Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 17, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, GLM-5.3 delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,558 vs 1,518), while GLM-5.3 leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (76.4%), while GLM-5.3 is more budget-friendly at $1.8/1M per 1M output tokens. Review the complete breakdown below to determine which model best fits your performance and budget requirements.
10 direct benchmark disciplines evaluated across capability, speed, and cost
Z.ai Aug 14 2026 post-train of the GLM-5.2 744B base. Coding-plan live; open weights promised after a two-week safety review (z.ai/blog/glm-5.3).
Alibaba flagship. Strong math and multilingual code.
Δ 40 Arena Elo pts
90 tok/s
$1.8 / 1M output
Relative percentile scores computed across all active models in the benchmark catalog.
Comparing top Western standard models with China's leading frontier rival across 6 skill dimensions. Tap any spoke or dot to inspect.
Category wins across reasoning intelligence, generation speed, and token cost.
Preference Elo, Coding proficiency, SWE-bench & LiveBench accuracy
Generation throughput and time to first token responsiveness
Cost per million tokens and max context window length
| Benchmark | GLM-5.3 | Qwen 3 Max | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +40 | ||
| Coding Elo | +60 | ||
| LiveBench | +1.4% | ||
| SWE-bench | +8.6% | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +0.1% | ||
| Time to first token | +25 ms | ||
| Output speed | 90 tok/s | 80 tok/s | +10 tok/s |
| Input price | $0.78/1M | +$0.28/1M | |
| Output price | $3.9/1M | +$2.1/1M | |
| Context window | +62k |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
GLM-5.3 is estimated to save $41.30/month ($496/year).
Higher SWE-bench (76.4%).
Lower output list price ($1.8/1M).
Lower TTFT (255 ms).
Larger window (262k).
Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (GLM-5.3).
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | GLM-5.3 | Higher SWE-bench (76.4%). |
| High-volume chat | GLM-5.3 | Lower output list price ($1.8/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | GLM-5.3 | Lower TTFT (255 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | Qwen 3 Max | Larger window (262k). |
| Screenshots / vision | GLM-5.3 | Both accept images. Defaulting to the higher-Elo side (GLM-5.3). |
Coding-plan live; open weights promised after a two-week safety review. Newest Zhipu row.
Strong Chinese/English coding. 5.3 is the new row; 5.2 stays so the delta is visible.
Closed flagship. Strong math. Compare to Sol and Opus on GPQA and SWE-bench, not on brand heat.
Sep 2025 open-weight mixture-of-experts. Self-host path. Don’t confuse it with Qwen 3 Max.
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Verified Head-to-Head Telemetry
launch · Aug 14, 2026
GLM-5.3 (Aug 14): Z.ai post-train of the 5.2 744B base
launch · Jun 18, 2026
GLM-5.2 remains the prior Zhipu flagship for upgrade pairs
launch · Apr 18, 2026
Qwen 3 Max: Alibaba’s flagship for math and multilingual code
launch · Sep 20, 2025
Qwen3 235B: the open MoE Qwen, not the Max SKU