API cost decision in 10 seconds

NewGLM Flash Latest vs Laguna S 2.1

Pick Laguna S 2.1 for lower cost; pick GLM Flash Latest 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 Laguna S 2.1 for lower cost; pick GLM Flash Latest only if the larger context window matters more.

On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Laguna S 2.1 is estimated at $0.18 vs $0.2 for GLM Flash Latest, saving $0.02 (10% lower).

Cost-first pickLaguna S 2.1
Context-first pickGLM Flash Latest
Sample savings$0.0210%
10x traffic gap$0.2

GLM Flash Latest has more context, but Laguna S 2.1 saves $0.02 on the standard workload. 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

Same prices, different token mixes.

Cost winner changes by workload shape: input-heavy / RAG favors GLM Flash Latest, balanced workload favors Laguna S 2.1, and output-heavy chatbot favors Laguna S 2.1.

Workload shapeToken mixBetter pickGLM Flash LatestLaguna S 2.1
Input-heavy / RAG5M input + 500K outputGLM Flash Latest$0.5$0.54
Balanced workload1M input + 1M outputLaguna S 2.1$0.33$0.27
Output-heavy chatbot1M input + 5M outputLaguna S 2.1$1.32$0.99
Cheaper input GLM Flash Latest $0.075 vs $0.09 / 1M

GLM Flash Latest is $0.01 cheaper per 1M input tokens (16.7% lower; 1.2x difference).

Cheaper output Laguna S 2.1 $0.25 vs $0.18 / 1M

Laguna S 2.1 is $0.07 cheaper per 1M output tokens (28% lower; 1.39x difference).

Larger context GLM Flash Latest 1.31M vs 1.05M

GLM Flash Latest has 262.14K more context (1.25x larger).

Sample workload Laguna S 2.1 $0.2 vs $0.18

Laguna S 2.1 is $0.02 cheaper on the standard workload (10% lower).

Estimate your workload cost

Your Workload Cost

Prices are normalized to USD per 1M tokens.
GLM Flash Latest Calculating… Estimated API cost
Laguna S 2.1 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 Flash Latest has the lower input price; Laguna S 2.1 has the lower output price; GLM Flash Latest offers the larger context window. For the 1M input plus 500K output sample, Laguna S 2.1 is cheaper for the standard workload.

For a 1M input token plus 500K output token workload, the estimated API cost is $0.2 for GLM Flash Latest and $0.18 for Laguna S 2.1.

Best Fit

Choose GLM Flash Latest when you care most about lower input-token price, and larger context window.

Choose Laguna S 2.1 when you care most about lower output-token price.

Decision Notes
  • On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Laguna S 2.1 is estimated at $0.18 vs $0.2 for GLM Flash Latest, saving $0.02 (10% lower).
  • Laguna S 2.1 is $0.02 cheaper on the standard workload (10% lower).
  • GLM Flash Latest is $0.01 cheaper per 1M input tokens (16.7% lower; 1.2x difference).
  • Laguna S 2.1 is $0.07 cheaper per 1M output tokens (28% lower; 1.39x difference).
  • GLM Flash Latest has 262.14K more context (1.25x larger).
Head-to-Head Specs
FeatureNewGLM Flash Latest
(Z.ai)		Laguna S 2.1
(Poolside)
Input Price
prompt tokens per 1M		$0.075$0.09
Completion Price
per 1M tokens		$0.25$0.18
Sample Workload Cost
1M input + 500K output		$0.2$0.18
Context Window1.31M1.05M
Release Date

Use-Case Decision Matrix

Use caseBetter pickWhy
Budget-constrained productionLaguna S 2.1On the standard 1M input plus 500K output workload, Laguna S 2.1 is estimated at $0.18 vs $0.2 for GLM Flash Latest, saving $0.02 (10% lower).
High-volume input processingGLM Flash LatestLower prompt-token price matters most when prompts, retrieved passages, or documents dominate the bill.
Long responses and chatbotsLaguna S 2.1Lower output-token price matters most when assistants generate many completion tokens.
RAG or long-document workGLM Flash LatestA larger context window leaves more room for retrieved passages, conversation history, or source files.

Related Alternatives

Same-provider lower-cost swaps
  • GLM 5.2 (free) can replace GLM Flash Latest when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
  • GLM 4.5 Air (free) can replace GLM Flash Latest when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
  • GLM 4 32B can replace GLM Flash Latest when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.15.
  • Laguna S 2.1 (free) can replace Laguna S 2.1 when lower sample workload cost matters most: $0.
Larger context near this budget
  • No larger-context model is currently tracked within a close sample-cost band.

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

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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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Poolside catalog

Check other Poolside models with comparable pricing, context, or release timing.

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GLM Flash Latest

This model always redirects to the latest model in the GLM Flash family.

Laguna S 2.1

Laguna S 2.1 is the latest coding agent model from [Poolside](<https://poolside.ai/>). Laguna S 2.1 is a 118B total parameter model with 8B active parameters, scoring 70.2% on Terminal-Bench 2.1 and...