GLM-5.2 vs Gemini 3.6 Flash — LLM API Cost Comparison
Compare GLM-5.2 (Zhipu AI (GLM)) vs Gemini 3.6 Flash (Google) on cost per million tokens, context window, and monthly spend.
Prices verified 2026-08-03 · Pricing may change — use the calculator for current estimates
- Input
- $8/1M tokens
- Output
- $28/1M tokens
- Context
- 1M tokens
- Released
- 2026-06
Latest Zhipu flagship; 1M context and 128K maximum output
- Input
- $1.5/1M tokens
- Output
- $7.5/1M tokens
- Context
- 1M tokens
- Released
- 2026-07
Latest stable Gemini Flash; agentic and multimodal workloads; 1M context
Monthly Cost by Usage Tier (70% input / 30% output ratio)
| Usage | GLM-5.2 | Gemini 3.6 Flash | Cheaper by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light (1M tokens) | $14.00 | $3.30 | Gemini 3.6 Flash (76%) |
| Moderate (10M tokens) | $140 | $33.00 | Gemini 3.6 Flash (76%) |
| Heavy (100M tokens) | $1,400 | $330 | Gemini 3.6 Flash (76%) |
| Very Heavy (1B tokens) | $14,000 | $3,300 | Gemini 3.6 Flash (76%) |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper — GLM-5.2 or Gemini 3.6 Flash?
For input tokens, Gemini 3.6 Flash is cheaper at $1.5/1M tokens — 5.3× less than $8/1M. For output tokens, Gemini 3.6 Flash wins at $7.5/1M vs $28/1M. At heavy workloads (100M tokens/month), the cost difference can be significant.
What is the context window difference between GLM-5.2 and Gemini 3.6 Flash?
GLM-5.2 supports 1,000,000 tokens per request; Gemini 3.6 Flash supports 1,048,576 tokens. Gemini 3.6 Flash wins on context length, making it better for long documents, large codebases, or extended conversations without chunking.
When should I choose GLM-5.2 over Gemini 3.6 Flash?
Choose GLM-5.2 (Zhipu AI (GLM)) if you prefer Zhipu AI (GLM)'s ecosystem, tooling, or reliability track record. Latest Zhipu flagship; 1M context and 128K maximum output. Choose Gemini 3.6 Flash (Google) if Latest stable Gemini Flash; agentic and multimodal workloads; 1M context. the price/performance fits your workload better. Use this calculator to find the break-even point for your exact token volume.
How much does 1 billion tokens cost on GLM-5.2 vs Gemini 3.6 Flash?
At 700M input + 300M output tokens (1B total): GLM-5.2 costs $14000; Gemini 3.6 Flash costs $3300. The difference is $10700/billion tokens at this 70/30 input/output ratio.