API cost decision in 10 seconds

GLM 5 Turbo vs o3 Mini

Pick GLM 5 Turbo when budget and context both matter.

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

Budget verdict

Pick GLM 5 Turbo when budget and context both matter.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, GLM 5 Turbo is estimated at $3.2 vs $3.3 for o3 Mini, saving $0.1 (3% lower).

Cost-first pickGLM 5 Turbo
Context-first pickGLM 5 Turbo
Sample savings$0.13%
10x traffic gap$1

GLM 5 Turbo is cheaper on the standard workload and also has the larger context window. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $1. 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 o3 Mini, balanced workload favors GLM 5 Turbo, and output-heavy chatbot favors GLM 5 Turbo.

Workload shapeToken mixBetter pickGLM 5 Turboo3 Mini
Input-heavy / RAG5M input + 500K outputo3 Mini$8$7.7
Balanced workload1M input + 1M outputGLM 5 Turbo$5.2$5.5
Output-heavy chatbot1M input + 5M outputGLM 5 Turbo$21.2$23.1
Cheaper input o3 Mini $1.2 vs $1.1 / 1M

o3 Mini is $0.1 cheaper per 1M input tokens (8.3% lower; 1.09x difference).

Cheaper output GLM 5 Turbo $4 vs $4.4 / 1M

GLM 5 Turbo is $0.4 cheaper per 1M output tokens (9.1% lower; 1.1x difference).

Larger context GLM 5 Turbo 202.75K vs 200K

GLM 5 Turbo has 2.75K more context (1.01x larger).

Sample workload GLM 5 Turbo $3.2 vs $3.3

GLM 5 Turbo is $0.1 cheaper on the standard workload (3% lower).

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.
GLM 5 Turbo Calculating… Estimated API cost
o3 Mini 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

o3 Mini has the lower input price; GLM 5 Turbo has the lower output price; GLM 5 Turbo 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 $3.3 for o3 Mini.

Best Fit

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

Choose o3 Mini when you care most about lower input-token price.

Decision Notes
  • On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, GLM 5 Turbo is estimated at $3.2 vs $3.3 for o3 Mini, saving $0.1 (3% lower).
  • GLM 5 Turbo is $0.1 cheaper on the standard workload (3% lower).
  • o3 Mini is $0.1 cheaper per 1M input tokens (8.3% lower; 1.09x difference).
  • GLM 5 Turbo is $0.4 cheaper per 1M output tokens (9.1% lower; 1.1x difference).
  • GLM 5 Turbo has 2.75K more context (1.01x larger).
Head-to-Head Specs
FeatureGLM 5 Turbo
(Z.ai)		o3 Mini
(OpenAI)
Input Price
prompt tokens per 1M		$1.2$1.1
Completion Price
per 1M tokens		$4$4.4
Sample Workload Cost
1M input + 500K output		$3.2$3.3
Context Window202.75K200K
Release Date
Popularity#85#120

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 $3.3 for o3 Mini, saving $0.1 (3% lower).
High-volume input processingo3 MiniLower 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 workGLM 5 TurboA 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 offers 2M context with $2.5 sample workload cost.
  • Owl Alpha offers 1.05M context with $0 sample workload cost.
  • DeepSeek V4 Flash offers 1.05M context with $0.2 sample workload cost.

Cheaper alternatives

Review low-cost models sorted by a standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.

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Larger context alternatives

Find models with larger context windows for RAG, long documents, and codebase review.

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Provider catalogs

Compare models within provider hubs before choosing a final API vendor.

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Z.ai catalog

Review all tracked Z.ai models before deciding whether this matchup is the right shortlist.

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OpenAI catalog

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