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Z.ai: GLM 4.5 Air (free) vs Z.ai: GLM 4 32B

Head-to-head API cost, context, and performance comparison. Synced at 2:35:10 PM.

Executive Summary

When evaluating Z.ai: GLM 4.5 Air (free) against Z.ai: GLM 4 32B , the pricing structure is a key differentiator. Z.ai: GLM 4.5 Air (free) is approximately 100% more cost-effective per 1 million tokens overall. In fact, it is currently available for free inference, though developers should be mindful of potential rate limits or stability changes common with zero-cost or preview tiers.

However, when looking at raw reasoning capabilities, Z.ai: GLM 4.5 Air (free) leads with a statistical ELO score of 1057. For tasks involving complex logic, coding, or instruction-following, developers might prefer Z.ai: GLM 4.5 Air (free), which is especially appealing given its zero-cost tier.

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Raw Technical comparison

Metric
Z.ai: GLM 4.5 Air (free)
Z.ai: GLM 4 32B
Performance (ELO)
1057
1056
Input Cost / 1M
Free
$0.10
Output Cost / 1M
Free
$0.10
Context Window
131,072 tokens
128,000 tokens

Verdict

If you are looking for pure performance and capability, Z.ai: GLM 4.5 Air (free) is statistically superior. However, if API burn rate is the primary concern, Z.ai: GLM 4.5 Air (free) wins out aggressively in pricing.

People Also Ask

Is Z.ai: GLM 4.5 Air (free) cheaper than Z.ai: GLM 4 32B ?

Yes. Z.ai: GLM 4.5 Air (free) is cheaper for both input and output generation compared to Z.ai: GLM 4 32B . Exploring alternatives often yields cost reductions.

Which model has the larger context window?

The Z.ai: GLM 4.5 Air (free) model has the advantage in memory, offering a massive 131,072 token limit for document ingestion.

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