GLM-5 Turbo vs o3 Mini
GLM-5 Turbo (2026) and o3 Mini (2025) are frontier-tier reasoning models from Zhipu AI and OpenAI. GLM-5 Turbo ships a 200k-token context window, while o3 Mini ships a 200k-token context window. On pricing, o3 Mini costs $1.10/1M 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.
GLM-5 Turbo is safer overall; choose o3 Mini when coding workflow support matters.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | GLM-5 Turbo | o3 Mini |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | reasoning-heavy apps, tool-calling agents, and provider-routed production | reasoning-heavy apps, tool-calling agents, and provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | RAG, Agents, and Long context | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 200k | 200k |
| Cheapest output | $4/1M tokens | $4.40/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 2 tracked | 4 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- GLM-5 Turbo has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $4/1M tokens.
- Local decision data tags GLM-5 Turbo for RAG, Agents, and Long context.
- o3 Mini has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and procurement flexibility.
- o3 Mini uniquely exposes Code execution in local model data.
- Local decision data tags o3 Mini 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
o3 Mini
$1,980
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Estimated monthly gap: $20.00. 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.
- o3 Mini is $0.40/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- o3 Mini adds Code execution in local capability data.
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter and Vercel AI Gateway; start route-level A/B tests there.
- GLM-5 Turbo is $0.40/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Code execution before moving production traffic.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-03-01 | 2025-01-31 |
| Context window | 200k | 200k |
| Parameters | 744B total, 40B active | — |
| Architecture | mixture of experts | decoder only |
| License | MIT(OSI) | Proprietary |
| Openness | Open source | Proprietary |
| Commercial use | Commercial use allowed | Commercial use with conditions |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2025-11 | 2025-04 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | GLM-5 Turbo | o3 Mini |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $1.20/1M tokens | $1.10/1M tokens |
| Output price | $4/1M tokens | $4.40/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | GLM-5 Turbo | o3 Mini |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | No |
| Multimodal | No | No |
| Reasoning | Yes | Yes |
| Function calling | Yes | Yes |
| Tool use | Yes | Yes |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| Code execution | No | Yes |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
No shared benchmark rows are currently sourced for this pair.
Deep dive
The capability footprint differs most on code execution: o3 Mini. 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, GLM-5 Turbo lists $1.20/1M input and $4/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while o3 Mini lists $1.10/1M input and $4.40/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts GLM-5 Turbo lower by about $0.05 per million blended tokens. Availability is 2 providers versus 4, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose GLM-5 Turbo when provider fit are central to the workload. Choose o3 Mini when coding workflow support, 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. 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 o3 Mini?
GLM-5 Turbo supports 200k tokens, while o3 Mini 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 o3 Mini?
GLM-5 Turbo is cheaper on tracked token pricing. GLM-5 Turbo costs $1.20/1M input and $4/1M output tokens. o3 Mini costs $1.10/1M input and $4.40/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is GLM-5 Turbo or o3 Mini open source?
GLM-5 Turbo is listed under MIT. o3 Mini 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, GLM-5 Turbo or o3 Mini?
Both GLM-5 Turbo and o3 Mini 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, GLM-5 Turbo or o3 Mini?
Both GLM-5 Turbo and o3 Mini expose function calling. 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-5 Turbo and o3 Mini?
GLM-5 Turbo is available on OpenRouter and Vercel AI Gateway. o3 Mini is available on OpenRouter, Azure OpenAI, OpenAI API, and Vercel AI Gateway. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-06-04. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.