GLM-5.3 vs MiniMax M3
Alibaba Cloud Model Studio · Zhipu (direct) vs MiniMax · prices and specs, line by line
GLM-5.3 (Alibaba Cloud Model Studio · Zhipu (direct)) vs MiniMax M3 (MiniMax), side by side: input/output/cache-hit prices, time-based pricing, context window, modalities and a fixed-assumption monthly cost. Green marks the better row.
| Dimension | GLM-5.3 | MiniMax M3 |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor / channel | Alibaba Cloud Model Studio · Zhipu (direct) | MiniMax |
| Context window | 1024K | 1024K |
| Modalities | Text | Text, Image understanding, Video understanding |
| Features | Flagship reasoning, Strong tool calling | Latest flagship, Dual mode |
| Input (cache miss) | ¥8 | Input ≤512K ¥2.1 Input >512K ¥4.2 |
| Output | ¥28 | Input ≤512K ¥8.4 Input >512K ¥16.8 |
| Cache hit | ¥2 | Not published |
| Time-based pricing | ||
| Est. monthly cost* | ¥104.40 | ¥32.76 |
| Price source | Alibaba Cloud Model Studio — GLM-5.3 model page | Alibaba Cloud Model Studio billing |
| Verified | 2026-10-28 | 2026-10-28 |
* Fixed assumptions for the example monthly cost: 100 calls/day · 2,000 input / 800 output tokens per call · off-peak rates · 30% cache hit rate · 30-day month — the same formula and defaults as the cost calculator. USD models are converted to CNY at the reference rate for comparison (see summary). Costs within display precision are marked tied; neither side is favored.
Comparison summary (fixed usage basis)
- Estimated monthly cost: GLM-5.3 ¥104.40 vs MiniMax M3 ¥32.76 on a common CNY basis (list prices ¥104.40 / ¥32.76) — at this fixed usage, MiniMax M3 is cheaper by ¥71.64/month.
- Cost ratio: under this basis, GLM-5.3 costs about 3.2× MiniMax M3 (MiniMax M3 is ~69% cheaper). The ratio holds only at the current list prices, reference rate and fixed usage assumptions; it says nothing about capability, output quality or overall value.
- Input unit price (off-peak / single-price basis): list prices ¥8 vs ¥2.1; after conversion MiniMax M3 is lower (by ≈ ¥5.9/1M tokens).
- Output unit price (off-peak / single-price basis): list prices ¥28 vs ¥8.4; after conversion MiniMax M3 is lower (by ≈ ¥19.6/1M tokens).
- Cache-hit price (off-peak basis): GLM-5.3 ¥2; MiniMax M3 publishes no cache price (estimated at the standard input price).
- Context window: identical at 1024K.
- Modalities: GLM-5.3=Text; MiniMax M3=Text, Image understanding, Video understanding (MiniMax M3 adds Image understanding, Video understanding).
- Price sources: Alibaba Cloud Model Studio — GLM-5.3 model page (verified 2026-10-28), Alibaba Cloud Model Studio billing (verified 2026-10-28); unit: official list price per 1M tokens (GLM-5.3 in CNY, MiniMax M3 in CNY).
These are computations from published list prices under fixed call volume, token usage, cache assumptions and billing rules. They are not rankings of capability, output quality or overall value, and do not constitute purchase advice.