchmark · Changes · FAQ
GLM API prices, all channels (per 1M tokens)
| Model | Channel | Blended | Input | Output | Cached | This channel | Native | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GLM-5.3 Flash | Official (China) | $0.194 | $0.119 | $0.418 | $0.034 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✓ID✗Intl card | ¥0.8 / ¥2.8 | open.bigmodel.cn 2026-10-17 |
| GLM-5.3 Flash | OpenRouter | $0.237 | $0.15 | $0.5 | $0.03 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | $0.15 / $0.5 | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
| GLM-5.3 FlashX | OpenRouter | $0.59 | $0.37 | $1.25 | $0.09 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | $0.37 / $1.25 | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
| GLM-5V Turbo | OpenRouter | $1.9 | $1.2 | $4 | $0.24 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | $1.2 / $4 | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
| GLM-5.3 | Official (China) | $1.94 | $1.19 | $4.18 | $0.299 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✓ID✗Intl card | ¥8 / ¥28 | open.bigmodel.cn 2026-10-17 |
| GLM-5.3 | OpenRouter | $2.15 | $1.4 | $4.4 | $0.26 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | $1.4 / $4.4 | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
| GLM-5.2 | Official (China) | $1.94 | $1.19 | $4.18 | $0.299 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✓ID✗Intl card | ¥8 / ¥28 | open.bigmodel.cn 2026-10-17 |
| GLM-5.2 | OpenRouter | $2.15 | $1.4 | $4.4 | $0.26 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | $1.4 / $4.4 | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
| GLM-5.3 Prime | OpenRouter | $4.3 | $2.8 | $8.8 | $0.56 | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | $2.8 / $8.8 | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
Blended = 0.75×input + 0.25×output. Relay prices not yet tracked. Methodology
How to use GLM for free & current deals
| Details | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
GLM-4.7-Flash (200K ctx) and GLM-4.6V-Flash are free (input, output, cache)
| active | official link 2026-10-17 |
OpenCode (official account): GLM 5.3 Flash is now free in OpenCode
Sign in to the OpenCode console, get an API key and call the model id; whether free models need credits first is not stated. | active | official link 2026-10-17 |
All free LLM APIs → · Submit a deal
Using GLM from China
| Channel | Access & payment | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official (China) | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✓ID✗Intl card | Zhipu GLM (Z.ai) China platform: Zhipu top-up agreement: topping up requires a real-name-verified account; payment via Alipay and WeChat (calling the API itself does not require real-name, per FAQ). | docs.bigmodel.cn 2026-10-17 |
| OpenRouter | ✓CN direct✓Alipay✗ID✗Intl card | OpenRouter: no ID verification required; Alipay accepted, as are major credit cards and USDC, so no overseas card is needed. Mainland access: our 2026-10-17 test from Shanghai China Unicom (IPv4+IPv6, no proxy) reached the site and API; other ISPs not tested. The Terms say some model providers bar certain countries/regions, and such Restricted Models may not be accessed through OpenRouter. Whether this model provider restricts mainland China or other regions: no explicit official statement found (?). | openrouter.ai 2026-10-17 |
Use GLM in Claude Code / Codex / OpenCode / CC Switch
Check official docs for model IDs. Source
Claude Code · Codex · OpenCode · CC Switch · Cline
GLM benchmarks & popularity
| Model | Intelligence | Coding | Agentic | AA variant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GLM-5.3 Flash | 41.8 | 71.5 | 50.9 | GLM-5.3-Flash |
| GLM-5V Turbo | 23.5 | — | — | GLM 5V Turbo (Reasoning) |
| GLM-5.3 | 44.8 | 74.8 | 53.1 | GLM-5.3 (Max) |
| GLM-5.2 | 33.7 | 68.8 | 38.4 | GLM-5.2 (Max) |
Source: Artificial Analysis indices as shown in the Benchmarks section of OpenRouter rankings, fetched 2026-10-17; higher is better; test variant in the last column. Models not listed have no score from this source. openrouter.ai/rankings · artificialanalysis.ai
OpenRouter weekly ranking (tokens)
- #3
z-ai/glm-5.3-flash-20260826· 12.7T tokens - #9
z-ai/glm-5.3-20260816· 5.2T tokens
Source: OpenRouter (openrouter.ai/rankings), as of 2026-10-16; reflects OpenRouter routing volume only. openrouter.ai/rankings
GLM price changes
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · GLM-5.2 cached: $0.14 → $0.26 (OpenRouter basis change: model list price → Z.AI (original vendor); not a provider price change)
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · GLM-5.2 output: $2.42 → $4.4 (OpenRouter basis change: model list price → Z.AI (original vendor); not a provider price change)
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · GLM-5.2 input: $0.62 → $1.4 (OpenRouter basis change: model list price → Z.AI (original vendor); not a provider price change)
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · GLM-5.3 cached: $0.078 → $0.26 (OpenRouter basis change: model list price → Z.AI (original vendor); not a provider price change)
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · GLM-5.3 output: $4.8 → $4.4 (OpenRouter basis change: model list price → Z.AI (original vendor); not a provider price change)
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · GLM-5.3 input: $0.079 → $1.4 (OpenRouter basis change: model list price → Z.AI (original vendor); not a provider price change)
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · GLM-5.3 Flash cached: $0.018 → $0.03 (The host behind the OpenRouter list price changed (third-party Morph → original vendor Z.AI); not a provider price change; now priced on the original-vendor endpoint basis)
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · GLM-5.3 Flash output: $0.65 → $0.5 (The host behind the OpenRouter list price changed (third-party Morph → original vendor Z.AI); not a provider price change; now priced on the original-vendor endpoint basis)
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · GLM-5.3 Flash input: $0.049 → $0.15 (The host behind the OpenRouter list price changed (third-party Morph → original vendor Z.AI); not a provider price change; now priced on the original-vendor endpoint basis)
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · GLM-5.3 Flash cached: $0.0096 → $0.018 (Aligned with the raw OpenRouter API value (old record did not match the API at 2026-10-17 03:44 UTC))
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · GLM-5.3 Flash output: $0.2 → $0.65 (Aligned with the raw OpenRouter API value (old record did not match the API at 2026-10-17 03:44 UTC))
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · GLM-5.3 Flash input: $0.0156 → $0.049 (Aligned with the raw OpenRouter API value (old record did not match the API at 2026-10-17 03:44 UTC))
- 2026-10-17 · Official (China) · GLM-5.2 listed · ¥8 / ¥28
- 2026-10-17 · Official (China) · GLM-5.3 Flash listed · ¥0.8 / ¥2.8
- 2026-10-17 · Official (China) · GLM-5.3 listed · ¥8 / ¥28
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · GLM-5V Turbo listed · $1.2 / $4
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · GLM-5.3 FlashX listed · $0.37 / $1.25
- 2026-10-17 · OpenRouter · GLM-5.2 listed · $0.62 / $2.42
GLM vs others
Kimi K3 vs GLM-5.3 · GLM-5.3 vs Qwen3.8 Max (0902) · GLM-5.3 Flash vs Qwen3.8 Flash ·
FAQ
How much does the GLM API cost?
As of 2026-10-17, the cheapest is GLM-5.3 Flash at ¥0.8 / ¥2.8 per 1M input/output tokens (Official (China)). See the table for all models, each with a source.
What is the official GLM-5.3 Flash price?
Official (Official (China)): ¥0.8 / ¥2.8 per 1M input/output tokens, cached ¥0.23, verified 2026-10-17.
What is the official GLM-5.3 price?
Official (Official (China)): ¥8 / ¥28 per 1M input/output tokens, cached ¥2, verified 2026-10-17.
Is the GLM API free?
2 verified free/deal routes: GLM-4.7-Flash (200K ctx) and GLM-4.6V-Flash are free (input, output, cache); OpenCode (official account): GLM 5.3 Flash is now free in OpenCode.
Can I use GLM from mainland China?
Official (China): direct yes, Alipay yes, ID required yes, overseas card no; OpenRouter: direct yes, Alipay yes, ID required no, overseas card no. Conditions are verified per channel; sources and check times are in the Conclusions & evidence table.
How do I use GLM in Claude Code?
We have not verified an Anthropic-compatible endpoint for Zhipu GLM (Z.ai).
How does GLM score on benchmarks?
Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index (via OpenRouter rankings, 2026-10-17): GLM-5.3 Flash 41.8, GLM-5V Turbo 23.5, GLM-5.3 44.8, GLM-5.2 33.7.
How do I use GLM in Codex CLI?
To be verified: Codex only supports the Responses API; support by Zhipu GLM (Z.ai) or OpenRouter is not yet verified.
How popular is GLM?
On OpenRouter's weekly ranking (as of 2026-10-16) the GLM family routed ~17.9T tokens. This reflects OpenRouter routing volume only.
Are there cheaper alternatives to GLM?
See the home table sorted by blended price and our cheapest-LLM-API ranking.
Other hot models
DeepSeek · Step (StepFun) · Hunyuan / HY (Tencent) · MiMo (Xiaomi) · Claude · GPT (OpenAI) · Kimi (Moonshot) · Gemini · Qwen ·