GLM-5.3 Max vs GLM-5.3-Flash: price, speed and benchmarks

GLM-5.3 Max leads the intelligence index 31.7 to 27.8. GLM-5.3-Flash costs 89% less on blended price. See token costs, speed and which to pick.

Metric	GLM-5.3 (Max)	GLM-5.3-Flash
Intelligence Index	31.7	27.8
Input price (per 1M tokens)	$1.40	$0.15
Output price (per 1M tokens)	$4.40	$0.50
Output speed (tokens/s)	74	56
Time to first token	1.7s	1.6s
Release date	2026-08-18	2026-08-26

Metric

GLM-5.3 (Max)

GLM-5.3-Flash

Intelligence Index

31.7

27.8

Input price (per 1M tokens)

$1.40

$0.15

Output price (per 1M tokens)

$4.40

$0.50

Output speed (tokens/s)

Time to first token

1.7s

1.6s

Release date

2026-08-18

2026-08-26

GLM-5.3 (Max) and GLM-5.3-Flash both come from Z AI, so this is a choice inside one lineup rather than between vendors. This page is written automatically from catalogue numbers only: benchmark scores, list prices and measured speed. Cost is where they split the most, with GLM-5.3-Flash working out at about 11% of GLM-5.3 Max's blended rate.

Cost: GLM-5.3-Flash is cheaper

GLM-5.3 Max lists $1.40 per million input tokens and $4.40 per million output tokens; GLM-5.3-Flash lists $0.15 and $0.50. That makes GLM-5.3-Flash's output 89% cheaper.

For a sample workload of 1 million input tokens and 200,000 output tokens, GLM-5.3 Max would cost $2.28 and GLM-5.3-Flash $0.25, a difference of $2.03. Scale it up to classifying 100,000 short messages at 150 input tokens and 5 output tokens each and the bill is $23.20 for GLM-5.3 Max against $2.50 for GLM-5.3-Flash. On a 3:1 blend of input to output tokens, that works out to $2.15 versus $0.238 per million.

How the intelligence index compares

The catalogue puts GLM-5.3 Max at 31.7 and GLM-5.3-Flash at 27.8 on its intelligence index. That is a clear margin for an index that averages many evaluations. Put another way, GLM-5.3-Flash would need 14% more on this index to draw level.

For context, that places GLM-5.3 Max 47th and GLM-5.3-Flash 63rd out of 109 scored models still on offer.

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

Score per dollar

Dividing the blended price by the intelligence index gives a rough cost per point: $0.068 for GLM-5.3 Max and $0.0085 for GLM-5.3-Flash, per million tokens. GLM-5.3-Flash delivers each index point for 87% less; whether GLM-5.3 Max's extra 3.9 points are worth the premium depends on how often your tasks need them.

When they came out

GLM-5.3-Flash arrived on August 26, 2026, 8 days after GLM-5.3 Max (August 18, 2026). They are effectively contemporaries.

Waiting time

Measured output speed is 74 tokens per second for GLM-5.3 Max and 56 tokens per second for GLM-5.3-Flash. On outputs beyond about 50 tokens, that is a real advantage for GLM-5.3 Max. Before any text appears, GLM-5.3 Max takes 1.7 seconds and GLM-5.3-Flash 1.6 seconds.

Add the two numbers up for a 1,000-token reply and GLM-5.3 Max finishes first: 15 seconds for GLM-5.3 Max, 20 seconds for GLM-5.3-Flash. The two totals cross at about 50 tokens; past that, GLM-5.3 Max finishes first.

Quick answers

Is GLM-5.3-Flash better than GLM-5.3 Max?

Neither wins everywhere: GLM-5.3 Max scores higher on the intelligence index, 31.7 to 27.8; GLM-5.3-Flash is 89% cheaper on blended price; and GLM-5.3 Max streams output 1.3 times as fast.

Which model has lower latency?

GLM-5.3 Max generates output faster, at 74 tokens per second against 56 tokens per second. Time to first token is similar: 1.7 seconds and 1.6 seconds. Counting the first-token wait, GLM-5.3-Flash finishes short replies first and GLM-5.3 Max pulls ahead beyond about 50 tokens.

Where do these numbers come from?

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 Max or GLM-5.3-Flash?

GLM-5.3-Flash is newer. It was released on August 26, 2026, 8 days after GLM-5.3 Max (August 18, 2026).

Which is cheaper, GLM-5.3 Max or GLM-5.3-Flash?

GLM-5.3-Flash is cheaper on a blended basis. GLM-5.3 Max lists $1.40 per million input tokens and $4.40 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 $2.28 against $0.25.

Final whistle

Short answer: GLM-5.3-Flash has more going for it here, but GLM-5.3 Max is not without an argument. Pick GLM-5.3-Flash if cost matters ($0.50 against $4.40 per million output tokens). Pick GLM-5.3 Max if you need the higher overall score (31.7 against 27.8) and your outputs often run past about 50 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 GLM-5.3 (Max) and GLM-5.3-Flash pages. The AI Benchmark methodology explains how that data is collected and shown.