GLM-4V 9B vs Qwen3.5-9B
GLM-4V 9B (2024) and Qwen3.5-9B (2026) are general-purpose language models from Tsinghua Knowledge Engineering Group (THUDM) and Alibaba. GLM-4V 9B ships a 131K-token context window, while Qwen3.5-9B ships a 262K-token context window. On pricing, GLM-4V 9B costs $0.05/1M input tokens versus $0.1/1M 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.
GLM-4V 9B is ~100% cheaper at $0.05/1M; pay for Qwen3.5-9B only for long-context analysis.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | GLM-4V 9B | Qwen3.5-9B |
|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | Long context and Vision | RAG, Agents, and Long context |
| Context window | 131K | 262K |
| Cheapest output | $0.25/1M tokens | $0.15/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 1 tracked | 3 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- Local decision data tags GLM-4V 9B for Long context and Vision.
- Qwen3.5-9B has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Qwen3.5-9B has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.15/1M tokens.
- Qwen3.5-9B has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Qwen3.5-9B uniquely exposes Vision, Function calling, and Tool use in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Qwen3.5-9B for RAG, Agents, and Long context.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output prices on this page.
GLM-4V 9B
$103
Cheapest tracked route: Replicate API
Qwen3.5-9B
$118
Cheapest tracked route: Together AI
Estimated monthly gap: $15.00. Batch, cache, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for GLM-4V 9B and Qwen3.5-9B; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- Qwen3.5-9B is $0.1/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Qwen3.5-9B adds Vision, Function calling, and Tool use in local capability data.
- No overlapping tracked provider route is sourced for Qwen3.5-9B and GLM-4V 9B; plan for SDK, billing, or endpoint changes.
- GLM-4V 9B is $0.1/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision, Function calling, and Tool use before moving production traffic.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2024-06-05 | 2026-03-02 |
| Context window | 131K | 262K |
| Parameters | 9B | 9B |
| Architecture | decoder only | decoder only |
| License | Unknown | Apache 2.0 |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | GLM-4V 9B | Qwen3.5-9B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.05/1M tokens | $0.1/1M tokens |
| Output price | $0.25/1M tokens | $0.15/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | GLM-4V 9B | Qwen3.5-9B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | Yes |
| Multimodal | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning | No | No |
| Function calling | No | Yes |
| Tool use | No | Yes |
| Structured outputs | No | Yes |
| Code execution | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on vision: Qwen3.5-9B, function calling: Qwen3.5-9B, tool use: Qwen3.5-9B, and structured outputs: Qwen3.5-9B. Both models share multimodal input, 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, GLM-4V 9B lists $0.05/1M input and $0.25/1M output tokens, while Qwen3.5-9B lists $0.1/1M input and $0.15/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts GLM-4V 9B lower by about $0.01 per million blended tokens. Availability is 1 providers versus 3, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose GLM-4V 9B when provider fit and lower input-token cost are central to the workload. Choose Qwen3.5-9B when long-context analysis, larger context windows, 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. 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, GLM-4V 9B or Qwen3.5-9B?
Qwen3.5-9B supports 262K tokens, while GLM-4V 9B supports 131K tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Which is cheaper, GLM-4V 9B or Qwen3.5-9B?
GLM-4V 9B is cheaper on tracked token pricing. GLM-4V 9B costs $0.05/1M input and $0.25/1M output tokens. Qwen3.5-9B costs $0.1/1M input and $0.15/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is GLM-4V 9B or Qwen3.5-9B open source?
GLM-4V 9B is listed under Unknown. Qwen3.5-9B is listed under Apache 2.0. 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, GLM-4V 9B or Qwen3.5-9B?
Qwen3.5-9B 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. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Which is better for multimodal input, GLM-4V 9B or Qwen3.5-9B?
Both GLM-4V 9B and Qwen3.5-9B expose multimodal input. 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.
Where can I run GLM-4V 9B and Qwen3.5-9B?
GLM-4V 9B is available on Replicate API. Qwen3.5-9B is available on Together AI, OpenRouter, and Alibaba Cloud PAI-EAS. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-14. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.