NVIDIA vs 
Zhipu AI
Verdict
- Zhipu AI's flagship leads: GLM 5.3 at 63.5 vs Nemotron 3 Ultra 550B A55B at 55.7.
- Zhipu AI has the better model in 4 of 4 price bands.
- NVIDIA's fastest ranked model (Nemotron 3.5 Lightning, 288 tok/s) beats Zhipu AI's (GLM 5.2, 94 tok/s).
- NVIDIA publishes more open-weights models (20 vs 15).
- Zhipu AI ships more often: one model every 28 days against every 36.
Best model per price band
Each provider’s highest-index model below the price ceiling. Purple marks the winner of the band.
| Price band | NVIDIA | Zhipu AI |
|---|---|---|
| Under $0.50/M | Nemotron 3 Super 120B A12B thinking 50.6$0.450/M | GLM 5.3 Flash 62.7$0.238/M |
| Under $2/M | Nemotron 3 Ultra 550B A55B thinking 55.7$1.13/M | GLM 5.3 Flash 62.7$0.238/M |
| Under $10/M | Nemotron 3 Ultra 550B A55B thinking 55.7$1.13/M | GLM 5.3 max 63.5$2.15/M |
| Any price | Nemotron 3 Ultra 550B A55B thinking 55.7$1.13/M | GLM 5.3 max 63.5$2.15/M |
Line-up
| Metric | NVIDIA | Zhipu AI |
|---|---|---|
| Flagship index | 55.7 | 63.5 |
| Ranked models | 16 | 14 |
| Open-weights models | 20 | 15 |
| Cheapest ranked, $/M | $0.070 | $0.153 |
| Fastest ranked, tok/s | 288 | 94 |
| Release cadence, days | 36 | 28 |
| Last release | 23 Oct 2026 | 18 Sept 2026 |
| Next expected | 13 Nov 2026 – 12 Dec 2026 | 4 Oct 2026 – 27 Oct 2026 |