Qwen3.8 27B vs Z.ai GLM 5.3 (on Mistral): price, context and capabilities

Choose Qwen3.8 27B for images as input. Choose Z.ai GLM 5.3 (on Mistral) for self-hosting and data control and the latest release.

In short

  • A price comparison is not possible: one of them has no comparable published price.
  • Both accept 1M tokens per request.
  • Only Qwen3.8 27B offers vision, reasoning, structured output, prompt caching.

Open in the full comparison table

Which should you choose?

Each answer below comes straight from the published prices, specifications and independent benchmark results.

Self-hosting and data control

Choose Z.ai GLM 5.3 (on Mistral)

Z.ai GLM 5.3 (on Mistral) has open weights, so you can run it on your own servers; Qwen3.8 27B is only available through its provider.

Images as input

Choose Qwen3.8 27B

Qwen3.8 27B accepts images as input; Z.ai GLM 5.3 (on Mistral) does not.

Latest release

Choose Z.ai GLM 5.3 (on Mistral)

Z.ai GLM 5.3 (on Mistral) is the newer release (Aug 18, 2026, against Aug 14, 2026 for Qwen3.8 27B).

Specifications side by side

Qwen3.8 27BZ.ai GLM 5.3 (on Mistral)
ProviderAlibaba Cloud (Qwen)Mistral AI
CategoryLanguage modelsLanguage models
StatusGenerally availableGenerally available
Headline price$0.775 / 1M tokensNo data
Input$0.20 / 1M tokensNo data
Output$2.50 / 1M tokensNo data
Cached input$0.09 / 1M tokensNo data
Context window1M1M
Max output236kNo data
ReleasedAug 14, 2026Aug 18, 2026
Knowledge cutoffNo dataNo data
LicenceProprietaryOpen weights
CapabilitiesVision, Reasoning, Tool calling, Structured output, Prompt cachingTool calling
API model idqwen3.8-27bzai-glm-5-3

Benchmarks side by side

Leader in bold.

BenchmarkQwen3.8 27BZ.ai GLM 5.3 (on Mistral)
Intelligence Index No data 44.8
SciCode No data 59%
GPQA Diamond No data 91.7%
Humanity's Last Exam No data 42.3%
Long-context reasoning (AA-LCR) No data 79.7%

Independent evaluations by Artificial Analysis, run the same way for every model, at the reasoning setting shown. Percentages unless marked as an index.

Frequently asked questions

Should I choose Qwen3.8 27B or Z.ai GLM 5.3 (on Mistral)?

Choose Qwen3.8 27B for images as input. Choose Z.ai GLM 5.3 (on Mistral) for self-hosting and data control and the latest release.

Which is cheaper, Qwen3.8 27B or Z.ai GLM 5.3 (on Mistral)?

A price comparison is not possible: one of them has no comparable published price.

Which has the larger context window, Qwen3.8 27B or Z.ai GLM 5.3 (on Mistral)?

Both accept 1M tokens per request.

What is the difference between Qwen3.8 27B and Z.ai GLM 5.3 (on Mistral)?

Qwen3.8 27B is made by Alibaba Cloud (Qwen) and Z.ai GLM 5.3 (on Mistral) by Mistral AI. A price comparison is not possible: one of them has no comparable published price. Both accept 1M tokens per request. Only Qwen3.8 27B offers vision, reasoning, structured output, prompt caching.

Which is newer, Qwen3.8 27B or Z.ai GLM 5.3 (on Mistral)?

Z.ai GLM 5.3 (on Mistral) was released on Aug 18, 2026 and Qwen3.8 27B on Aug 14, 2026.