Zhipu route
glm-5.3-flash
GLM-5.3 Flash API access.
The cheap vision GLM: $0.15 input and $0.50 output per 1M tokens, 1M context. Z.ai ran a $0.075 / $0.25 launch promo through 9 September 2026; this route bills the standard published list rate. See the GLM-5.3 Flash API pricing notes.
Input / 1M tokens
$0.15
Output / 1M tokens
$0.50
Cached input / 1M tokens
$0.03
Context window
1M
Provider
Zhipu
Workload calculator
Put the token rate into context.
These examples apply the published input and output rates directly. Actual cost follows the exact tokens your client sends and the model returns.
This route is the 8th cheapest of 64 comparable text models and cheaper than 56 on the same key. Its context window ranks 43rd of 64.
Short request
$0.0020
10K input + 1K output
Agent turn
$0.020
100K input + 10K output
Exact token billing
No request minimum
One model ID change
OpenAI compatible
Cost neighbourhood
Nearby routes, same workload.
Every comparison uses the same 100K-input / 10K-output turn. Changing route is a one-line model ID edit.
Price does not measure task quality. Check GLM-5.3 Flash benchmark evidence before optimizing on cost alone. For generation routes, see GPT Image 2.
First request
Route it in one call.
Use any OpenAI SDK or tool. Keep the request shape, point the base URL at RouterPlex, and set the model ID shown here.
Read the quickstartcurl https://api.routerplex.com/v1/chat/completions \-H "Authorization: Bearer $ROUTERPLEX_API_KEY" \-H "Content-Type: application/json" \-d '{"model": "glm-5.3-flash","messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]}'
Route notes
Questions before production traffic.
01How much does the GLM-5.3 Flash API cost?+
Through RouterPlex, GLM-5.3 Flash costs $0.15 per 1M input tokens and $0.50 per 1M output tokens — the vendor list price with 0% markup, billed per token from a prepaid balance you top up from $5. Cached input tokens are billed at $0.03 per 1M instead of the full input rate, which is most of the prompt on a repeated agent or coding loop. Z.ai ran a launch promotion at $0.075 input / $0.25 output per 1M tokens through September 9, 2026. RouterPlex bills the standard published list rate of $0.15 input / $0.50 output.
02What does one GLM-5.3 Flash agent turn cost?+
A 100K-token input with a 10K-token reply costs about $0.020 on GLM-5.3 Flash. That makes it the 8th cheapest of 64 comparable text models on RouterPlex, roughly 67% more the cost of the cheapest option (Muse Spark 1.2 Contributor).
03What is a cheaper alternative to GLM-5.3 Flash?+
Qwen3.8 Flash from Alibaba is the closest cheaper model on RouterPlex — $0.020 per agent turn against $0.020 for GLM-5.3 Flash, at $0.15/1M input and $0.47/1M output. Both run on the same key and the same endpoint, so switching is a one-line model ID change.
04Is GLM-5.3 Flash cheaper than MiniMax M3.1 Flash?+
Yes. Per agent turn, GLM-5.3 Flash costs about $0.020 against $0.021 for MiniMax M3.1 Flash — 5% less.
05What is the context window of GLM-5.3 Flash?+
GLM-5.3 Flash supports a 1M token context window on RouterPlex, the 43rd largest of the 64 models that publish one.
06Can I use GLM-5.3 Flash with the OpenAI SDK?+
Yes. RouterPlex serves GLM-5.3 Flash through an OpenAI-compatible endpoint at https://api.routerplex.com/v1 — point any OpenAI SDK or tool at that base URL with your RouterPlex key and set model to "glm-5.3-flash".
Provider family
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Put GLM-5.3 Flash behind one key.
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