Model comparison - Similar price, same tier
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite vs GLM-5.3-Flash
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is from Google and GLM-5.3-Flash is from Z.ai. On list price, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite charges 2x GLM-5.3-Flash's input price ($0.30 vs $0.15 per 1M tokens), and Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite charges 5x GLM-5.3-Flash's output price ($2.50 vs $0.50 per 1M tokens). Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite has a 1,048,576-token context window and GLM-5.3-Flash 1,000,000 tokens; max output is 65,536 and 128,000 tokens per response. Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite was released on July 21, 2026 and GLM-5.3-Flash on August 26, 2026. GLM-5.3-Flash publishes open weights (MIT); Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is closed-weights.
Last verified from each provider's pricing page. All sources
Side-by-side specs
| Spec | Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite | GLM-5.3-Flash |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Z.ai | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $0.30 | $0.15 |
| Output / 1M tokens | $2.50 | $0.50 |
| Cache read / 1M | $0.03 | $0.03 |
| Batch input / 1M | $0.15 | - |
| Batch output / 1M | $1.25 | - |
| Context window | 1,048,576 | 1,000,000 |
| Max output | 65,536 | 128,000 |
| Release date | ||
| Weights | Closed | Open |
| License | - | MIT |
| API model id | gemini-3.5-flash-lite | glm-5.3-flash |
| AI Gateway id | google/gemini-3.5-flash-lite | zai/glm-5.3-flash |
| Last verified |
Prices in USD per 1M tokens at each provider's standard first-party rate. A dash means the provider does not bill that item separately or no primary page states it.
What each costs in practice
The same three workloads every model page uses, worked from each model's standard list rates. Swap in your own token counts with the math on each model's page.
| Workload | Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite | GLM-5.3-Flash |
|---|---|---|
| One agent session1M input tokens and 100K output tokens, no caching. | $0.55 | $0.20 |
| A chat app10,000 requests a day at 2K input and 500 output tokens each. | $18.50$555.00 per 30-day month | $5.50$165.00 per 30-day month |
| The same session at a 90% cache hit90% of the input is read from the prompt cache. The one-time cache write premium is not included. | $0.307 | $0.092 |
Show the math
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
- One agent sessionInput: 1M x $0.30 = $0.30Output: 0.1M x $2.50 = $0.25
- A chat appInput: 20M x $0.30 = $6.00Output: 5M x $2.50 = $12.50
- The same session at a 90% cache hitCached input: 0.9M x $0.03 = $0.027Uncached input: 0.1M x $0.30 = $0.03Output: 0.1M x $2.50 = $0.25
GLM-5.3-Flash
- One agent sessionInput: 1M x $0.15 = $0.15Output: 0.1M x $0.50 = $0.05
- A chat appInput: 20M x $0.15 = $3.00Output: 5M x $0.50 = $2.50
- The same session at a 90% cache hitCached input: 0.9M x $0.03 = $0.027Uncached input: 0.1M x $0.15 = $0.015Output: 0.1M x $0.50 = $0.05
Benchmarks under the same setting
No board in the benchmark directory lists both Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and GLM-5.3-Flash under the same setting, so there is no like-for-like score to show here.
Set them up in your tools
Step-by-step guides whose official docs list Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite or GLM-5.3-Flash by model id.
- Use Gemini in ClineLists Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
- Use Gemini in ContinueLists Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
- Use Gemini in GooseLists Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
- Use Gemini in Kilo CodeLists Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
- Use Gemini in OpenCodeLists Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite
- Use GLM in AiderLists GLM-5.3-Flash
- Use GLM in Claude CodeLists GLM-5.3-Flash
- Use GLM in ClineLists GLM-5.3-Flash
- Use GLM in ContinueLists GLM-5.3-Flash
- Use GLM in GooseLists GLM-5.3-Flash
- Use GLM in Kilo CodeLists GLM-5.3-Flash
- Use GLM in OpenCodeLists GLM-5.3-Flash
- Use GLM in Roo CodeLists GLM-5.3-Flash
- Use GLM in ZedLists GLM-5.3-Flash
- Use Ollama in Claude CodeLists GLM-5.3-Flash
Model pages
FAQ
How do Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and GLM-5.3-Flash compare on price?
On list price, Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite charges 2x GLM-5.3-Flash's input price ($0.30 vs $0.15 per 1M tokens), and Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite charges 5x GLM-5.3-Flash's output price ($2.50 vs $0.50 per 1M tokens). For one agent session of 1M input and 100K output tokens with no caching, that is $0.55 on Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and $0.20 on GLM-5.3-Flash. Prices are each provider's first-party list rates, verified October 17, 2026 and October 17, 2026.
What are the context windows of Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and GLM-5.3-Flash?
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite has a 1,048,576-token context window and GLM-5.3-Flash 1,000,000 tokens; max output is 65,536 and 128,000 tokens per response.
Are Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite and GLM-5.3-Flash open weights?
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite is closed-weights and is called through Google's API as gemini-3.5-flash-lite. GLM-5.3-Flash's weights are published at huggingface.co under the MIT.
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- GLM-5.3-Flash vs Qwen3.8-FlashSimilar price, same tier
- Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite vs Gemini 3.5 Flash-LiteSame provider, successor
Sources
Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite verified from ai.google.dev; GLM-5.3-Flash verified from docs.z.ai. This page is as current as the older of the two: .
- https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/pricing
- https://docs.z.ai/guides/overview/pricing
- https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/models/gemini-3.5-flash-lite
- https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/changelog
- https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/models
- https://docs.z.ai/guides/vlm/glm-5.3-flash
- https://docs.z.ai/guides/overview/overview
- https://docs.z.ai/release-notes/new-released
- https://docs.z.ai/openapi.json
- https://huggingface.co/zai-org/GLM-5.3-Flash
- https://ai-gateway.vercel.sh/v1/models
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