Real data comparison
DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash (batch) vs Z.ai: GLM 5.3 Flash (batch)
On quality, Z.ai: GLM 5.3 Flash (batch) leads (41.8 vs 39.5). On price, DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash (batch) is cheaper ($0.20 vs $0.24 per 1M). In real production usage, DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash (batch) is used more (rank #4 vs #5 of 353). Across 25 real task categories where both models have classified traffic, Z.ai: GLM 5.3 Flash (batch) handles more of the traffic in 14 of them.
- DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash (batch)
- Z.ai: GLM 5.3 Flash (batch)
Head-to-head by real task
DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash (batch) leads 11 of 25 shared task categories by real classified traffic share; Z.ai: GLM 5.3 Flash (batch) leads 14. Not a benchmark score - this is what developers actually route to each model for, per OpenRouter's task classification.
| Task | DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash (batch) | Z.ai: GLM 5.3 Flash (batch) |
|---|---|---|
| Code Review | 9.2% | 28.5% |
| DevOps & Config | 14.3% | 30.5% |
| Security Audit | 18.5% | 7.1% |
| Research & Reports | 9.4% | 16.3% |
| Web Search | 7.2% | 12.8% |
| Roleplay & Fiction | 7.8% | 3.0% |
| Q&A & Knowledge | 5.7% | 10.3% |
| Tool Dispatch | 9.1% | 4.8% |
| Data Transformation | 3.4% | 7.3% |
| Code Generation | 15.7% | 19.0% |
| SQL & Database | 11.7% | 8.5% |
| File I/O | 14.9% | 12.0% |
| Multi-step Planning | 11.4% | 14.3% |
| Shell Execution | 16.4% | 13.7% |
| Debugging | 17.0% | 15.0% |
| Workflow Execution | 10.2% | 12.2% |
| Finance & Trading | 6.2% | 4.3% |
| Memory Extraction | 4.4% | 5.7% |
| Repo Scanning | 13.7% | 12.9% |
| Math | 7.1% | 7.9% |
| Customer Support | 2.8% | 2.1% |
| Conversation | 5.1% | 4.8% |
| Frontend & UI | 11.5% | 11.8% |
| DevOps | 12.7% | 12.8% |
| Content Writing | 3.9% | 4.0% |
Usage share over time
- DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash (batch)
- Z.ai: GLM 5.3 Flash (batch)
Frequently asked questions
DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash (batch) vs Z.ai: GLM 5.3 Flash (batch): which is better quality?
Z.ai: GLM 5.3 Flash (batch) scores higher on Artificial Analysis's Intelligence Index (41.8 vs 39.5).
DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash (batch) vs Z.ai: GLM 5.3 Flash (batch): which is cheaper?
DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash (batch) is cheaper at $0.20/1M vs $0.24/1M.
DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash (batch) vs Z.ai: GLM 5.3 Flash (batch): which is used more?
DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash (batch) has higher real OpenRouter usage share (rank #4 vs #5 of 353).
DeepSeek: DeepSeek V4.1 Flash (batch) vs Z.ai: GLM 5.3 Flash (batch): which wins more real-world task categories?
Z.ai: GLM 5.3 Flash (batch) handles more traffic in 14 of 25 shared task categories where both models have classified OpenRouter usage.
Source: OpenRouter (openrouter.ai/rankings), as of September 23, 2026.
Benchmark scores: Artificial Analysis (artificialanalysis.ai) via OpenRouter (openrouter.ai/rankings).
Methodology: www.smophy.ai/benchmark/methodology
Token counts originate from each provider's own tokenizer and are not directly comparable across providers.