Gemini 4 Hydrogen vs GLM 5.3
As of November 12, 2026, Gemini 4 Hydrogen costs 7% more per input token than GLM 5.3 ($1.50 vs $1.40 per 1M) and has a 1,048,576-token context window versus 1,000,000.
Gemini 4 Hydrogen vs GLM 5.3 side by side
| Gemini 4 Hydrogen | GLM 5.3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Input, per 1M tokens | $1.50 | $1.40 |
| Output, per 1M tokens | $7.50 | $4.40 |
| Cache read, per 1M tokens | $0.075 | $0.26 |
| Cache write, per 1M tokens | – | $0 |
| Context window | 1,048,576 tokens | 1,000,000 tokens |
| Max output | 1,048,576 tokens | 128,000 tokens |
| Image input | Yes | Yes |
| Tool calling | Yes | Yes |
| Structured output (JSON) | Yes | Yes |
| Prompt caching | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning | Yes | Yes |
| Providers on LiteLLM | 2 | 25 |
| Price shown is from | Google AI Studio | Z.ai |
| Added to LiteLLM | November 12, 2026 | August 27, 2026 |
Cheapest provider for each
- Gemini 4 Hydrogen: Google AI Studio at $1.50 input and $7.50 output per 1M tokens (
gemini/gemini-4-hydrogen) - GLM 5.3: CLF AI Gateway at $0.56 input and $1.76 output per 1M tokens (
clf_ai_gateway/glm-5.3)
When to pick which
Pick Gemini 4 Hydrogen for
- Returns up to 1,048,576 tokens per response, vs 128,000.
Pick GLM 5.3 for
- Costs 7% less per input token: $1.40 vs $1.50 per 1M.
- Available from 25 providers through LiteLLM, vs 2.
From differences in the data above only; where the data is equal, no reason is given.
Call Gemini 4 Hydrogen or GLM 5.3 with LiteLLM
Both use the OpenAI format through LiteLLM, so switching is a model name change. Set each provider's API key in the environment first.
from litellm import completion
messages = [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
# Gemini 4 Hydrogen
response = completion(model="gemini/gemini-4-hydrogen", messages=messages)
# GLM 5.3
response = completion(model="zai/glm-5.3", messages=messages)
# Gemini 4 Hydrogen, falling back to GLM 5.3 if the call fails
response = completion(model="gemini/gemini-4-hydrogen", messages=messages, fallbacks=["zai/glm-5.3"])FAQ
Which is cheaper, Gemini 4 Hydrogen or GLM 5.3?
GLM 5.3 is cheaper at 3 input tokens per output token: $2.15 per 1M tokens blended ($1.40 input, $4.40 output), versus $3.00 ($1.50 and $7.50) for Gemini 4 Hydrogen, as of November 12, 2026.
Which has the larger context window, Gemini 4 Hydrogen or GLM 5.3?
Gemini 4 Hydrogen has the larger context window: 1,048,576 tokens, versus 1,000,000 for GLM 5.3.
Can I switch from Gemini 4 Hydrogen to GLM 5.3 without changing my code?
Yes. Through LiteLLM both use the OpenAI format, so switching means changing the model name from "gemini/gemini-4-hydrogen" to "zai/glm-5.3", or pointing a LiteLLM gateway model alias at the other model. You can also use one as a fallback for the other.