# GLM API cost calculator

Z.ai prices GLM per token with input, output and cached-input rates. A cache hit is billed at 18.33%–25% of the input price in our data and no write fee is listed, so a miss costs the same as normal input. Keep instructions and documents at the start of the prompt so the shared prefix is reused.

No batch price is listed for GLM in our data, so the Batch column repeats the standard price. The model tier sets the bill: [GLM-5.3](https://apicostcheck.com/models/glm-5.3/) costs 9× as much as [GLM-5.3 Flash](https://apicostcheck.com/models/glm-5.3-flash/) for the same traffic. Flash models cover classification and high-volume chat, the flagship covers reasoning and agents, and the code model is priced for long tool-use sessions. 

The table prices one workload on each model: 10,000 requests a day with 6,000 input and 500 output tokens per request. Columns: no caching; 70% of input read from the cache and 5% written to it; every request sent through the Batch API. For the same traffic [GLM-5.3](https://apicostcheck.com/models/glm-5.3/) costs 9× as much as [GLM-5.3 Flash](https://apicostcheck.com/models/glm-5.3-flash/).

| Model | Standard 10,000 req/day · 6,000 in · 500 out [Calculate with your numbers →](https://apicostcheck.com/calculator/?daily=10000&input=6000&output=500&cache=0&write=0&batch=0) | With prompt caching 10,000 req/day · 6,000 in · 500 out · cache 70% [Calculate with your numbers →](https://apicostcheck.com/calculator/?daily=10000&input=6000&output=500&cache=70&write=5&batch=0) | Batch API 10,000 req/day · 6,000 in · 500 out · batch [Calculate with your numbers →](https://apicostcheck.com/calculator/?daily=10000&input=6000&output=500&cache=0&write=0&batch=100) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [GLM-5.3 Flash](https://apicostcheck.com/models/glm-5.3-flash/) | $345/mo | $194/mo | $345/mo no batch |
| [GLM-5.3](https://apicostcheck.com/models/glm-5.3/) | $3,180/mo | $1,744/mo | $3,180/mo no batch |
| [GLM-5](https://apicostcheck.com/models/glm-5/) | $2,280/mo | $1,272/mo | $2,280/mo no batch |
| [GLM-4.7](https://apicostcheck.com/models/glm-4.7/) | $1,410/mo | $793/mo | $1,410/mo no batch |
| [GLM-5 Code](https://apicostcheck.com/models/glm-5-code/) | $2,910/mo | $1,776/mo | $2,910/mo no batch |

Estimates from published per-token rates; check official pricing before budgeting. Data synced from the LiteLLM price list 2026-10-12 12:00 UTC. 

## Cost per 1,000 requests

For 1,000 requests of 6,000 input and 500 output tokens, [GLM-5.3 Flash](https://apicostcheck.com/models/glm-5.3-flash/) costs $1.15 at standard rates, $0.65 with caching and $1.15 through the Batch API; [GLM-5.3](https://apicostcheck.com/models/glm-5.3/) costs $10.60, $5.81 and $10.60. Multiply by your own request count, or put your traffic into the calculator. 

## How to cut the bill, in order
- Keep the shared prefix at the start of every prompt so the cache hits; only the user turn should vary.
- Route by difficulty: flash for routine requests, the flagship only when a quality check fails.
- Cap output length; reasoning tokens are billed as output.
- For agents, trim or summarize old turns so the resent context stops growing; model it in the [calculator](https://apicostcheck.com/calculator/) or the agent cost page.
- Count prompts with the [token counter](https://apicostcheck.com/token-counter/) and check your hit rate in the [caching calculator](https://apicostcheck.com/prompt-caching-calculator/). 

[When does caching pay off for your traffic? Use the prompt caching calculator →](https://apicostcheck.com/prompt-caching-calculator/)

## FAQ

### Does GLM charge for cache writes?

Not in our data: a miss is billed as normal input and hits at the cached-input price. Send similar requests close together so the prefix is still cached.

### Are free quotas included in these prices?

No. Our data lists pay-as-you-go rates only. Free quotas, trial credits or coding-plan subscriptions on Z.ai's site are not included.

### Which GLM for coding agents?

Compare the code model with the flagship on cost per task, not per token: an agent resends a growing context on every call, so cached-input price and context window matter more than the headline rate. The agent cost calculator models that growth.

### Flash or flagship?

Flash for classification, extraction and high-volume chat; the flagship for reasoning, long documents and agents. Test both on your prompts and compare quality per dollar.

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Source: https://apicostcheck.com/glm-api-cost-calculator/ · prices in USD per 1M tokens, synced 2026-10-12 12:00 UTC · Free to reuse with a link to https://apicostcheck.com (CC BY 4.0). Prices derived from LiteLLM's model price list, MIT License, (c) 2023 Berri AI.