Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) is $0.3 cheaper per 1M input tokens (50% lower; 2x difference).
API cost decision in 10 seconds
GLM 5 vs Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image)
Pick Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) for lower cost; pick GLM 5 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 Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) for lower cost; pick GLM 5 only if the larger context window matters more.
On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) is estimated at $1.55 vs $1.56 for GLM 5, saving $0.01 (0.6% lower).
Cost-first pickNano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image)
Context-first pickGLM 5
Sample savings$0.010.6%
10x traffic gap$0.1
GLM 5 has more context, but Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) saves $0.01 on the standard workload. At 10x that traffic, the same price gap is about $0.1. 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 Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image), balanced workload favors GLM 5, and output-heavy chatbot favors GLM 5.
| Workload shape | Token mix | Better pick | GLM 5 | Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Input-heavy / RAG | 5M input + 500K output | Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) | $3.96 | $2.75 |
| Balanced workload | 1M input + 1M output | GLM 5 | $2.52 | $2.8 |
| Output-heavy chatbot | 1M input + 5M output | GLM 5 | $10.2 | $12.8 |
GLM 5 is $0.58 cheaper per 1M output tokens (23.2% lower; 1.3x difference).
GLM 5 has 169.98K more context (6.19x larger).
Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) is $0.01 cheaper on the standard workload (0.6% 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
Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) has the lower input price; GLM 5 has the lower output price; GLM 5 offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) is cheaper for the standard workload.
For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $1.56 for GLM 5 and $1.55 for Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image).
Choose GLM 5 when you care most about lower output-token price, and larger context window.
Choose Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) when you care most about lower input-token price.
- On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) is estimated at $1.55 vs $1.56 for GLM 5, saving $0.01 (0.6% lower).
- Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) is $0.01 cheaper on the standard workload (0.6% lower).
- Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) is $0.3 cheaper per 1M input tokens (50% lower; 2x difference).
- GLM 5 is $0.58 cheaper per 1M output tokens (23.2% lower; 1.3x difference).
- GLM 5 has 169.98K more context (6.19x larger).
| Feature | GLM 5 (Z.ai) | Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) (Google) |
|---|---|---|
| Input Price prompt tokens per 1M | $0.6 | $0.3 |
| Completion Price per 1M tokens | $1.92 | $2.5 |
| Sample Workload Cost 1M input + 500K output | $1.56 | $1.55 |
| Context Window | 202.75K | 32.77K |
| Release Date | ||
| Popularity | #38 | #121 |
Use-Case Decision Matrix
| Use case | Better pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-constrained production | Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) | On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) is estimated at $1.55 vs $1.56 for GLM 5, saving $0.01 (0.6% lower). |
| High-volume input processing | Nano Banana (Gemini 2.5 Flash Image) | Lower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill. |
| Long responses and chatbots | GLM 5 | Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens. |
| RAG or long-document work | GLM 5 | 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 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
- GLM 4 32B can replace GLM 5 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.15.
- GLM 4.7 Flash can replace GLM 5 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.26.
- GLM 4.5 Air can replace GLM 5 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.55.
- Llama 4 Scout offers 10M context with $0.23 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.
- DeepSeek V4 Pro offers 1.05M context with $0.87 sample workload cost.
- DeepSeek V4 Flash · DeepSeek · #1
- Hy3 preview · Tencent · #2
- Claude Opus 4.7 · Anthropic · #3
- Claude Sonnet 4.6 · Anthropic · #4
Cheaper alternatives
Review low-cost models sorted by a standard 1M input plus 500K output workload.
Open cheapest modelsLarger context alternatives
Find models with larger context windows for RAG, long documents, and codebase review.
Open largest context modelsProvider catalogs
Compare models within provider hubs before choosing a final API vendor.
Open provider hubsZ.ai catalog
Review all tracked Z.ai models before deciding whether this matchup is the right shortlist.
Open Z.ai modelsGoogle catalog
Check other Google models with comparable pricing, context, or release timing.
Open Google modelsGLM-5 is Z.ai’s flagship open-source foundation model engineered for complex systems design and long-horizon agent workflows. Built for expert developers, it delivers production-grade performance on large-scale programming tasks, rivaling leading...
Gemini 2.5 Flash Image, a.k.a. "Nano Banana," is now generally available. It is a state of the art image generation model with contextual understanding. It is capable of image generation,...