Head-to-head AI model comparison graphic: GLM-5.3-Flash (Z AI) vs Muse Spark Open (Meta). Intelligence index 27.8 vs 24.9; output speed 56 vs 207 tokens per second; time to first token 1.6s vs 0.94s; output price $0.50 vs $4.25 per million tokens; input price $0.15 vs $1.25 per million tokens. franklineh.com
GLM-5.3-Flash vs Muse Spark Open: head-to-head AI benchmark comparison. GLM-5.3-Flash leads on intelligence index, output price and input price; Muse Spark Open leads on output speed and time to first token.
Head to headBy Franklin AIUpdated

GLM-5.3-Flash vs Muse Spark Open: price, speed and benchmarks

GLM-5.3-Flash leads the intelligence index 27.8 to 24.9. GLM-5.3-Flash costs 88% less on blended price. Benchmarks, sample bills, speed and a verdict.

Pick it for GLM-5.3-Flash

  • Lower cost: $0.25 against $2.10 for 1 million input and 200,000 output tokens.
  • Higher intelligence index: 27.8 against 24.9.

Pick it for Muse Spark Open · Xhigh

  • Faster output: 207 tokens per second against 56 tokens per second.
  • Shorter wait for the first token: 0.94 seconds against 1.6 seconds.
  • The newer release (October 2026).

By the numbers

MetricGLM-5.3-FlashMuse Spark Open (Xhigh)
Intelligence Index27.824.9
Input price (per 1M tokens)$0.15$1.25
Output price (per 1M tokens)$0.50$4.25
Output speed (tokens/s)56207
Time to first token1.6s0.94s
Release date2026-08-262026-10-15

On the headline score, Z AI's GLM-5.3-Flash and Meta's Muse Spark Open (Xhigh) are almost level. What follows is built entirely from tracked data, so where the catalogue is silent, this page says so instead of guessing. Cost is where they split the most, with GLM-5.3-Flash working out at about 12% of Muse Spark Open's blended rate.

What they cost

Per million tokens, GLM-5.3-Flash charges $0.15 for input and $0.50 for output, while Muse Spark Open charges $1.25 and $4.25. Muse Spark Open costs 8.5 times as much per output token.

Take 1 million input tokens and 200,000 output tokens: that comes to $0.25 on GLM-5.3-Flash and $2.10 on Muse Spark Open. Scale it up to a month of coding-assistant traffic at 30 million input and 3 million output tokens and the bill is $6.00 for GLM-5.3-Flash against $50.25 for Muse Spark Open. On a 3:1 blend of input to output tokens, that works out to $0.238 versus $2.00 per million.

Muse Spark Open is the faster writer

GLM-5.3-Flash generates about 56 tokens per second and Muse Spark Open about 207 tokens per second. That makes Muse Spark Open roughly 3.7 times as fast at writing. Before any text appears, GLM-5.3-Flash takes 1.6 seconds and Muse Spark Open 0.94 seconds. Muse Spark Open gets to its first token 1.7 times as fast.

Add the two numbers up for a 2,000-token reply and Muse Spark Open finishes first: 37 seconds for GLM-5.3-Flash, 11 seconds for Muse Spark Open.

When they came out

Muse Spark Open arrived on October 15, 2026, about 2 months after GLM-5.3-Flash (August 26, 2026).

GLM-5.3-Flash leads on the intelligence index

GLM-5.3-Flash comes out ahead on the intelligence index, 27.8 to 24.9. That is a modest edge: real, but small enough that the right set of tasks could reverse it. In relative terms, GLM-5.3-Flash scores 12% higher.

Among 109 active scored models, GLM-5.3-Flash sits 63rd and Muse Spark Open 68th.

Neither model has a separate coding or math index recorded yet, so those narrower comparisons will have to wait for more data.

Is the price in proportion?

Dividing the blended price by the intelligence index gives a rough cost per point: $0.0085 for GLM-5.3-Flash and $0.080 for Muse Spark Open, per million tokens. GLM-5.3-Flash scores higher and costs less per point, so on price per point there is nothing to trade off.

FAQ

Is Muse Spark Open better than GLM-5.3-Flash?

Not across the board: GLM-5.3-Flash scores higher on the intelligence index, 27.8 to 24.9; GLM-5.3-Flash is 88% cheaper on blended price; and Muse Spark Open streams output 3.7 times as fast.

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.

Which is newer, GLM-5.3-Flash or Muse Spark Open?

Muse Spark Open is newer. It was released on October 15, 2026, about 2 months after GLM-5.3-Flash (August 26, 2026).

Are GLM-5.3-Flash and Muse Spark Open from the same company?

GLM-5.3-Flash is made by Z AI and Muse Spark Open by Meta. GLM-5.3-Flash was released on August 26, 2026 and Muse Spark Open on October 15, 2026.

Which is cheaper, GLM-5.3-Flash or Muse Spark Open?

GLM-5.3-Flash is cheaper on a blended basis. GLM-5.3-Flash lists $0.15 per million input tokens and $0.50 per million output tokens; Muse Spark Open lists $1.25 and $4.25. For 1 million input and 200,000 output tokens that is $0.25 against $2.10.

Final whistle

Bottom line: GLM-5.3-Flash has more going for it here, but Muse Spark Open is not without an argument. Pick Muse Spark Open if long outputs need to finish quickly and users are waiting on the first word. Pick GLM-5.3-Flash if cost matters ($0.50 against $4.25 per million output tokens) and you need the higher overall score (27.8 against 24.9).

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 GLM-5.3-Flash and Muse Spark Open (Xhigh) pages. The AI Benchmark methodology explains how that data is collected and shown.

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