GLM-5 vs GPT-4.1
Head-to-head comparison across 4benchmark categories. Overall scores shown here use BenchLM's provisional ranking lane.
Verdict
GLM-5 leads for most workloads.
- GPT-4.1 offers ~5× the context window — choose it for very long inputs.
Based on BenchLM composite scores, July 2026.
GLM-5
63
GPT-4.1
57
Verified leaderboard positions: GLM-5 #18 · GPT-4.1 unranked
Pick GLM-5 if you want the stronger benchmark profile. GPT-4.1 only becomes the better choice if you need the larger 1M context window.
Category Radar
Head-to-Head by Category
Category Breakdown
| Benchmark | GLM-5 | Δ | GPT-4.1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math | 56.3 | ← 52.2 | 4.1 |
| Coding | 63.3 | ← 8.7 | 54.6 |
| Inst. Following | 92.6 | ← 5.2 | 87.4 |
| Knowledge | 66.6 | ← 0.3 | 66.3 |
| Agentic | 56.2 | — | — |
| Reasoning | 60.8 | — | — |
| Multilingual | 83.1 | — | — |
Operational Comparison
GLM-5
GPT-4.1
$1 / $3.2
$2 / $8
74 t/s
108 t/s
1.64s
1.02s
200K
1M
Quick Verdict
Pick GLM-5 if you want the stronger benchmark profile. GPT-4.1 only becomes the better choice if you need the larger 1M context window.
GLM-5 is clearly ahead on the provisional aggregate, 63 to 57. The gap is large enough that you do not need to squint at the spreadsheet to see the difference.
GLM-5's sharpest advantage is in mathematics, where it averages 56.3 against 4.1. The single biggest benchmark swing on the page is SWE-bench Verified, 77.8% to 54.6%.
GPT-4.1 is also the more expensive model on tokens at $2.00 input / $8.00 output per 1M tokens, versus $1.00 input / $3.20 output per 1M tokens for GLM-5. That is roughly 2.5x on output cost alone. GPT-4.1 gives you the larger context window at 1M, compared with 200K for GLM-5.
Benchmark Deep Dive
Frequently Asked Questions (5)
Which is better, GLM-5 or GPT-4.1?
GLM-5 is ahead on BenchLM's provisional leaderboard, 63 to 57. The biggest single separator in this matchup is SWE-bench Verified, where the scores are 77.8% and 54.6%.
Which is better for knowledge tasks, GLM-5 or GPT-4.1?
GLM-5 has the edge for knowledge tasks in this comparison, averaging 66.6 versus 66.3. Inside this category, AA-Omniscience Hallucination Rate is the benchmark that creates the most daylight between them.
Which is better for coding, GLM-5 or GPT-4.1?
GLM-5 has the edge for coding in this comparison, averaging 63.3 versus 54.6. Inside this category, Terminal-Bench Hard is the benchmark that creates the most daylight between them.
Which is better for math, GLM-5 or GPT-4.1?
GLM-5 has the edge for math in this comparison, averaging 56.3 versus 4.1. Inside this category, FrontierMath v2 (Tiers 1-3) is the benchmark that creates the most daylight between them.
Which is better for instruction following, GLM-5 or GPT-4.1?
GLM-5 has the edge for instruction following in this comparison, averaging 92.6 versus 87.4. Inside this category, AA-IFBench is the benchmark that creates the most daylight between them.
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