China AI Hub
Comparisons / Qwen3.8-Max vs GLM-5.3: API Access, Openness and Media Support
Qwen3.8-Max vs GLM-5.3: API Access, Openness and Media Support
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 | Qwen3.8-Max | GLM-5.3 |
|---|---|---|
| Context window | 1,048,576 tokens | 1,048,576 tokens |
| Maximum output | 131,072 tokens | 131,072 tokens |
| Input price (per 1M) | $2.00 | $1.40 |
| Output price (per 1M) | $6.00 | $4.40 |
| Open weights | No (proprietary) | Yes (Apache-2.0) |
| API available | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning | Yes | Yes |
| Coding | Yes | Yes |
| Vision / Video | Yes / Yes | Not listed |
| Tool calling | Yes | Not listed |
| Structured output | Yes | Not listed |
| Benchmark records in DB | 5 | 4 |
Pricing
Qwen3.8-Max lists $2.00 input / $6.00 output per 1M tokens; GLM-5.3 lists $1.40 input / $4.40 output — about 30% lower on both axes. Both prices come from official provider pages. Reasoning workloads multiply output tokens, so the output-price difference compounds on long chains of thought.
Context
Identical listed context: 1,048,576 tokens input, 131,072 tokens maximum output. On this axis the two are equivalent per the database.
Capabilities
Both list reasoning and coding. Qwen3.8-Max additionally lists vision, video, tool calling and structured output. GLM-5.3 lists none of those four. For document-image, video and structured-output workflows, the database records a clear difference in listed capability.
Openness and deployment
This is the largest split. GLM-5.3 is open weight under Apache-2.0 and can be self-hosted; Qwen3.8-Max is proprietary and API-only. Organizations with data-residency or self-hosting requirements have an option in one and not the other.
Benchmarks and verification
The database holds 5 benchmark records for Qwen3.8-Max and 4 for GLM-5.3, each labeled with source type and version. Counts differ because benchmarks differ; we do not rank the models. Check the benchmark pages for per-benchmark scores and source-type labels.
Trade-off summary
- Media and tools: Qwen3.8-Max lists vision, video, tool calling and structured output; GLM-5.3 lists none of these.
- Openness: GLM-5.3 is Apache-2.0 open weight and self-hostable; Qwen3.8-Max is API-only.
- Price: GLM-5.3 lists roughly 30% lower input and output prices.
- Context: identical listed windows.
Choose by deployment constraints and workload: self-hosting and budget favor GLM-5.3’s openness and price; vision/video and tool-heavy pipelines favor Qwen3.8-Max’s listed capabilities. Verify prices on the official pages before committing.