Z.ai: GLM 5
Analysis Summary
Z.ai's GLM 5 is a capable general model with an intelligence result in the very strong range. Its 204K context window supports long briefs, research files, and substantial conversation history, while tool use and function calling make it suitable for connected business workflows. The text-only interface is practical for document and automation work but does not provide visual input.
It fits content planning, structured SEO operations, research synthesis, and tool-driven assistants that need more reasoning depth than budget models. The absence of detailed coding and agent benchmark signals makes it harder to position as a specialist engineering or autonomous-agent model, so production workflows should include testing around complex tool chains.
Pricing is materially higher than low-cost volume options, especially for output. Use GLM 5 when reasoning quality and context capacity justify the expense, while routing repetitive generation to a cheaper model.
Assessed August 9, 2026
Editorial notes
GLM 5 offers strong general reasoning, a 204K context window, and native tool and function calling, giving agencies a capable workflow model with higher per-token costs than budget alternatives.
Rankings consider pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, and real-world applicability and are refreshed as new models launch. Feedback?
DFO Verdict
GLM 5 offers strong general reasoning, a 204K context window, and native tool and function calling, giving agencies a capable workflow model with higher per-token costs than budget alternatives.
How Z.ai: GLM 5 compares
Z.ai: GLM 5 ranks #62 of 425 AI models we track for overall intelligence. Its 205K-token context window is larger than 59% of the models we list. At $0.60 per million input tokens it is cheaper than 35% of comparable models.
Dark bar = input · light bar = output, scaled to the priciest peer.
1M tokens ≈ 8 full-length novels or ~2,500 pages of business documents in a single request.
Strongest on business fit. The pulled-in technical corner is the trade-off, and if the shape matters more than the price, this is your model.
Compare shapes side-by-side →Pricing
| Token Type | Cost per 1M tokens | Cost per 1K tokens |
|---|---|---|
| Input | $0.60 | $0.000600 |
| Output | $1.92 | $0.001920 |
What would Z.ai: GLM 5 cost your business?
Pick the job that looks most like yours, then fine-tune with the sliders. Estimates update live.
A website chatbot handling around 100 customer conversations a day, a few short messages each.
Full calculator with 704 models → Price Calculator
These numbers get smaller with the right architecture.
We route routine calls to cheap models and save Z.ai: GLM 5 for the hard ones. Most clients cut their estimate by 60-80%.
Talk to our teamAbout Z.ai: GLM 5
GLM-5 is Z.ai’s flagship open-source foundation model engineered for complex systems design and long-horizon agent workflows. Built for expert developers, it delivers production-grade performance on large-scale programming tasks, rivaling leading..
Frequently asked questions about Z.ai: GLM 5
How much does Z.ai: GLM 5 cost?
Z.ai: GLM 5 costs $0.60 per million input tokens and $1.92 per million output tokens.
What is the context window of Z.ai: GLM 5?
Z.ai: GLM 5 has a context window of 204,800 tokens (205K).
What can Z.ai: GLM 5 do?
Z.ai: GLM 5 supports tool use and function calling.
Who created Z.ai: GLM 5?
Z.ai: GLM 5 is developed by Z.ai and was released on February 11, 2026.