GLM 5.2 (free) is free for input tokens while Nemotron 3.5 Lightning costs $0.08 per 1M tokens.
API cost decision in 10 seconds
NewNemotron 3.5 Lightning vs GLM 5.2 (free)
Pick GLM 5.2 (free) for lower cost; pick Nemotron 3.5 Lightning only if the larger context window matters more.
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Data confirmed:
Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens
Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output
Budget verdict
Pick GLM 5.2 (free) for lower cost; pick Nemotron 3.5 Lightning only if the larger context window matters more.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, GLM 5.2 (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.18 for Nemotron 3.5 Lightning, saving $0.18 (100% lower).
Cost-first pickGLM 5.2 (free)
Context-first pickNemotron 3.5 Lightning
Sample savings$0.18100%
10x traffic gap$1.8
Nemotron 3.5 Lightning has more context, but GLM 5.2 (free) saves $0.18 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $1.8. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
GLM 5.2 (free) stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | Nemotron 3.5 Lightning | GLM 5.2 (free) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | GLM 5.2 (free) | $0.5 | $0 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | GLM 5.2 (free) | $0.28 | $0 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | GLM 5.2 (free) | $1.08 | $0 |
GLM 5.2 (free) is free for output tokens while Nemotron 3.5 Lightning costs $0.2 per 1M tokens.
Nemotron 3.5 Lightning has 6.14K more context (1.02x larger).
GLM 5.2 (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $0.18.
Estimate your workload cost
Your Workload Cost
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
GLM 5.2 (free) has the lower input price; GLM 5.2 (free) has the lower output price; Nemotron 3.5 Lightning offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, GLM 5.2 (free) is cheaper for the standard workload.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0.18 for Nemotron 3.5 Lightning and $0 for GLM 5.2 (free).
Choose Nemotron 3.5 Lightning when you care most about larger context window.
Choose GLM 5.2 (free) when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, GLM 5.2 (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.18 for Nemotron 3.5 Lightning, saving $0.18 (100% lower).
- GLM 5.2 (free) is free for the standard workload while the other model is estimated at $0.18.
- GLM 5.2 (free) is free for input tokens while Nemotron 3.5 Lightning costs $0.08 per 1M tokens.
- GLM 5.2 (free) is free for output tokens while Nemotron 3.5 Lightning costs $0.2 per 1M tokens.
- Nemotron 3.5 Lightning has 6.14K more context (1.02x larger).
| Feature | NewNemotron 3.5 Lightning (NVIDIA) | GLM 5.2 (free) (Z.ai) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0.08 | $0 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $0.2 | $0 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $0.18 | $0 |
| Context Window | 262.14K | 256K |
| Release Date |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | GLM 5.2 (free) | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, GLM 5.2 (free) is estimated at $0 vs $0.18 for Nemotron 3.5 Lightning, saving $0.18 (100% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | GLM 5.2 (free) | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | GLM 5.2 (free) | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | Nemotron 3.5 Lightning | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files. |
Related Alternatives
- Nemotron 3 Ultra (free) can replace Nemotron 3.5 Lightning when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Nemotron 3.5 Lightning (free) can replace Nemotron 3.5 Lightning when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Nemotron 3.5 Content Safety (free) can replace Nemotron 3.5 Lightning when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- Nemotron 3 Nano Omni (free) can replace Nemotron 3.5 Lightning when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 offers 1.31M context with $0.17 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash Latest offers 1.31M context with $0.11 sample workload cost.
- Owl Alpha offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.
- Ox Alpha offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash 0731 · DeepSeek · #1
- MiMo-V2.5 · Xiaomi · #2
- Hy3 · Tencent · #3
- Ox Alpha · stealth · #4
Cheaper alternatives
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