GLM-5 vs Qianfan-OCR-Fast
GLM-5 (2026) and Qianfan-OCR-Fast (2026) are frontier reasoning models from Zhipu AI and Baidu AI. GLM-5 ships a 200k-token context window, while Qianfan-OCR-Fast ships a 66k-token context window. On pricing, GLM-5 costs $0.60/1M input tokens versus $0.68/1M 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.
Qianfan-OCR-Fast is safer overall; choose GLM-5 when reasoning depth matters.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | GLM-5 | Qianfan-OCR-Fast |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | reasoning-heavy apps, tool-calling agents, and provider-routed production | multimodal apps |
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | Vision |
| Context window | 200k | 66k |
| Cheapest output | $2.08/1M tokens | $2.81/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 7 tracked | 1 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 0 rows | 0 rows |
Decision tradeoffs
- GLM-5 has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- 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.
- GLM-5 uniquely exposes Reasoning, Function calling, and Tool use in local model data.
- Local decision data tags GLM-5 for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- Qianfan-OCR-Fast uniquely exposes Vision and Multimodal in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Qianfan-OCR-Fast for Vision.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
GLM-5
$1,000
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Qianfan-OCR-Fast
$1,247
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Estimated monthly gap: $247. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Qianfan-OCR-Fast is $0.73/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Check replacement coverage for Reasoning, Function calling, and Tool use before moving production traffic.
- Qianfan-OCR-Fast adds Vision and Multimodal in local capability data.
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- GLM-5 is $0.73/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision and Multimodal before moving production traffic.
- GLM-5 adds Reasoning, Function calling, and Tool use in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-02-11 | 2026-04-20 |
| Context window | 200k | 66k |
| Parameters | 744B total, 40B active | — |
| Architecture | mixture of experts | decoder only |
| License | MIT | Proprietary |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2025-11 | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | GLM-5 | Qianfan-OCR-Fast |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.60/1M tokens | $0.68/1M tokens |
| Output price | $2.08/1M tokens | $2.81/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | GLM-5 | Qianfan-OCR-Fast |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | Yes |
| Multimodal | No | Yes |
| Reasoning | Yes | No |
| Function calling | Yes | No |
| Tool use | Yes | No |
| Structured outputs | Yes | No |
| Code execution | No | No |
| 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 vision: Qianfan-OCR-Fast, multimodal input: Qianfan-OCR-Fast, reasoning mode: GLM-5, function calling: GLM-5, tool use: GLM-5, and structured outputs: GLM-5. Both models share the core language-model surface, 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 lists $0.60/1M input and $2.08/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while Qianfan-OCR-Fast lists $0.68/1M input and $2.81/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts GLM-5 lower by about $0.27 per million blended tokens. Availability is 7 providers versus 1, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose GLM-5 when reasoning depth, larger context windows, and lower input-token cost are central to the workload. Choose Qianfan-OCR-Fast when vision-heavy evaluation 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 or Qianfan-OCR-Fast?
GLM-5 supports 200k tokens, while Qianfan-OCR-Fast supports 66k 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-5 or Qianfan-OCR-Fast?
GLM-5 is cheaper on tracked token pricing. GLM-5 costs $0.60/1M input and $2.08/1M output tokens. Qianfan-OCR-Fast costs $0.68/1M input and $2.81/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is GLM-5 or Qianfan-OCR-Fast open source?
GLM-5 is listed under MIT. Qianfan-OCR-Fast 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 vision, GLM-5 or Qianfan-OCR-Fast?
Qianfan-OCR-Fast 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-5 or Qianfan-OCR-Fast?
Qianfan-OCR-Fast 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 GLM-5 and Qianfan-OCR-Fast?
GLM-5 is available on Fireworks AI, OpenRouter, Together AI, GCP Vertex AI, and NVIDIA NIM. Qianfan-OCR-Fast is available on OpenRouter. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-05-22. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.