API cost decision in 10 seconds

GLM 5 Turbo vs Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview Custom Tools

Pick GLM 5 Turbo for lower cost; pick Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview Custom Tools 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 GLM 5 Turbo for lower cost; pick Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview Custom Tools only if the larger context window matters more.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, GLM 5 Turbo is estimated at $3.2 vs $8 for Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview Custom Tools, saving $4.8 (60% lower).

Cost-first pickGLM 5 Turbo
Context-first pickGemini 3.1 Pro Preview Custom Tools
Sample savings$4.860%
10x traffic gap$48

Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview Custom Tools has more context, but GLM 5 Turbo saves $4.8 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $48. Use the calculator below to replace the sample workload with your own token volume.

Cost sensitivity

Workload Sensitivity

Same prices, different token mixes.

GLM 5 Turbo stays cheaper across input-heavy, balanced, and output-heavy sample workloads.

Workload shapeToken mixBetter pickGLM 5 TurboGemini 3.1 Pro Preview Custom Tools
Input-heavy / RAG5M input + 500K outputGLM 5 Turbo$8$16
Balanced workload1M input + 1M outputGLM 5 Turbo$5.2$14
Output-heavy chatbot1M input + 5M outputGLM 5 Turbo$21.2$62
Cheaper input GLM 5 Turbo $1.2 vs $2 / 1M

GLM 5 Turbo is $0.8 cheaper per 1M input tokens (40% lower; 1.67x difference).

Cheaper output GLM 5 Turbo $4 vs $12 / 1M

GLM 5 Turbo is $8 cheaper per 1M output tokens (66.7% lower; 3x difference).

Larger context Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview Custom Tools 202.75K vs 1.05M

Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview Custom Tools has 846K more context (5.17x larger).

Sample workload GLM 5 Turbo $3.2 vs $8

GLM 5 Turbo is $4.8 cheaper on the standard workload (60% lower).

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.
GLM 5 Turbo Calculating… Estimated API cost
Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview Custom Tools 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 5 Turbo has the lower input price; GLM 5 Turbo has the lower output price; Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview Custom Tools offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, GLM 5 Turbo is cheaper for the standard workload.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $3.2 for GLM 5 Turbo and $8 for Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview Custom Tools.

Best Fit

Choose GLM 5 Turbo when you care most about lower input-token price, and lower output-token price.

Choose Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview Custom Tools when you care most about larger context window.

Decision Notes
  • On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, GLM 5 Turbo is estimated at $3.2 vs $8 for Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview Custom Tools, saving $4.8 (60% lower).
  • GLM 5 Turbo is $4.8 cheaper on the standard workload (60% lower).
  • GLM 5 Turbo is $0.8 cheaper per 1M input tokens (40% lower; 1.67x difference).
  • GLM 5 Turbo is $8 cheaper per 1M output tokens (66.7% lower; 3x difference).
  • Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview Custom Tools has 846K more context (5.17x larger).
Head-to-Head Specs
FeatureGLM 5 Turbo
(Z.ai)		Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview Custom Tools
(Google)
Input Price
prompt tokens per 1M		$1.2$2
Completion Price
per 1M tokens		$4$12
Sample Workload Cost
1M input + 500K output		$3.2$8
Context Window202.75K1.05M
Release Date

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use caseBetter pickWhy
Budget-constrained productionGLM 5 TurboOn the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, GLM 5 Turbo is estimated at $3.2 vs $8 for Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview Custom Tools, saving $4.8 (60% lower).
High-volume input processingGLM 5 TurboLower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbotsGLM 5 TurboLower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document workGemini 3.1 Pro Preview Custom ToolsA larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files.

Related Alternatives

Same-provider lower-cost swaps
  • GLM 4.5 Air (free) can replace GLM 5 Turbo when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
  • GLM 4 32B can replace GLM 5 Turbo when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.15.
  • GLM 4.7 Flash can replace GLM 5 Turbo when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.26.
  • GLM 4.5 Air can replace GLM 5 Turbo when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.55.
Larger context near this budget
  • Llama 4 Scout offers 10M context with $0.23 sample workload cost.
  • Grok 4.20 Multi-Agent offers 2M context with $5 sample workload cost.
  • Grok 4.20 offers 2M context with $2.5 sample workload cost.
  • GPT-5.4 offers 1.05M context with $10 sample workload cost.

Cheaper alternatives

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Larger context alternatives

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Provider catalogs

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Z.ai catalog

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Google catalog

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