comparison
Gemini 2.5 Flash vs GLM 4.6
Token pricing, context window and real monthly cost, side by side. Gemini 2.5 Flash is the cheaper of the two for a typical workload (near-identical cost).
Positioned by published specs — size, context and modality — not measured performance; a smaller model can sometimes outperform a larger one on your task.
Gemini 2.5 Flash and GLM 4.6 are the same class (Mid) on size & context, so they're plausible substitutes — decide on price, modality and provider fit.
| metric | Gemini 2.5 Flash | GLM 4.6 |
|---|---|---|
| Input / 1M | $0.30 | $0.50 |
| Output / 1M | $2.50 | $2.00 |
| Context | 1.0M | 205K |
| Technical class | Mid | Mid |
| Cost @ typical workload | $340/mo | $350/mo |
| Modality | text + image + audio + video | Text only |
| Price source | list | routed |
| Provider | Z.AI |
Snapshot . Cost uses a typical workload; tune it in the calculator. How we measure →
Which should you pick?
On a typical workload, Gemini 2.5 Flash costs $340/mo against GLM 4.6's $350/mo, essentially the same. But the ranking depends on your output-to-input ratio: output is the pricier direction for both, so an output-heavy job (code generation, long answers) widens the gap while an input-heavy one (summarization, retrieval) narrows it. If you need to fit more in a single prompt, Gemini 2.5 Flash has the larger 1.0M-token window (~1,573 pages). Only Gemini 2.5 Flash accepts image input — decisive if your prompts include images. By technical class — a spec read of size and context, not measured capability — both are Mid, so this is a like-for-like price decision.
These are list and routed market prices, not measured outcomes. Two models at the same rate can still cost different amounts to finish the same task, because verbose or reasoning-heavy models emit more tokens. That gap is exactly what measured cost-per-task captures. The technical-class read above is likewise spec-based — size, context and modality, not measured performance — so a smaller model can still outperform a larger one on your specific task.
Frequently asked questions
Is Gemini 2.5 Flash or GLM 4.6 cheaper?
For a typical workload (1,500 input + 500 output tokens × 200,000 requests/month), Gemini 2.5 Flash costs $340/mo versus $350/mo for GLM 4.6. Because output is priced higher than input, the winner can flip if your workload writes much more or less than this; check your own numbers in the calculator.
What's the main difference between Gemini 2.5 Flash and GLM 4.6?
On price, Gemini 2.5 Flash is $0.30/$2.50 per 1M (in/out) and GLM 4.6 is $0.50/$2.00. By technical class (size & context) they're the same — both Mid. Gemini 2.5 Flash has the larger context window at 1.0M tokens. Only Gemini 2.5 Flash accepts image input.
Which handles longer prompts, Gemini 2.5 Flash or GLM 4.6?
Gemini 2.5 Flash — its 1.0M-token context window (~1,573 pages of text) is the larger of the two, by roughly 5×.
More comparisons
- GPT-5.4 mini vs Gemini 2.5 Flash
- GPT-5.4 mini vs GLM 4.6
- Gemini 2.5 Flash vs GPT-5.4 nano
- GLM 4.6 vs GPT-5.4 nano
- Claude Haiku 4.5 vs Gemini 2.5 Flash
- Claude Haiku 4.5 vs GLM 4.6
Related
- Gemini 2.5 Flash and GLM 4.6 — full specs and price history.
- API cost calculator — compare on your own workload.
- All comparisons — the full head-to-head index.