DeepSeek V3.2 vs GLM-5.1
DeepSeek V3.2 and GLM-5.1 are both current production-tier models. DeepSeek V3.2 is meaningfully cheaper at $0.28 / $0.42 per 1M. GLM-5.1 leads on coding, long-context retrieval, multilingual.
Specs side by side
| Metric | DeepSeek DeepSeek V3.2 | Z.ai GLM-5.1 |
|---|---|---|
| Input price (per 1M) | $0.28 | $1 |
| Output price (per 1M) | $0.42 | $3.2 |
| Context window | 128k tokens | 200k tokens |
| Speed tier | balanced | balanced |
| Open weights | Yes | Yes |
| EU region | No | No |
| Free tier | OpenRouter | bigmodel.cn |
| Prompt caching | Yes | No |
| Vision input | No | No |
| Extended thinking | Yes | Yes |
When to choose each
Choose DeepSeek V3.2 if…
- Cost is a priority ($0.28 / $0.42 per 1M vs $1 / $3.2 per 1M)
Choose GLM-5.1 if…
- Coding is central to your workload
- Long-context retrieval is central to your workload
Benchmark delta
DeepSeek V3.2 leads on
DeepSeek V3.2 has no meaningful benchmark lead in this pair.
GLM-5.1 leads on
- Coding
- Long-context retrieval
- Multilingual
- Tool use
FAQ — DeepSeek V3.2 vs GLM-5.1
DeepSeek V3.2 vs GLM-5.1 — which is better?
DeepSeek V3.2 and GLM-5.1 are both current production-tier models. DeepSeek V3.2 is meaningfully cheaper at $0.28 / $0.42 per 1M. GLM-5.1 leads on coding, long-context retrieval, multilingual. The right pick depends on your use case — see "When to choose each" above for a data-driven decision.
How does DeepSeek V3.2 pricing compare to GLM-5.1?
DeepSeek V3.2 costs $0.28 / $0.42 per 1M vs GLM-5.1 at $1 / $3.2 per 1M. DeepSeek V3.2 is cheaper on output tokens by roughly 662%. Both support prompt caching, which reduces effective cost by 80-90% on repeat system prompts.
Does DeepSeek V3.2 or GLM-5.1 have the bigger context window?
GLM-5.1 has a 200k-token context window — 2× the 128k context of DeepSeek V3.2. Enough for long reports and multi-document analysis.
Is there a free tier for DeepSeek V3.2 or GLM-5.1?
DeepSeek V3.2: yes — Often available free via OpenRouter; official API is very cheap ($0.28 cache miss, $0.028 cached input). GLM-5.1: yes — Free tier with monthly token allowance.
Which is better for coding — DeepSeek V3.2 or GLM-5.1?
GLM-5.1 leads on coding benchmarks (DeepSeek V3.2: 88/100, GLM-5.1: 93/100). For production coding agents also weigh tool-use performance — DeepSeek V3.2 scores 82, GLM-5.1 scores 86.