GLM-5.2 pricing (retired)
Retired model. Z.ai has superseded GLM-5.2 — the prices below are the last ones we verified and are kept for reference. Its replacement is GLM-5.3 (max) ($1.40 / $4.40 per 1M in / out).
What one task cost on GLM-5.2
Per-million-token prices are hard to feel, so here are typical token counts for common jobs priced with GLM-5.2. Figures are USD at the rates above and exclude prompt caching and batch discounts.
| Task | Tokens (in / out) | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Code review of a 500-line pull request | 60,000 / 4,000 | $0.102 |
| Debug one failing test | 40,000 / 6,000 | $0.082 |
| Generate a landing page in one shot | 3,000 / 30,000 | $0.136 |
| Draft a 1,200-word article | 2,000 / 2,500 | $0.014 |
| Answer a question from a 20-page document | 25,000 / 800 | $0.039 |
| Multi-step agent run (10 tool calls) | 250,000 / 25,000 | $0.460 |
| All of the above, once | $0.833 |
GLM-5.2 by Z.ai costs $1.40 per 1M input tokens and $4.40 per 1M output tokens — about 274.0k tokens per $1. Prices last verified 2026-09-19 (historical).
The verdict
Z.ai's previous flagship with an index of 34 at $1.40 / $4.40 — cheap for its quality, though GLM-5.3 now leads Z.ai's line. Superseded: for new work, GLM-5.3 scores 45 for the same price.
A concrete example: sending 100,000 input tokens and getting back 20,000 output tokens with GLM-5.2 costs about $0.23 at current prices.
Who is GLM-5.2 for?
GLM-5.2 is Z.ai's previous flagship — an index of 34 at $1.40 / $4.40 per 1M on Z.ai's own price list, right in DeepSeek V4 Pro's value territory. It has since been superseded by GLM-5.3, which carries the same price and an index of 45, so GLM-5.2 is only worth choosing if an existing integration pins you to it.
It was a solid cost play for coding and agent work where you want frontier-adjacent quality on a budget. Expect a smaller ecosystem than OpenAI or Anthropic, and check latency, which can vary by serving provider.
Strengths & weaknesses
- Strength: DeepSeek-class value from Z.ai
GLM-5.2 key facts
| Provider | GLM pricing |
|---|---|
| Input price | $1.40 / 1M tokens |
| Output price | $4.40 / 1M tokens |
| Tokens / $1 | 274.0k |
| Intelligence / $1 | 93,151 |
| Context window | 1.0M tokens |
| Tier | frontier |
| Intelligence index | 34 / 100 |
| Released | 2026-06-16 |
| Last verified | 2026-09-19 |
What GLM-5.2 delivers for your budget
For a coding workload, here is roughly what each monthly budget buys:
| Budget | Tokens / month | Months of workload |
|---|---|---|
| $20 | 9.6M | 14.7x |
| $50 | 23.9M | 36.8x |
| $100 | 47.8M | 73.5x |
Other GLM models
How GLM-5.2 compares to its closest rivals
Rather than repeating the full catalog on every page, here are the three current models nearest to GLM-5.2 on the intelligence index — and why you might still pick one instead:
- DeepSeek V4 Pro (DeepSeek) — $0.66 input / $1.98 output per 1M tokens. Why you might pick it: Unbeatable frontier value.
- GPT-5.6 Luna (ChatGPT) — $0.20 input / $1.20 output per 1M tokens. Why you might pick it: ChatGPT quality at a budget price.
- Claude Sonnet 5 (Claude) — $2 input / $10 output per 1M tokens. Why you might pick it: Strong coding at mid-tier price.
GLM-5.2 — frequently asked questions
How much does GLM-5.2 cost?
GLM-5.2 by Z.ai costs $1.40 per 1M input tokens and $4.40 per 1M output tokens.
How many tokens per dollar does GLM-5.2 give you?
On a typical 1:3 input-to-output mix, GLM-5.2 delivers around 274.0k tokens per dollar — an intelligence-per-dollar score of 93151.
What is GLM-5.2's context window?
GLM-5.2 supports a context window of 1.0M tokens.
Is GLM-5.2 worth it in 2026?
GLM-5.2 is GLM's frontier tier model. Use the AI Intelligence Calculator to see how its value compares to every other model at your budget.