Head-to-head AI model comparison graphic: GLM-5.3-Flash (Z AI) vs Qwen3.8 Max (Alibaba). Intelligence index 27.8 vs 33.7; output speed 56 vs 38 tokens per second; time to first token 1.6s vs 3.2s; output price $0.50 vs $6.00 per million tokens; input price $0.15 vs $2.00 per million tokens. franklineh.com
GLM-5.3-Flash vs Qwen3.8 Max: head-to-head AI benchmark comparison. GLM-5.3-Flash leads on output speed, time to first token, output price and input price; Qwen3.8 Max leads on intelligence index.
Head to headBy Franklin AIUpdated

GLM-5.3-Flash vs Qwen3.8 Max 0902 compared

Qwen3.8 Max 0902 leads the intelligence index 33.7 to 27.8. GLM-5.3-Flash costs 92% less on blended price. See token costs, speed and which to pick.

Pick it for GLM-5.3-Flash

  • Lower cost: $0.25 against $3.20 for 1 million input and 200,000 output tokens.
  • Faster output: 56 tokens per second against 38 tokens per second.
  • Shorter wait for the first token: 1.6 seconds against 3.2 seconds.

Pick it for Qwen3.8 Max · 0902

  • Higher intelligence index: 33.7 against 27.8.

By the numbers

MetricGLM-5.3-FlashQwen3.8 Max (0902)
Intelligence Index27.833.7
Input price (per 1M tokens)$0.15$2.00
Output price (per 1M tokens)$0.50$6.00
Output speed (tokens/s)5638
Time to first token1.6s3.2s
Release date2026-08-262026-09-02

Choosing between GLM-5.3-Flash and Qwen3.8 Max (0902) also means choosing between Z AI and Alibaba. Price separates them more than anything else; on a blended basis Qwen3.8 Max 0902 costs 13 times as much as GLM-5.3-Flash. What follows is built entirely from tracked data, so where the catalogue is silent, this page says so instead of guessing.

Token pricing and a sample bill

GLM-5.3-Flash lists $0.15 per million input tokens and $0.50 per million output tokens; Qwen3.8 Max 0902 lists $2.00 and $6.00. Qwen3.8 Max 0902 costs 12 times as much per output token.

A reference job of 1 million input tokens and 200,000 output tokens costs $0.25 with GLM-5.3-Flash and $3.20 with Qwen3.8 Max 0902, so GLM-5.3-Flash saves $2.95. A bigger example, a support assistant answering 10,000 conversations of 2,000 input and 500 output tokens each, costs $5.50 on GLM-5.3-Flash and $70.00 on Qwen3.8 Max 0902: a gap of $64.50.

When they came out

Qwen3.8 Max 0902 arrived on September 2, 2026, 7 days after GLM-5.3-Flash (August 26, 2026). They are effectively contemporaries.

Qwen3.8 Max 0902 leads on the intelligence index

GLM-5.3-Flash records 27.8 on the intelligence index and Qwen3.8 Max 0902 records 33.7. A lead of this size is hard to dismiss as noise.

Among 109 active scored models, GLM-5.3-Flash sits 63rd and Qwen3.8 Max 0902 44th.

For coding or maths work specifically, the catalogue has no dedicated index on either side yet.

Is the price in proportion?

Per point of intelligence index, GLM-5.3-Flash costs $0.0085 of blended price per million tokens and Qwen3.8 Max 0902 $0.089. Qwen3.8 Max 0902 costs 10 times as much per point, which is the price of its lead.

Speed and latency

Measured output speed is 56 tokens per second for GLM-5.3-Flash and 38 tokens per second for Qwen3.8 Max 0902. On long outputs, that is a real advantage for GLM-5.3-Flash. Time to first token is 1.6 seconds for GLM-5.3-Flash and 3.2 seconds for Qwen3.8 Max 0902. In an interactive app, GLM-5.3-Flash will feel noticeably more responsive.

Put together, a 400-token answer would take about 8.8 seconds from GLM-5.3-Flash and 14 seconds from Qwen3.8 Max 0902, counting the first-token wait.

Common questions about GLM-5.3-Flash and Qwen3.8 Max 0902

Is GLM-5.3-Flash better than Qwen3.8 Max 0902?

Neither wins everywhere: Qwen3.8 Max 0902 scores higher on the intelligence index, 33.7 to 27.8; GLM-5.3-Flash is 92% cheaper on blended price; and GLM-5.3-Flash streams output 1.5 times as fast.

Does GLM-5.3-Flash respond faster than Qwen3.8 Max 0902?

GLM-5.3-Flash generates output faster, at 56 tokens per second against 38 tokens per second. GLM-5.3-Flash reaches its first token sooner (1.6 seconds against 3.2 seconds).

Are GLM-5.3-Flash and Qwen3.8 Max 0902 from the same company?

GLM-5.3-Flash is made by Z AI and Qwen3.8 Max 0902 by Alibaba. GLM-5.3-Flash was released on August 26, 2026 and Qwen3.8 Max 0902 on September 2, 2026.

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 GLM-5.3-Flash and Qwen3.8 Max 0902 released?

Qwen3.8 Max 0902 is newer. It was released on September 2, 2026, 7 days after GLM-5.3-Flash (August 26, 2026).

Final whistle

On balance the numbers favour GLM-5.3-Flash, though Qwen3.8 Max 0902 keeps a case of its own. Pick GLM-5.3-Flash if cost matters ($0.50 against $6.00 per million output tokens) and long outputs need to finish quickly. Pick Qwen3.8 Max 0902 if you need the higher overall score (33.7 against 27.8).

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 Qwen3.8 Max (0902) pages. The AI Benchmark methodology explains how that data is collected and shown.

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