Claude Opus 5 vs GLM-5.3
Both are Flagship-tier models, from Anthropic and Z.ai respectively. GLM-5.3 is the cheaper choice overall at a 4:1 input:output ratio.
Which is cheaper
Side by side
| Spec | Claude Opus 5 | GLM-5.3 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Anthropic | Z.ai |
| Tier | Flagship | Flagship |
| Context window | 1M | 1M |
| Max output | 128K | 128K |
| Input $/1M | $5.00 | $1.40 |
| Output $/1M | $25.00 | $4.40 |
| Cache read $/1M | $0.50 | $0.26 |
| Cache write $/1M | $6.25 | — |
| Modalities | text, image | text |
Claude Opus 5. 5-minute cache write shown ($6.25 = 1.25x base input); 1-hour cache write is $10/MTok (2x base). Batch API is 50% off ($2.50/$12.50). Context window and max output cross-checked against platform.claude.com/docs/en/about-claude/models/overview.
GLM-5.3. Latest flagship text model, per 1M tokens. Context window not stated on pricing page.
Sources
Claude Opus 5 — verified August 29, 2026
GLM-5.3 — verified August 29, 2026
Full Claude Opus 5 pricing page → · Full GLM-5.3 pricing page →