GLM-5.2 vs Kimi K3
GLM-5.2 and Kimi K3 are both current other production-tier models. GLM-5.2 is meaningfully cheaper at $1.4 / $4.4 per 1M. Kimi K3 leads on general knowledge, instruction following, tool use.
Specs side by side
| Metric | Z.ai GLM-5.2 | Z.ai Kimi K3 |
|---|---|---|
| Input price (per 1M) | $1.4 | $3 |
| Output price (per 1M) | $4.4 | $15 |
| Context window | 1M tokens | 1.0M tokens |
| Speed tier | balanced | balanced |
| Open weights | Yes | No |
| EU region | No | No |
| Free tier | bigmodel.cn | No |
| Prompt caching | Yes | Yes |
| Vision input | No | Yes |
| Extended thinking | Yes | Yes |
When to choose each
Choose GLM-5.2 if…
- Cost is a priority ($1.4 / $4.4 per 1M vs $3 / $15 per 1M)
- You need open weights for self-hosting or fine-tuning
- You want a free tier for prototyping
Choose Kimi K3 if…
- You need image input / vision
- General knowledge is central to your workload
- Instruction following is central to your workload
Benchmark delta
GLM-5.2 leads on
GLM-5.2 has no meaningful benchmark lead in this pair.
Kimi K3 leads on
- General knowledge
- Instruction following
- Tool use
FAQ — GLM-5.2 vs Kimi K3
GLM-5.2 vs Kimi K3 — which is better?
GLM-5.2 and Kimi K3 are both current other production-tier models. GLM-5.2 is meaningfully cheaper at $1.4 / $4.4 per 1M. Kimi K3 leads on general knowledge, instruction following, tool use. The right pick depends on your use case — see "When to choose each" above for a data-driven decision.
How does GLM-5.2 pricing compare to Kimi K3?
GLM-5.2 costs $1.4 / $4.4 per 1M vs Kimi K3 at $3 / $15 per 1M. GLM-5.2 is cheaper on output tokens by roughly 241%. Both support prompt caching, which reduces effective cost by 80-90% on repeat system prompts.
Does GLM-5.2 or Kimi K3 have the bigger context window?
Kimi K3 has a 1.0M-token context window — 1× the 1M context of GLM-5.2. Enough for entire codebases, books, or multi-document RAG.
Is there a free tier for GLM-5.2 or Kimi K3?
GLM-5.2: yes — Free tier with monthly token allowance. Kimi K3: no — No free API tier; kimi.com web chat is free with limits.
Which is better for coding — GLM-5.2 or Kimi K3?
Kimi K3 leads on coding benchmarks (GLM-5.2: 93/100, Kimi K3: 95/100). For production coding agents also weigh tool-use performance — GLM-5.2 scores 86, Kimi K3 scores 90.