Claude 3.7 Sonnet vs GLM-5
Claude 3.7 Sonnet (2024) and GLM-5 (2026) are frontier-tier reasoning models from Anthropic and Zhipu AI. Claude 3.7 Sonnet ships a 200k-token context window, while GLM-5 ships a 200k-token context window. On MMLU PRO, GLM-5 leads by 5.7 pts. On pricing, GLM-5 costs $0.60/1M input tokens versus $3/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
GLM-5 is ~400% cheaper at $0.60/1M; pay for Claude 3.7 Sonnet only for coding workflow support.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | Claude 3.7 Sonnet | GLM-5 |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | reasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agents | reasoning-heavy apps, tool-calling agents, and provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 200k | 200k |
| Cheapest output | $15/1M tokens | $2.08/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 6 tracked | 7 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 3 rows | MMLU PRO leader |
Decision tradeoffs
- Claude 3.7 Sonnet uniquely exposes Vision, Multimodal, and Code execution in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Claude 3.7 Sonnet for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- GLM-5 holds a shared-benchmark lead on MMLU PRO, ahead by 5.7 points.
- GLM-5 has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $2.08/1M tokens.
- GLM-5 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Local decision data tags GLM-5 for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
Claude 3.7 Sonnet
$6,150
Cheapest tracked route/tier: GCP Vertex AI
GLM-5
$1,000
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Estimated monthly gap: $5,150. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter and GCP Vertex AI; start route-level A/B tests there.
- GLM-5 is $12.92/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Multimodal, and Code execution before moving production traffic.
- Provider overlap exists on GCP Vertex AI and OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Claude 3.7 Sonnet is $12.92/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Claude 3.7 Sonnet adds Vision, Multimodal, and Code execution in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024-03-04 | 2026-02-11 |
| Context window | 200k | 200k |
| Parameters | — | 744B total, 40B active |
| Architecture | decoder only | mixture of experts |
| License | Proprietary | MIT(OSI) |
| Openness | Proprietary | Open source |
| Commercial use | Commercial use with conditions | Commercial use allowed |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2024-11 | 2025-11 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | Claude 3.7 Sonnet | GLM-5 |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $3/1M tokens | $0.60/1M tokens |
| Output price | $15/1M tokens | $2.08/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | Claude 3.7 Sonnet | GLM-5 |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | No |
| Multimodal | Yes | No |
| Reasoning | Yes | Yes |
| Function calling | Yes | Yes |
| Tool use | Yes | Yes |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | Yes | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | Claude 3.7 Sonnet | GLM-5 |
|---|---|---|
| MMLU PRO | 80.3 | 86.0 |
| SWE-bench Verified | 70.3 | 77.8 |
| LiveCodeBench | 68.9 | 81.9 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, MMLU PRO has Claude 3.7 Sonnet at 80.3 and GLM-5 at 86, with GLM-5 ahead by 5.7 points; SWE-bench Verified has Claude 3.7 Sonnet at 70.3 and GLM-5 at 77.8, with GLM-5 ahead by 7.5 points; LiveCodeBench has Claude 3.7 Sonnet at 68.9 and GLM-5 at 81.9, with GLM-5 ahead by 13.0 points. The largest visible gap is 13.0 points on LiveCodeBench, which matters most when that benchmark mirrors your workload. Treat isolated benchmark wins as directional, because provider routing, prompt style, and tool access can move real application results.
The capability footprint differs most on vision: Claude 3.7 Sonnet, multimodal input: Claude 3.7 Sonnet, and code execution: Claude 3.7 Sonnet. Both models share reasoning mode, function calling, tool use, and structured outputs, so the practical split is not just feature count. Use those differences to decide whether the page is about raw model quality, agentic coding support, multimodal ingestion, or predictable structured API behavior.
For cost, Claude 3.7 Sonnet lists $3/1M input and $15/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while GLM-5 lists $0.60/1M input and $2.08/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts GLM-5 lower by about $5.56 per million blended tokens. Availability is 6 providers versus 7, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose Claude 3.7 Sonnet when coding workflow support are central to the workload. Choose GLM-5 when provider fit, lower input-token cost, and broader provider choice are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, Claude 3.7 Sonnet or GLM-5?
Claude 3.7 Sonnet supports 200k tokens, while GLM-5 supports 200k tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Which is cheaper, Claude 3.7 Sonnet or GLM-5?
GLM-5 is cheaper on tracked token pricing. Claude 3.7 Sonnet costs $3/1M input and $15/1M output tokens. GLM-5 costs $0.60/1M input and $2.08/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is Claude 3.7 Sonnet or GLM-5 open source?
Claude 3.7 Sonnet is listed under Proprietary. GLM-5 is listed under MIT. License labels affect whether you can self-host, redistribute weights, or rely only on hosted APIs, so confirm the upstream license before deployment.
Which is better for vision, Claude 3.7 Sonnet or GLM-5?
Claude 3.7 Sonnet has the clearer documented vision signal in this comparison. If vision is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Which is better for multimodal input, Claude 3.7 Sonnet or GLM-5?
Claude 3.7 Sonnet has the clearer documented multimodal input signal in this comparison. If multimodal input is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run Claude 3.7 Sonnet and GLM-5?
Claude 3.7 Sonnet is available on Snowflake Cortex, GCP Vertex AI, Replicate API, OpenRouter, and AWS Bedrock. GLM-5 is available on Fireworks AI, OpenRouter, Together AI, GCP Vertex AI, and NVIDIA NIM. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-05-22. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.