DeepSeek vs 
Zhipu AI
Verdict
- Their flagships are level: GLM-5.3-Flash 61.0 vs Deepseek v4 Pro 60.3.
- Zhipu AI has the better model in 4 of 4 price bands.
- DeepSeek's fastest ranked model (Deepseek v4 Flash Vision, 119 tok/s) beats Zhipu AI's (GLM-4.7-Flash, 97 tok/s).
- Zhipu AI publishes more open-weights models (14 vs 10).
- Zhipu AI ships more often: one model every 28 days against every 84.
Best model per price band
Each provider’s highest-index model below the price ceiling. Purple marks the winner of the band.
| Price band | DeepSeek | Zhipu AI |
|---|---|---|
| Under $0.50/M | DeepSeek V4 Flash high 59.3$0.168/M | GLM-5.3-Flash 61.0$0.119/M |
| Under $2/M | DeepSeek V4 Pro high 60.0$0.548/M | GLM-5.3-Flash 61.0$0.119/M |
| Under $10/M | DeepSeek V4 Pro high 60.0$0.548/M | GLM-5.3-Flash 61.0$0.119/M |
| Any price | DeepSeek V4 Pro high 60.0$0.548/M | GLM-5.3-Flash 61.0$0.119/M |
Line-up
| Metric | DeepSeek | Zhipu AI |
|---|---|---|
| Flagship index | 60.3 | 61.0 |
| Ranked models | 14 | 14 |
| Open-weights models | 10 | 14 |
| Cheapest ranked, $/M | $0.068 | $0.119 |
| Fastest ranked, tok/s | 119 | 97 |
| Release cadence, days | 84 | 28 |
| Last release | 21 Aug 2026 | 20 Aug 2026 |
| Next expected | 10 Oct 2026 – 16 Dec 2026 | 5 Sept 2026 – 28 Sept 2026 |