DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max vs GLM-5.3-Flash compared

DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max leads the intelligence index 32.6 to 27.8. Benchmarks, sample bills, speed and a verdict.

Metric	DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 (Max)	GLM-5.3-Flash
Intelligence Index	32.6	27.8
Input price (per 1M tokens)	$0.30	$0.15
Output price (per 1M tokens)	$1.20	$0.50
Output speed (tokens/s)	162	56
Time to first token	1.2s	1.6s
Release date	2026-10-17	2026-08-26

Metric

DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 (Max)

GLM-5.3-Flash

Intelligence Index

32.6

27.8

Input price (per 1M tokens)

$0.30

$0.15

Output price (per 1M tokens)

$1.20

$0.50

Output speed (tokens/s)

162

Time to first token

1.2s

1.6s

Release date

2026-10-17

2026-08-26

Choosing between DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 (Max) and GLM-5.3-Flash also means choosing between DeepSeek and Z AI. No hands-on testing went into this write-up; it summarises the recorded benchmark, price and speed data for both models. DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max streams output at about 162 tokens per second, 2.9 times the rate of GLM-5.3-Flash.

Waiting time

Measured output speed is 162 tokens per second for DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max and 56 tokens per second for GLM-5.3-Flash. That makes DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max roughly 2.9 times as fast at writing. Time to first token is 1.2 seconds for DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max and 1.6 seconds for GLM-5.3-Flash. DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max gets to its first token 1.3 times as fast.

Add the two numbers up for a 1,500-token reply and DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max finishes first: 10 seconds for DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max, 28 seconds for GLM-5.3-Flash.

Benchmark scores

On the intelligence index, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max scores 32.6 against 27.8 for GLM-5.3-Flash. It is a meaningful gap rather than a rounding difference. Put another way, GLM-5.3-Flash would need 17% more on this index to draw level.

For context, that places DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max 45th and GLM-5.3-Flash 63rd out of 109 scored models still on offer.

There are no coding or math index scores for either model in the catalogue, which keeps this comparison at the aggregate level.

Generation gap

The release dates are August 26, 2026 for GLM-5.3-Flash and October 17, 2026 for DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max, about 2 months apart.

Price per token

The list prices are $0.30 in and $1.20 out for DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max, and $0.15 in and $0.50 out for GLM-5.3-Flash, per million tokens. For output tokens, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max is 2.4 times the price of GLM-5.3-Flash.

A reference job of 1 million input tokens and 200,000 output tokens costs $0.54 with DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max and $0.25 with GLM-5.3-Flash, so GLM-5.3-Flash saves $0.29. For classifying 100,000 short messages at 150 input tokens and 5 output tokens each, GLM-5.3-Flash would come in 51% lower: $5.10 for DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max against $2.50 for GLM-5.3-Flash. On a 3:1 blend of input to output tokens, that works out to $0.525 versus $0.238 per million.

Is the price in proportion?

Dividing the blended price by the intelligence index gives a rough cost per point: $0.016 for DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max and $0.0085 for GLM-5.3-Flash, per million tokens. DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max costs 1.9 times as much per point, which is the price of its lead.

Frequently asked questions

Is GLM-5.3-Flash better than DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max?

Neither wins everywhere: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max scores higher on the intelligence index, 32.6 to 27.8; GLM-5.3-Flash is 55% cheaper on blended price; and DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max streams output 2.9 times as fast.

Are DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max and GLM-5.3-Flash from the same company?

DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max is made by DeepSeek and GLM-5.3-Flash by Z AI. DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max was released on October 17, 2026 and GLM-5.3-Flash on August 26, 2026.

Which is cheaper, DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max or GLM-5.3-Flash?

GLM-5.3-Flash is cheaper on a blended basis. DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max lists $0.30 per million input tokens and $1.20 per million output tokens; GLM-5.3-Flash lists $0.15 and $0.50. For 1 million input and 200,000 output tokens that is $0.54 against $0.25.

Was this comparison tested by hand?

The figures are the recorded benchmark, price and speed data in Franklin AI's model catalogue. This page is written from that data automatically; neither model was tested by hand for it.

When were DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max and GLM-5.3-Flash released?

DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max is newer. It was released on October 17, 2026, about 2 months after GLM-5.3-Flash (August 26, 2026).

Final whistle

The verdict: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max has more going for it here, but GLM-5.3-Flash is not without an argument. Pick DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 Max if you need the higher overall score (32.6 against 27.8) and long outputs need to finish quickly. Pick GLM-5.3-Flash if cost matters ($0.50 against $1.20 per million output tokens).

Where the numbers come from

The scores, speed and prices in this comparison come from independent third-party model evaluations that Franklin AI syncs each day, and the article was written from a snapshot of them. For the latest results, open the DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 (Max) and GLM-5.3-Flash pages. The AI Benchmark methodology explains how that data is collected and shown.