Model comparison - Open weights vs closed
Gemini 4 Argon vs GLM-5.3
Gemini 4 Argon is from Google and GLM-5.3 is from Z.ai. On list price, GLM-5.3 charges 30% less than Gemini 4 Argon for input ($1.40 vs $2 per 1M tokens), and Gemini 4 Argon charges 2.3x GLM-5.3's output price ($10 vs $4.40 per 1M tokens). Gemini 4 Argon has a 1,048,576-token context window and GLM-5.3 1,000,000 tokens; max output is 65,536 and 128,000 tokens per response. Gemini 4 Argon was released on October 13, 2026 and GLM-5.3 on August 18, 2026. GLM-5.3 publishes open weights (GLM-5.3 license (Hugging Face license tag: other)); Gemini 4 Argon is closed-weights.
Last verified from each provider's pricing page. All sources
Side-by-side specs
| Spec | Gemini 4 Argon | GLM-5.3 |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Z.ai | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $2 | $1.40 |
| Output / 1M tokens | $10 | $4.40 |
| Cache read / 1M | $0.10 | $0.26 |
| Batch input / 1M | $1 | - |
| Batch output / 1M | $5 | - |
| Context window | 1,048,576 | 1,000,000 |
| Max output | 65,536 | 128,000 |
| Release date | ||
| Weights | Closed | Open |
| License | - | GLM-5.3 license (Hugging Face license tag: other) |
| API model id | gemini-4-argon | glm-5.3 |
| AI Gateway id | google/gemini-4-argon | zai/glm-5.3 |
| 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 4 Argon | GLM-5.3 |
|---|---|---|
| One agent session1M input tokens and 100K output tokens, no caching. | $3.00 | $1.84 |
| A chat app10,000 requests a day at 2K input and 500 output tokens each. | $90.00$2,700.00 per 30-day month | $50.00$1,500.00 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. | $1.29 | $0.814 |
Show the math
Gemini 4 Argon
- One agent sessionInput: 1M x $2 = $2.00Output: 0.1M x $10 = $1.00
- A chat appInput: 20M x $2 = $40.00Output: 5M x $10 = $50.00
- The same session at a 90% cache hitCached input: 0.9M x $0.10 = $0.09Uncached input: 0.1M x $2 = $0.20Output: 0.1M x $10 = $1.00
GLM-5.3
- One agent sessionInput: 1M x $1.40 = $1.40Output: 0.1M x $4.40 = $0.44
- A chat appInput: 20M x $1.40 = $28.00Output: 5M x $4.40 = $22.00
- The same session at a 90% cache hitCached input: 0.9M x $0.26 = $0.234Uncached input: 0.1M x $1.40 = $0.14Output: 0.1M x $4.40 = $0.44
Benchmarks under the same setting
Only boards that list both models under the same run setting appear here, one row per board and setting, with each score exactly as the board shows it. Scores on different boards use different scales and are never combined.
| Board and setting | Gemini 4 Argon | GLM-5.3 |
|---|---|---|
| LMArena WebDev (Code Arena WebDev Overall)Code Arena WebDev Overall, default leaderboard view (891,922 votes, 145 models)Official leaderboard - arena.ai | 1678+15/-15 (Preliminary) | 1621+8/-8 |
Set them up in your tools
Step-by-step guides whose official docs list Gemini 4 Argon or GLM-5.3 by model id.
- Use Gemini in ClineLists Gemini 4 Argon
- Use Gemini in ContinueLists Gemini 4 Argon
- Use Gemini in CursorLists Gemini 4 Argon
- Use Gemini in GooseLists Gemini 4 Argon
- Use Gemini in Kilo CodeLists Gemini 4 Argon
- Use Gemini in OpenCodeLists Gemini 4 Argon
- Use Gemini in ZedLists Gemini 4 Argon
- Use GLM in AiderLists GLM-5.3
- Use GLM in Claude CodeLists GLM-5.3
- Use GLM in ClineLists GLM-5.3
- Use GLM in Codex CLILists GLM-5.3
- Use GLM in ContinueLists GLM-5.3
- Use GLM in CursorLists GLM-5.3
- Use GLM in GooseLists GLM-5.3
- Use GLM in Kilo CodeLists GLM-5.3
- Use GLM in OpenCodeLists GLM-5.3
- Use GLM in Roo CodeLists GLM-5.3
- Use GLM in ZedLists GLM-5.3
Model pages
FAQ
How do Gemini 4 Argon and GLM-5.3 compare on price?
On list price, GLM-5.3 charges 30% less than Gemini 4 Argon for input ($1.40 vs $2 per 1M tokens), and Gemini 4 Argon charges 2.3x GLM-5.3's output price ($10 vs $4.40 per 1M tokens). For one agent session of 1M input and 100K output tokens with no caching, that is $3.00 on Gemini 4 Argon and $1.84 on GLM-5.3. Prices are each provider's first-party list rates, verified October 17, 2026 and October 17, 2026.
What are the context windows of Gemini 4 Argon and GLM-5.3?
Gemini 4 Argon has a 1,048,576-token context window and GLM-5.3 1,000,000 tokens; max output is 65,536 and 128,000 tokens per response.
Are Gemini 4 Argon and GLM-5.3 open weights?
Gemini 4 Argon is closed-weights and is called through Google's API as gemini-4-argon. GLM-5.3's weights are published at huggingface.co under the GLM-5.3 license (Hugging Face license tag: other).
More comparisons
- Gemini 4 Argon vs GPT-6.1 SolSimilar price, same tier
- Claude Sonnet 5.5 vs Gemini 4 ArgonSimilar price, same tier
- GLM-5.3 vs Mistral Large 4Similar price, same tier
- Claude Opus 5.5 vs Gemini 4 ArgonSimilar price, same tier
- GLM-5.3 vs GPT-6.1 SolOpen weights vs closed
- Gemini 4 Argon vs Grok 4.7Similar price, same tier
- Claude Sonnet 5.5 vs GLM-5.3Open weights vs closed
- Claude Opus 5.5 vs GLM-5.3Open weights vs closed
Sources
Gemini 4 Argon verified from ai.google.dev; GLM-5.3 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-4-argon
- https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/latest-model
- https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/changelog
- https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/models
- https://docs.z.ai/guides/llm/glm-5.3
- https://docs.z.ai/release-notes/new-released
- https://docs.z.ai/openapi.json
- https://huggingface.co/zai-org/GLM-5.3
- https://ai-gateway.vercel.sh/v1/models
Newsletter
Get model price changes as they ship
One email per week. New model releases, price cuts and what they mean for your bill.