GLM-5.1 (Reasoning) vs GPT-5.6 Luna (Non-reasoning)
Which is better for the money: GLM-5.1 (Reasoning) by Z AI or GPT-5.6 Luna (Non-reasoning) by OpenAI? Intelligence, total benchmark cost, and end-to-end time from Artificial Analysis & other sources, snapshot 2026-10-26.
Trade-off
Verdict
Depends on your budget
GLM-5.1 (Reasoning) scores 10.6 points higher (26.1 vs 15.5) but costs 53× as much to run the benchmark ($1212 vs $23.0; premium vs budget cost classes). They are not alternatives at one budget: pick GLM-5.1 (Reasoning) when you need intelligence above 15.5, and GPT-5.6 Luna (Non-reasoning) when 15.5 is enough.
| Metric | GLM-5.1 (Reasoning) | GPT-5.6 Luna (Non-reasoning) | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence (higher is better) | 26.1 | 15.5 | −40.6% GPT-5.6 Luna (Non-rea… is 40.6% less intelligent |
| Total AA cost (lower is better) | $1,211.83 | $22.97 | −98.1% GPT-5.6 Luna (Non-rea… is 98.1% cheaper |
| End-to-end time (lower is better) | 59.14s | 5.06s | −91.4% GPT-5.6 Luna (Non-rea… is 91.4% faster |
| Price per 1M tokens (in / out) | $1.28 / $4.07 | $0.20 / $1.20 | |
| Input modalities | Text | Text, Image |
GPT-5.6 Luna (Non-reasoning) vs GLM-5.1 (Reasoning): 40.6% less intelligence, 98.1% less cost to run the AA benchmark, and 91.4% faster end-to-end.
Today's Pareto frontier
Against the frontier
- GLM-5.1 (Reasoning) is off the frontier: at the same or lower cost, GPT-6.1 Sol (Max) scores 51.80 for $1082.
- GPT-5.6 Luna (Non-reasoning) is off the frontier: at the same or lower cost, GPT-6 Luna (Low) scores 21.50 for $10.6.
GLM-5.1 (Reasoning)GPT-5.6 Luna (Non-reasoning)Today's Pareto frontierOpen-weights frontierEvery other model
Matchup
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