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Model comparison

GLM 5.2 vs GPT-5.4 Mini

Z.ai against OpenAI, compared on context, price, and verified benchmark results.

Catalog record checked September 3, 2026Individual provider fields may changeEvidence confidence: High — see receipts below

Z.ai

GLM 5.2

Balanced · Open weights

vs

OpenAI

GPT-5.4 Mini

Balanced

AI model capability comparison
SpecificationGLM 5.2GPT-5.4 Mini
ProviderZ.aiOpenAI
TierBalancedBalanced
Context windowWinner: 1M400K
Max output128K128K
Input / 1M tokens$1.40Winner: $0.75
Output / 1M tokensWinner: $4.40$4.50
WeightsOpenClosed
Parametersopen MoENot disclosedUnverified
Reasoning levelslow, high, maxnone, low, medium, high
Modalitiestexttext, image
API model idglm-5.2gpt-5.4-mini
ReleasedMarch 15, 2026March 17, 2026
Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index (2026-08-14)50Not verifiedUnverified
Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index [high] (2026-08-14)Not verifiedUnverified46

Prices are USD per million tokens at standard rates, excluding batch and caching discounts. Bold indicates the better figure where one is objectively better. Values we could not confirm from the provider are shown as “Not verified” rather than estimated.

Benchmark receipts

  • 2026-08-14: Artificial AnalysisComposite index blending reasoning, knowledge, and coding evals into one 0–100 score. Comparability: directly comparable — AA occasionally rebaselines the index scale between snapshots — a score captured on one date is only comparable to same-snapshot scores (check measuredAt).

Pricing tiers: GLM 5.2: Z.ai's per-token table lists $1.40/$4.40 per MTok (same list as 5.3). Open-weight, text-only; 1M context, 128K max output per Z.ai docs. · GPT-5.4 Mini: Standard $0.75/$4.50 per MTok; cached input $0.075/MTok; batch $0.375/$2.25.

BalancedOpen weightsRecord checked September 3, 2026

GLM 5.2

GLM 5.2 is Zhipu's previous-generation open-weight model with strong cost-performance.

Best for

  • Open-weight deployments
  • Reasoning
  • Cost-sensitive work

Watch out

Superseded by GLM 5.3 (Coding Plan 5.2/5.1 requests route to 5.3). Parameter count: sources disagree.

BalancedRecord checked September 3, 2026

GPT-5.4 Mini

GPT-5.4 Mini is OpenAI's efficient mid-tier for high-volume, well-scoped tasks at $0.75/$4.50.

Best for

  • High-volume calls
  • Mixed workloads
  • Cost-sensitive production

Watch out

400K context (vs 1.05M on GPT-5.4/5.5/5.6); verify long-context needs.

When the cheaper one wins

GLM 5.2 is cheaper on output at $4.40 per million tokens against $4.50 for GPT-5.4 Mini — about 1.0×. Use the cheaper tier for classification, extraction, summarisation, and any task where the expensive model’s extra score does not change the accepted output. The expensive one only pays if your hardest task actually fails on the cheap tier. These are standard-tier API rates, excluding batch and cache discounts.

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Evidence confidence: High

How strong and complete the evidence behind this comparison is — not a prediction of which model is better.

  • Pricing verified on both sides — Input and output rates are verified for both models.
  • 4/5 core specs verified on both sides — Not published for at least one side: parameter count.
  • 1 shared named benchmark with differing scores — Measured on: Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index.
  • Verified within the last 90 days — Newest catalog check was 8 days ago.
  • Both models carry source citations — Each side has at least two catalog sources on record.

Source receipts

Each catalog figure was checked against the provider or an independent second source on the date shown.

Related comparisons

Diving deeper on one model? GLM 5.2 · GPT-5.4 Mini

Common questions

GLM 5.2 vs GPT-5.4 Mini

Answered from the verified figures on this page rather than general guidance.

Is GLM 5.2 or GPT-5.4 Mini cheaper for input?

GPT-5.4 Mini is cheaper at $0.75 per million input tokens, against $1.40 for GLM 5.2 — roughly 1.9× the price. Output tokens usually dominate a real bill, so weigh the output rate more heavily than the input rate. These are base rates; GLM 5.2 has tiered pricing: Z.ai's per-token table lists $1.40/$4.40 per MTok (same list as 5.3). Open-weight, text-only; 1M context, 128K max output per Z.ai docs. GPT-5.4 Mini has tiered pricing: Standard $0.75/$4.50 per MTok; cached input $0.075/MTok; batch $0.375/$2.25.

Is GLM 5.2 or GPT-5.4 Mini cheaper for output?

GLM 5.2 is cheaper at $4.40 per million output tokens, against $4.50 for GPT-5.4 Mini — roughly 1.0× the price. Output tokens usually dominate a real bill, so weigh the output rate more heavily than the input rate. These are base rates; GLM 5.2 has tiered pricing: Z.ai's per-token table lists $1.40/$4.40 per MTok (same list as 5.3). Open-weight, text-only; 1M context, 128K max output per Z.ai docs. GPT-5.4 Mini has tiered pricing: Standard $0.75/$4.50 per MTok; cached input $0.075/MTok; batch $0.375/$2.25.

Which has the larger context window, GLM 5.2 or GPT-5.4 Mini?

GLM 5.2 accepts 1M tokens against 400K for GPT-5.4 Mini. This only matters if you routinely send very long documents or large codebases.

Do GLM 5.2 and GPT-5.4 Mini support the same reasoning levels?

GLM 5.2 exposes low, high, max, while GPT-5.4 Mini exposes none, low, medium, high.

Should I use GLM 5.2 or GPT-5.4 Mini?

Both sit in the balanced tier, so the choice usually comes down to price and context rather than capability. GLM 5.2 suits open-weight deployments; GPT-5.4 Mini suits high-volume calls.

Can I self-host GLM 5.2 or GPT-5.4 Mini?

GLM 5.2 publishes open weights, but self-hosting and third-party provider access depend on the licence, hardware, serving support, and availability. GPT-5.4 Mini is a closed model whose supported access paths are controlled by its provider.

Next step

Choosing between them

The verified figures that separate this pair, computed from the catalog rather than restated boilerplate.

  • Input price: GPT-5.4 Mini costs $0.75 per 1M tokens versus $1.40 for GLM 5.2 — a 1.9x difference at the headline tier.
  • Context: GLM 5.2 takes 1M against 400K for GPT-5.4 Mini — only decisive if your prompts approach the smaller window.
  • Measured capability: GLM 5.2 leads Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index 50 to 46 (measured 2026-08-14).
  • Deployment: GLM 5.2 publishes weights you can self-host; the other is API-only.
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