GLM 5.1 is $0.02 cheaper per 1M input tokens (2% lower; 1.02x difference).
API cost decision in 10 seconds
GLM 5.1 vs Relace Search
Pick Relace Search when budget and context both matter.
Pricing data updated:
Prices normalized to USD per 1M tokens
Sample workload: 1M input + 500K output
Budget verdict
Pick Relace Search when budget and context both matter.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Relace Search is estimated at $2.5 vs $2.52 for GLM 5.1, saving $0.02 (0.8% lower).
Cost-first pickRelace Search
Context-first pickRelace Search
Sample savings$0.020.8%
10x traffic gap$0.2
Relace Search is cheaper on the standard workload and also has the larger context window. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $0.2. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.
Cost sensitivity
Workload Sensitivity
Cost winner changes by workload shape: input-heavy / RAG favors GLM 5.1, balanced workload favors Relace Search, and output-heavy chatbot favors Relace Search.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | GLM 5.1 | Relace Search |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | GLM 5.1 | $6.44 | $6.5 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | Relace Search | $4.06 | $4 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | Relace Search | $16.38 | $16 |
Relace Search is $0.08 cheaper per 1M output tokens (2.6% lower; 1.03x difference).
Relace Search has 53.25K more context (1.26x larger).
Relace Search is $0.02 cheaper on the standard workload (0.8% lower).
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 5.1 has the lower input price; Relace Search has the lower output price; Relace Search offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Relace Search is cheaper for the standard workload.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $2.52 for GLM 5.1 and $2.5 for Relace Search.
Choose GLM 5.1 when you care most about lower input-token price.
Choose Relace Search when you care most about lower output-token price, and larger context window.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Relace Search is estimated at $2.5 vs $2.52 for GLM 5.1, saving $0.02 (0.8% lower).
- Relace Search is $0.02 cheaper on the standard workload (0.8% lower).
- GLM 5.1 is $0.02 cheaper per 1M input tokens (2% lower; 1.02x difference).
- Relace Search is $0.08 cheaper per 1M output tokens (2.6% lower; 1.03x difference).
- Relace Search has 53.25K more context (1.26x larger).
| Feature | GLM 5.1 (Z.ai) | Relace Search (Relace) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0.98 | $1 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $3.08 | $3 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $2.52 | $2.5 |
| Context Window | 202.75K | 256K |
| Release Date |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | Relace Search | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Relace Search is estimated at $2.5 vs $2.52 for GLM 5.1, saving $0.02 (0.8% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | GLM 5.1 | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | Relace Search | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | Relace Search | A larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files. |
Related Alternatives
- GLM 4.5 Air (free) can replace GLM 5.1 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- GLM 4 32B can replace GLM 5.1 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.15.
- GLM 4.7 Flash can replace GLM 5.1 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.26.
- GLM 4.5 Air can replace GLM 5.1 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.55.
- Llama 4 Scout offers 10M context with $0.23 sample workload cost.
- Grok 4.20 offers 2M context with $2.5 sample workload cost.
- Owl Alpha offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.
- Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite offers 1.05M context with $1 sample workload cost.
- No popular competitor is currently available.
Cheaper alternatives
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