GPT-3.5 Turbo vs GLM-4-Flash
Performance benchmarks + pricing comparison — updated April 2026
GPT-3.5 Turbo
OpenAIBudget model for simple tasks. Being phased out but still widely used.
| Input | $0.500/M |
| Output | $1.50/M |
| Context | 16K tokens |
| Best For | Simple chatbots, basic text generation |
| Benchmark | 40/100 |
GLM-4-Flash
Zhipu AIZhipu AI's ultra-cheap model. Near-free pricing for high-volume Chinese and English text tasks.
| Input | $0.010/M |
| Output | $0.010/M |
| Context | 128K tokens |
| Best For | High-volume text processing, Chinese NLP tasks |
Cost Comparison by Scenario
Estimated cost per project with 30% cache hit rate. Actual costs may vary based on usage patterns.
| Scenario | GPT-3.5 Turbo | GLM-4-Flash | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Script (1K lines) | $0.06 | <$0.01 | GLM-4-Flash saves $0.06 (99%) |
| Medium Feature (10K lines) | $0.48 | <$0.01 | GLM-4-Flash saves $0.47 (99%) |
| Large Project (50K lines) | $2.38 | $0.03 | GLM-4-Flash saves $2.35 (99%) |
| Code Review (5K lines) | $0.13 | <$0.01 | GLM-4-Flash saves $0.12 (98%) |
Verdict
GLM-4-Flash wins on both price and performance — $0.010/M input with a benchmark score of N/A/100.
For most developers, this is the clear choice between these two models.
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