GLM-5 Turbo vs Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B
GLM-5 Turbo (2026) and Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B (2026) are frontier reasoning models from Zhipu AI and NVIDIA AI. GLM-5 Turbo ships a 200k-token context window, while Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B ships a 1.05m-token context window. On pricing, Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B costs $0.09/1M input tokens versus $1.20/1M 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.
Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B is ~1233% cheaper at $0.09/1M; pay for GLM-5 Turbo only for reasoning depth.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | GLM-5 Turbo | Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | reasoning-heavy apps, tool-calling agents, and provider-routed production | long-context analysis and provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | RAG, Agents, and Long context | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 200k | 1.05m |
| Cheapest output | $4/1M tokens | $0.45/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 2 tracked | 6 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 shared | 0 shared |
Decision tradeoffs
- GLM-5 Turbo uniquely exposes Reasoning, Function calling, and Tool use in local model data.
- Local decision data tags GLM-5 Turbo for RAG, Agents, and Long context.
- Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.45/1M tokens.
- Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- Local decision data tags Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B 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.
GLM-5 Turbo
$1,960
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B
$185
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Estimated monthly gap: $1,776. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter and Vercel AI Gateway; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B is $3.55/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Reasoning, Function calling, and Tool use before moving production traffic.
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter and Vercel AI Gateway; start route-level A/B tests there.
- GLM-5 Turbo is $3.55/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- GLM-5 Turbo adds Reasoning, Function calling, and Tool use in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-03-01 | 2026-03-11 |
| Context window | 200k | 1.05m |
| Parameters | 744B total, 40B active | 120B |
| Architecture | Mixture of Experts | Decoder Only |
| License | MITOSI-approved | NVIDIA Open Model |
| Openness | Open source | Open weights |
| Commercial use | Commercial use: permitted | Commercial use: permitted |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2025-11 | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | GLM-5 Turbo | Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $1.20/1M tokens | $0.09/1M tokens |
| Output price | $4/1M tokens | $0.45/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | GLM-5 Turbo | Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | Yes | No |
| Function calling | Yes | No |
| Tool use | Yes | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | No | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark scores are currently available for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on reasoning mode: GLM-5 Turbo, function calling: GLM-5 Turbo, and tool use: GLM-5 Turbo. Both models share 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, GLM-5 Turbo lists $1.20/1M input and $4/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B lists $0.09/1M input and $0.45/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B lower by about $1.84 per million blended tokens. Availability is 2 providers versus 6, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose GLM-5 Turbo when reasoning depth are central to the workload. Choose Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B when long-context analysis, larger context windows, and lower input-token cost 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-5 Turbo or Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B?
Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B supports 1.05m tokens, while GLM-5 Turbo 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, GLM-5 Turbo or Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B?
Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B is cheaper on tracked token pricing. GLM-5 Turbo costs $1.20/1M input and $4/1M output tokens. Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B costs $0.09/1M input and $0.45/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is GLM-5 Turbo or Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B open source?
GLM-5 Turbo is listed under MIT. Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B is listed under NVIDIA Open Model. 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, GLM-5 Turbo or Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B?
GLM-5 Turbo has the clearer documented reasoning mode signal in this comparison. If reasoning mode is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Which is better for function calling, GLM-5 Turbo or Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B?
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 GLM-5 Turbo and Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B?
GLM-5 Turbo is available on OpenRouter and Vercel AI Gateway. Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B is available on Cloudflare Workers AI, DeepInfra, NVIDIA NIM, OpenRouter, and Fireworks AI. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-06-15. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.