GLM-5 vs Mistral Large 2
GLM-5 (2026) and Mistral Large 2 (2025) are frontier reasoning models from Zhipu AI and MistralAI. GLM-5 ships a 200k-token context window, while Mistral Large 2 ships a 128k-token context window. On pricing, Mistral Large 2 costs $0.48/1M input tokens versus $0.60/1M 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 is safer overall; choose Mistral Large 2 when vision-heavy evaluation matters.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | GLM-5 | Mistral Large 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | reasoning-heavy apps, tool-calling agents, and provider-routed production | multimodal apps, tool-calling agents, and provider-routed production |
| Decision fit | Coding, RAG, and Agents | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 200k | 128k |
| Cheapest output | $2.08/1M tokens | $2.40/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 7 tracked | 4 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 in local model data.
- Local decision data tags GLM-5 for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
- Mistral Large 2 uniquely exposes Vision and Multimodal in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Mistral Large 2 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
$1,000
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Mistral Large 2
$984
Cheapest tracked route/tier: AWS Bedrock
Estimated monthly gap: $16.00. 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.
- Mistral Large 2 is $0.32/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Check replacement coverage for Reasoning before moving production traffic.
- Mistral Large 2 adds Vision and Multimodal in local capability data.
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- GLM-5 is $0.32/1M 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 in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2026-02-11 | 2025-11-25 |
| Context window | 200k | 128k |
| Parameters | 744B total, 40B active | 123B |
| Architecture | mixture of experts | decoder only |
| License | MIT | True |
| Knowledge cutoff | 2025-11 | 2025-07 |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | GLM-5 | Mistral Large 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.60/1M tokens | $0.48/1M tokens |
| Output price | $2.08/1M tokens | $2.40/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | GLM-5 | Mistral Large 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | No | Yes |
| Multimodal | No | Yes |
| Reasoning | Yes | No |
| Function calling | Yes | Yes |
| Tool use | Yes | Yes |
| Structured outputs | Yes | Yes |
| 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: Mistral Large 2, multimodal input: Mistral Large 2, and reasoning mode: GLM-5. Both models share 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 lists $0.60/1M input and $2.08/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider, while Mistral Large 2 lists $0.48/1M input and $2.40/1M output tokens on the cheapest tracked provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts GLM-5 lower by about $0.01 per million blended tokens. Availability is 7 providers versus 4, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose GLM-5 when reasoning depth, larger context windows, and broader provider choice are central to the workload. Choose Mistral Large 2 when vision-heavy evaluation 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 or Mistral Large 2?
GLM-5 supports 200k tokens, while Mistral Large 2 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, GLM-5 or Mistral Large 2?
GLM-5 is cheaper on tracked token pricing. GLM-5 costs $0.60/1M input and $2.08/1M output tokens. Mistral Large 2 costs $0.48/1M input and $2.40/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is GLM-5 or Mistral Large 2 open source?
GLM-5 is listed under MIT. Mistral Large 2 is listed under True. 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 Mistral Large 2?
Mistral Large 2 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.
Which is better for multimodal input, GLM-5 or Mistral Large 2?
Mistral Large 2 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 Mistral Large 2?
GLM-5 is available on Fireworks AI, OpenRouter, Together AI, GCP Vertex AI, and NVIDIA NIM. Mistral Large 2 is available on OpenRouter, IBM watsonx, AWS Bedrock, and Mistral AI Studio. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
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Last reviewed: 2026-05-22. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.