GLM 5.3 vs Qwen3.8 27B
API pricing, context window and capabilities for GLM 5.3 and Qwen3.8 27B, side by side. Prices are the cheapest listed serving route per 1M tokens, from LiteLLM and OpenRouter.
Verdict
computed from the published numbersGLM 5.3 wins on Terminal-Bench, on intelligence and on context window. Qwen3.8 27B wins on price.
Price
Qwen3.8 27B
Terminal-Bench
GLM 5.3
Intelligence
GLM 5.3
Context window
GLM 5.3
Key takeaways
who wins on what, from the published numbersGLM 5.3 wins
- Larger context window (1M vs 262K)
- Higher max output (1M vs 33K)
- More serving providers (16 vs 7)
Qwen3.8 27B wins
- Cheaper input ($0.079 vs $0.04 /1M)
- Cheaper output ($3.08 vs $1.49 /1M)
Cheaper overall
Qwen3.8 27B
$0.04 + $1.49 /1M
Larger context
GLM 5.3
1M
More providers
GLM 5.3
16 providers
Pricing & specs
cheapest listed route · per 1M tokensOn-demand listed rates, OpenRouter routed quotes and Vercel reseller quotes. Enterprise commitments can be materially lower. An OpenRouter routed quote is the price of whichever upstream provider OpenRouter prefers today, so it moves day to day.
| GLM 5.3 | Qwen3.8 27B | |
|---|---|---|
| Input $/1M | $0.079OpenRouter routed quote | $0.04OpenRouter routed quote best |
| Output $/1M | $3.08via Sail | $1.49via Cerebras best |
| Context window | 1M best | 262K |
| Max output | 1M best | 33K |
| Serving providers | 16 best | 7 |
| Date | Released Aug 14, 2026 | Released Aug 14, 2026 |
Benchmarks
Benchmark scores, side by side| GLM 5.3 | Qwen3.8 27B | |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligence | 44.8 best | 33.7 |
| Terminal-Bench | 84% best | 80% |
| GPQA Diamond | 92% best | 91% |
| Output speed | 62 t/s best | 45 t/s |
| Latency (TTFT) | 3.50s best | 3.83s |
Cost calculator
choose a serving route for each sideInput tokens / month
Output tokens / month
GLM 5.3
via OpenRouter
$5.20
Qwen3.8 27B
via OpenRouter
$2.50
Capabilities
feature support, side by side| Feature | GLM 5.3 | Qwen3.8 27B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tool use | ✓ | ✓ |
| Reasoning | ✓ | ✓ |
| Audio | — | — |
| Prompt caching | ✓ | ✓ |
| Structured output | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web search | — | — |
Related comparisons
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, GLM 5.3 or Qwen3.8 27B?
Qwen3.8 27B is cheaper for input ($0.079 vs $0.04 per 1M tokens) as an OpenRouter routed quote. Qwen3.8 27B is cheaper for output ($3.08 vs $1.49 per 1M tokens) from Cerebras.
What is the context window difference between GLM 5.3 and Qwen3.8 27B?
GLM 5.3 has a 1M-token context window and Qwen3.8 27B has 262K tokens, so GLM 5.3 can take a larger prompt.
How do GLM 5.3 and Qwen3.8 27B compare on benchmarks?
On the tracked benchmarks, GLM 5.3 leads on Terminal-Bench, and GLM 5.3 leads on intelligence.
Listed prices from LiteLLM, OpenRouter and Vercel · last checked Oct 14, 2026
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