DeepSeek R1 vs GLM-5 Turbo
DeepSeek R1 (2025) and GLM-5 Turbo (2026) are frontier-tier reasoning models from DeepSeek and Zhipu AI. DeepSeek R1 ships a 128K-token context window, while GLM-5 Turbo ships a 200k-token context window. On pricing, DeepSeek R1 costs $0.1/1M input tokens versus $1.2/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, capabilities, benchmarks, provider availability, and production fit. It focuses on practical selection signals rather than broad model-family marketing.
DeepSeek R1 is ~1100% cheaper at $0.1/1M; pay for GLM-5 Turbo only for long-context analysis.
Specs
| Released | 2025-01-20 | 2026-03-01 |
| Context window | 128K | 200k |
| Parameters | 671B, 37B Active | 744B total, 40B active |
| Architecture | decoder only | mixture of experts |
| License | Open Source | Proprietary |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | - |
Pricing and availability
| DeepSeek R1 | GLM-5 Turbo | |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.1/1M tokens | $1.2/1M tokens |
| Output price | $0.3/1M tokens | $4/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| DeepSeek R1 | GLM-5 Turbo | |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | ||
| Multimodal | ||
| Reasoning | ||
| Function calling | ||
| Tool use | ||
| Structured outputs | ||
| Code execution |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on function calling: GLM-5 Turbo, tool use: GLM-5 Turbo, and code execution: DeepSeek R1. Both models share reasoning mode 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, DeepSeek R1 lists $0.1/1M input and $0.3/1M output tokens, while GLM-5 Turbo lists $1.2/1M input and $4/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts DeepSeek R1 lower by about $1.88 per million blended tokens. Availability is 13 providers versus 1, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose DeepSeek R1 when coding workflow support, lower input-token cost, and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose GLM-5 Turbo when long-context analysis and larger context windows are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship. This keeps the decision grounded in measurable tradeoffs instead of brand-level assumptions. It also helps separate model capability from provider packaging, which can change cost and latency.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, DeepSeek R1 or GLM-5 Turbo?
GLM-5 Turbo supports 200k tokens, while DeepSeek R1 supports 128K tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Which is cheaper, DeepSeek R1 or GLM-5 Turbo?
DeepSeek R1 is cheaper on tracked token pricing. DeepSeek R1 costs $0.1/1M input and $0.3/1M output tokens. GLM-5 Turbo costs $1.2/1M input and $4/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is DeepSeek R1 or GLM-5 Turbo open source?
DeepSeek R1 is listed under Open Source. GLM-5 Turbo is listed under Proprietary. 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 reasoning mode, DeepSeek R1 or GLM-5 Turbo?
Both DeepSeek R1 and GLM-5 Turbo expose reasoning mode. The better choice depends on benchmark fit, context budget, pricing, and whether your provider route exposes the same capability surface. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Which is better for function calling, DeepSeek R1 or GLM-5 Turbo?
GLM-5 Turbo has the clearer documented function calling signal in this comparison. If function calling is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run DeepSeek R1 and GLM-5 Turbo?
DeepSeek R1 is available on DeepSeek Platform, OpenRouter, Together AI, Fireworks AI, and NVIDIA NIM. GLM-5 Turbo is available on OpenRouter. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-04-24. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.