Claude Opus 4.8 vs GLM-5.2: API Pricing
Input and output token rates, context windows, and real monthly cost for Claude Opus 4.8 (Anthropic) and GLM-5.2 (Z.ai), side by side. Prices are standard on-demand rates as of June 2026.
The short answer
For a typical coding-agent workload (60M in / 12M out per month), GLM-5.2 is the cheaper option at $137/mo versus $600/mo for Claude Opus 4.8 - about 77% less (4.4× cheaper). On the headline sticker of 1M input + 1M output, Claude Opus 4.8 is $30.00 and GLM-5.2 is $5.80.
Rates at a glance
| Claude Opus 4.8 | GLM-5.2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Input ($/1M tokens) | $5.00 | $1.40 |
| Output ($/1M tokens) | $25.00 | $4.40 |
| Blended (1M in + 1M out) | $30.00 | $5.80 |
| Context window | 1,000K | 200K |
| Type | Proprietary | Open-weight |
| Provider | Anthropic | Z.ai |
Monthly cost by workload
Estimated monthly API spend at each workload's token volume. Output usually costs several times input, so the winner can flip with your mix.
| Workload | Claude Opus 4.8 | GLM-5.2 | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chatbot / assistant 10M in / 3M out | $125/mo | $27.20/mo | GLM-5.2 |
| Coding agent 60M in / 12M out | $600/mo | $137/mo | GLM-5.2 |
| RAG / summarization 40M in / 4M out | $300/mo | $73.60/mo | GLM-5.2 |
| Batch / classification 20M in / 2M out | $150/mo | $36.80/mo | GLM-5.2 |
Want your own in/out split? Use the full interactive comparator to rank every model and provider for your exact workload.
Frequently asked questions
Is Claude Opus 4.8 or GLM-5.2 cheaper?
It depends on your input/output mix, but for a typical coding-agent workload (60M in / 12M out per month) GLM-5.2 costs $137/mo versus $600/mo for Claude Opus 4.8 - about 77% less (4.4x). On the headline sticker (1M input + 1M output), Claude Opus 4.8 is $30.00 and GLM-5.2 is $5.80.
What are the token rates for Claude Opus 4.8 and GLM-5.2?
Claude Opus 4.8 (Anthropic) is $5.00 per 1M input and $25.00 per 1M output. GLM-5.2 (Z.ai) is $1.40 per 1M input and $4.40 per 1M output. These are standard on-demand rates, not cached or batch.
Is Claude Opus 4.8 or GLM-5.2 open-weight?
Claude Opus 4.8 is proprietary and GLM-5.2 is open-weight. Open-weight models can be self-hosted or run on third-party hosts at different rates, so the first-party price shown here is a starting point, not the only option.
What context window do Claude Opus 4.8 and GLM-5.2 support?
Claude Opus 4.8 supports 1,000K tokens and GLM-5.2 supports 200K tokens. Some models also step up pricing past a size threshold - check the source pricing pages for long-context tiers.
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