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Comparisons / DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash vs GLM-5.3-Flash: The Open-Weight Budget Tier
DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash vs GLM-5.3-Flash: The Open-Weight Budget Tier
Updated: 2026-09-22
Compared entities
Comparison dimensions
All figures below are from the China AI Hub database, last verified 2026-09-22. Where a field is not publicly disclosed, we say so rather than estimating.
At a glance
| Dimension | DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash | GLM-5.3-Flash |
|---|---|---|
| Context window | 1,048,576 tokens | 1,048,576 tokens |
| Maximum output | 393,216 tokens | 131,072 tokens |
| Input price (per 1M) | $0.15 | $0.15 |
| Output price (per 1M) | $0.60 | $0.50 |
| Open weights | Yes (MIT) | Yes (Apache-2.0) |
| API available | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning | Yes | Yes |
| Coding | Yes | Yes |
| Vision / Video | Yes / Not listed | Yes / Yes |
| Tool calling | Yes | Not listed |
| Function calling | Yes | Not listed |
| Structured output | Yes | Not listed |
| Computer use | Not listed | Yes |
| Agent capability | Not listed | Yes |
| Benchmark records in DB | 5 | 3 |
Pricing
The two lowest-priced flagships in our database sit within cents of each other: both list $0.15 per 1M input tokens; DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash lists $0.60 output and GLM-5.3-Flash lists $0.50 output. (DeepSeek additionally lists off-peak pricing at half the peak rates.) At this tier, per-token differences are small; capability differences matter more.
Context and output
Identical 1,048,576-token context windows. DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash lists a 393,216-token maximum output versus 131,072 for GLM-5.3-Flash — a 3x difference for long generations.
Capabilities
Both list reasoning and coding. The profiles then diverge:
- GLM-5.3-Flash lists video, computer use and agent capability.
- DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash lists tool calling, function calling and structured output, plus vision (no video).
For structured-output pipelines, DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash lists the relevant capabilities; for agent and GUI-automation work, GLM-5.3-Flash lists them.
Openness and deployment
Both are open weight with permissive licenses: MIT for DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash, Apache-2.0 for GLM-5.3-Flash. Both can be self-hosted. This makes both candidates for local deployment with community quantization.
Benchmarks and verification
The database holds 5 benchmark records for DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash and 3 for GLM-5.3-Flash, labeled by source type and version. We do not rank the models on this page; check each benchmark page for score-by-score source labels.
Trade-off summary
- Price: essentially tied ($0.15 input both; $0.50 vs $0.60 output).
- Output length: DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash lists 3x the maximum output.
- Tools and structure: DeepSeek-V4.1-Flash lists tool/function calling and structured output.
- Agent/GUI: GLM-5.3-Flash lists computer use, agent capability and video.
- License: both permissive open weight (MIT vs Apache-2.0).
The right pick depends on whether the workload is structured API/agent-tool pipelines or GUI/video automation — the prices are close enough that capability fit should decide. Verify current prices on the official pages before committing.