API cost decision in 10 seconds

NewAion 3.5 Mini vs GLM Latest

Pick Aion 3.5 Mini for lower cost; pick GLM Latest only if the larger context window matters more.

Page updated:  Data confirmed:  Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output

Budget verdict

Pick Aion 3.5 Mini for lower cost; pick GLM Latest only if the larger context window matters more.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Aion 3.5 Mini is estimated at $1.4 vs $1.44 for GLM Latest, saving $0.04 (3% lower).

Cost-first pickAion 3.5 Mini
Context-first pickGLM Latest
Sample savings$0.043%
10x traffic gap$0.44

GLM Latest has more context, but Aion 3.5 Mini saves $0.04 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $0.44. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

Cost winner changes by workload shape: input-heavy / RAG favors GLM Latest, balanced workload favors Aion 3.5 Mini, and output-heavy chatbot favors Aion 3.5 Mini.

Workload shapeToken mixBetter pickAion 3.5 MiniGLM Latest
Input-heavy / RAG5M input + 500K outputGLM Latest$4.2$3.69
Balanced workload1M input + 1M outputAion 3.5 Mini$2.1$2.33
Output-heavy chatbot1M input + 5M outputAion 3.5 Mini$7.7$9.38
Cheaper input GLM Latest $0.7 vs $0.5614 / 1M

GLM Latest is $0.14 cheaper per 1M input tokens (19.8% lower; 1.25x difference).

Cheaper output Aion 3.5 Mini $1.4 vs $1.7644 / 1M

Aion 3.5 Mini is $0.36 cheaper per 1M output tokens (20.7% lower; 1.26x difference).

Larger context GLM Latest 262.14K vs 1.31M

GLM Latest has 1.05M more context (5x larger).

Sample workload Aion 3.5 Mini $1.4 vs $1.44

Aion 3.5 Mini is $0.04 cheaper on the standard workload (3% lower).

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.
Aion 3.5 Mini Calculating… Estimated API cost
GLM Latest Calculating… Estimated API cost
Cheaper for this workload Calculating… Difference: calculating…

This estimate uses normalized public API pricing per 1M tokens. It is a planning aid, not a billing quote. Verify provider pricing, limits, and terms before production use.

Quick Decision

Verdict

GLM Latest has the lower input price; Aion 3.5 Mini has the lower output price; GLM Latest offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Aion 3.5 Mini is cheaper for the standard workload.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $1.4 for Aion 3.5 Mini and $1.44 for GLM Latest.

Best Fit

Choose Aion 3.5 Mini when you care most about lower output-token price.

Choose GLM Latest when you care most about lower input-token price, and larger context window.

Decision Notes
  • On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Aion 3.5 Mini is estimated at $1.4 vs $1.44 for GLM Latest, saving $0.04 (3% lower).
  • Aion 3.5 Mini is $0.04 cheaper on the standard workload (3% lower).
  • GLM Latest is $0.14 cheaper per 1M input tokens (19.8% lower; 1.25x difference).
  • Aion 3.5 Mini is $0.36 cheaper per 1M output tokens (20.7% lower; 1.26x difference).
  • GLM Latest has 1.05M more context (5x larger).
Head-to-Head Specs
FeatureNewAion 3.5 Mini
(AionLabs)		GLM Latest
(Z.ai)
Input Price
prompt tokens per 1M		$0.7$0.5614
Completion Price
per 1M tokens		$1.4$1.7644
Sample Workload Cost
1M input + 500K output		$1.4$1.44
Context Window262.14K1.31M
Release Date

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use caseBetter pickWhy
Budget-constrained productionAion 3.5 MiniOn the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Aion 3.5 Mini is estimated at $1.4 vs $1.44 for GLM Latest, saving $0.04 (3% lower).
High-volume input processingGLM LatestLower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbotsAion 3.5 MiniLower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document workGLM LatestA larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files.

Related Alternatives

Same-provider lower-cost swaps
  • GLM 5.2 (free) can replace GLM Latest when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
  • GLM 4.5 Air (free) can replace GLM Latest when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
  • GLM 4 32B can replace GLM Latest when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.15.
  • GLM 5.3 Flash (batch) can replace GLM Latest when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.16.
Larger context near this budget
  • No larger-context model is currently tracked within a close sample-cost band.

Cheaper alternatives

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Larger context alternatives

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Provider catalogs

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AionLabs catalog

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Z.ai catalog

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Aion 3.5 Mini

Aion 3.5 Mini is a multi-model roleplaying and storytelling system from AionLabs, built on the GLM family of models. It is the smaller, lower-cost sibling of Aion 3.5 and uses...

GLM Latest

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