GPT-5.4 nano vs GLM-5.1
GPT-5.4 nano comes out ahead, 68 to 57 on our weighted score, and it is the cheaper option too.
- Our pick
OpenAI
GPT-5.4 nano
68/100- ECI145.8
- Price$0.20 / $1.25
- Context400K
Z.ai (Zhipu)
GLM-5.1
57/100- ECI149.9
- Price$1.40 / $4.40
- Context200K
Add a model
Make it a three-way comparison.
GPT-5.4 nano is our pick
GPT-5.4 nano is the better all-round choice, scoring 68/100 against GLM-5.1 (57). It leads on price, inputs & features and context window. GLM-5.1 wins on capability. The score weighs capability 50%, price 25%, inputs & features 15%, context window 10%.
- CapabilityGLM-5.1Capabilities Index (ECI): GLM-5.1 149.9 · GPT-5.4 nano 145.8
- Lowest priceGPT-5.4 nanoGPT-5.4 nano $0.463 · GLM-5.1 $2.15 per 1M tokens (3:1 blend)
- Longest contextGPT-5.4 nanoGPT-5.4 nano 400,000 · GLM-5.1 200,000 tokens
- Widest inputsGPT-5.4 nanoGPT-5.4 nano: Text, Images · GLM-5.1: Text
- Self-hostingGLM-5.1Publishes downloadable weights
| Measure | Weight | GPT-5.4 nano | GLM-5.1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CapabilityCapabilities Index (ECI) | 50% | 73 | 78 |
| Price | 25% | 66 | 34 |
| Inputs & features | 15% | 70 | 45 |
| Context window | 10% | 44 | 32 |
| Overall | 100% | 68/100 | 57/100 |
Every spec in one table
Highlighted cells lead their row. Dashes mean the data is not published.
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Capability | ||
| Capabilities Index (ECI) | 145.8 | 149.9 (best) |
| ECI rank | #75 of 148 | #51 of 148 (best) |
| GPQA DiamondGraduate-level science questions | 78.5% | 89.9% (best) |
| FrontierMath Tiers 1–3Research-level mathematics | 44.9% (best) | 36.8% |
| OTIS Mock AIME 2024–2025Competition mathematics | 87.8% | 93.3% (best) |
| SWE-bench VerifiedFixing real GitHub issues | — | 74.2% |
| SimpleQA VerifiedShort factual questions | 11.7% | 34.0% (best) |
| Price per million tokens | ||
| Input | $0.20 (best) | $1.40 |
| Output | $1.25 (best) | $4.40 |
| Cached input | $0.02 (best) | $0.26 |
| Blended (3:1) | $0.463 (best) | $2.15 |
| Long-context rate | Same rate | Same rate |
| Price source | Official OpenAI API | Official Z.AI API |
| Limits | ||
| Context window | 400,000 tokens (best) | 200,000 tokens |
| Max output | 128,000 tokens | 131,072 tokens (best) |
| Inputs and features | ||
| Text | Yes | Yes |
| Images | Yes | No |
| PDFs | No | No |
| Audio | No | No |
| Video | No | No |
| Reasoning | Yeslow · medium · high · xhigh | Yes |
| Tool calling | Yes | Yes |
| Structured output | Yes | Yes |
| Availability | ||
| Weights | Proprietary | Open |
| API model ID | gpt-5.4-nano | glm-5.1 |
| API providers | 26 | 40 (best) |
| Released | Mar 17, 2026 | Apr 7, 2026 |
| Knowledge cutoff | Aug 31, 2025 | — |
What would a month cost?
Enter your expected volume in millions of tokens. List prices only; caching and batch discounts would lower these.
GPT-5.4 nano$4.50
GLM-5.1$22.80
Which should you choose?
Which is better: GPT-5.4 nano or GLM-5.1?
GPT-5.4 nano is the better all-round choice, scoring 68/100 against GLM-5.1 (57). It leads on price, inputs & features and context window. GLM-5.1 wins on capability. The score weighs capability 50%, price 25%, inputs & features 15%, context window 10%.
Which is cheaper, GPT-5.4 nano or GLM-5.1?
GPT-5.4 nano is cheaper at $0.20 input / $1.25 output per million tokens (official OpenAI API price). GLM-5.1 costs $1.40 input / $4.40 output per million tokens (official Z.AI API price). At a typical mix of three input tokens to one output token, that is $0.463 per million tokens for GPT-5.4 nano versus $2.15 for GLM-5.1 (4.6× as much).
Which scores higher on benchmarks?
GLM-5.1 scores higher on the Capabilities Index (ECI): GLM-5.1 149.9 (#51 of 148) and GPT-5.4 nano 145.8 (#75 of 148). Their confidence ranges do not overlap (148.0–151.6 vs 143.2–147.7), so the gap is a real one. On individual benchmarks: GPQA Diamond — GLM-5.1 89.9%, GPT-5.4 nano 78.5%; FrontierMath Tiers 1–3 — GPT-5.4 nano 44.9%, GLM-5.1 36.8%; OTIS Mock AIME 2024–2025 — GLM-5.1 93.3%, GPT-5.4 nano 87.8%; SimpleQA Verified — GLM-5.1 34.0%, GPT-5.4 nano 11.7%.
Which is better for coding?
There are no published SWE-bench Verified results for GPT-5.4 nano yet, so there is no like-for-like coding score. On overall capability, GLM-5.1 leads, which tends to carry over to coding, but test on your own codebase. Both support tool calling for agent workflows.
Which has the bigger context window?
GPT-5.4 nano has the largest context window at 400,000 tokens, against 200,000 for GLM-5.1. Maximum output per response: GPT-5.4 nano up to 128,000, GLM-5.1 up to 131,072 tokens.
Which can read images, PDFs, audio or video?
GPT-5.4 nano accepts text and images; GLM-5.1 accepts text. GPT-5.4 nano handles the widest range of inputs.
Are any of these open source?
GLM-5.1 publishes its weights and can be self-hosted; GPT-5.4 nano is proprietary.
Which is newer?
GLM-5.1 is the newest, released Apr 7, 2026. GPT-5.4 nano came out Mar 17, 2026. Knowledge cutoff: GPT-5.4 nano Aug 31, 2025.
How do you decide the winner?
Each model gets a 0–100 score on capability (50%, independent benchmark results); price (25%, blended price per million tokens (3 input : 1 output), log scale); inputs & features (15%, image, PDF, audio and video input, tool calling, structured output and reasoning); context window (10%, maximum tokens per request, log scale). Dimensions missing for any model are dropped and the remaining weights rescaled, so every model is judged on the same evidence. Specs and prices come from public model listings and the labs’ own API pages; capability scores come from independent benchmark runs. Data updated Oct 4, 2026.