GLM 5.2 vs GLM 5.3.

Two generations of Z.ai's long-work model, with a price gap and a capacity catch.

GLM 5.2 and GLM 5.3 are both text-only models built for long, multi-step projects, and both hold a million tokens. GLM 5.3 is the newer, larger release; GLM 5.2 is the previous generation, kept in the catalog for anyone comparing the two.

GLM 5.2 is listed at $1.32 per million tokens and is currently paused while capacity is added. GLM 5.3 costs $2.43 and carries 753B parameters. Both support tools and zero data retention, so the choice is generation, availability and price rather than features.

GLM 5.2 is paused while capacity is added. The chat picker shows live status; this comparison stays up for when it returns.

At a glance

Where GLM 5.2 pulls ahead

• The lower upstream rate: $1.32 versus $2.43 per million tokens, about 46% cheaper.
• The same million-token window for long project work at a lower running cost.
• A previous-generation option to keep if your prompts and workflows are already tuned to it.

Where GLM 5.3 pulls ahead

• The newer generation, with 753B parameters and the improvements Z.ai shipped in 5.3.
• Availability: GLM 5.3 is live while GLM 5.2 is paused for capacity.
• More capacity for the hardest long software and reasoning tasks.

The price difference

GLM 5.3 costs $2.43 per million tokens against $1.32 for GLM 5.2 — about 1.8x more. On UsingOpen you can chat with both for free inside the daily limit, so the rate is a fair proxy for how expensive each model is to run rather than a bill you pay here. Multiply it by your monthly token volume if you are comparing API access elsewhere.

Which should you choose?

When GLM 5.2 is live and the work is text, it is the value pick: same window, lower price, tools and ZDR. The catch is availability — it is paused at the time of writing, and the picker is the source of truth.

GLM 5.3 is the newer model and the one you can use now. For the hardest long tasks and current capacity, the higher price buys a larger, more recent model. If images are involved, neither is right: use GLM 5.3 Flash instead.

Chat with GLM 5.2 free · Chat with GLM 5.3 free

Frequently asked questions

Do GLM 5.2 and GLM 5.3 have the same context window?

Yes — both are listed with a 1M context window, roughly 750,000 words. The practical limit is therefore similar, and the decision comes down to price, modalities and behaviour.

Can GLM 5.2 or GLM 5.3 read images?

Neither model accepts images — both are text-only. A visual task needs a multimodal model such as Qwen3.8 Flash, GLM 5.3 Flash or Gemma 4 instead.

Is GLM 5.3 or GLM 5.2 better for coding?

GLM 5.3 is the closer fit for code here — the catalog tunes it for coding and long, multi-step work — while GLM 5.2 is aimed at long, multi-step projects. For project-scale coding, start with GLM 5.3; if the task leans toward the other model's strengths, it may still win.

Which is cheaper, GLM 5.2 or GLM 5.3?

GLM 5.2 is listed at $1.32 per million tokens against $2.43 for GLM 5.3 — about 1.8x cheaper. Both are free to chat with on UsingOpen inside the daily limit when live; the rates matter if you are comparing what API access would cost.

Can I chat with GLM 5.2 and GLM 5.3 for free?

Yes. Both are selectable on UsingOpen without an account when they are live, and each user gets 10 free prompts per day. A model paused for capacity is unavailable until it returns; the picker shows live status. History stays on your device, and Compare mode can send one prompt to both models side by side.

Is GLM 5.2 available right now?

The catalog currently marks GLM 5.2 as adding capacity, so it is paused. The picker on the chat page shows live status, and the model returns when the provider brings capacity back. GLM 5.3 is available in the meantime.

Should I use GLM 5.3 Flash instead of either of these?

If price or images matter, yes. GLM 5.3 Flash costs $0.25 per million tokens, reads pictures and video, and activates only 18B of its 320B parameters per token. The full GLM models are for text work that needs more depth than the Flash can provide.

Related comparisons

• GLM 5.3 vs GLM 5.3 Flash — Same family, opposite trade-offs: the full model is bigger; the Flash is multimodal.
• DeepSeek V4.1 Flash vs DeepSeek V4 Flash — DeepSeek's new multimodal Flash against the older text-only bargain.
• Qwen3.8 2.4T vs Kimi K3 — The two trillion-parameter flagships: Qwen's text heavyweight against Kimi's multimodal giant.

All models · Compare models · Free AI chat · FAQ