GLM-5.2 (Max) vs Solar Mini 4
Which is better for the money: GLM-5.2 (Max) by Z AI or Solar Mini 4 by Upstage? Intelligence, total benchmark cost, and end-to-end time from Artificial Analysis & other sources, snapshot 2026-10-24.
Trade-off
Verdict
Depends on your budget
GLM-5.2 (Max) scores 9.6 points higher (33.7 vs 24.1) but costs 4.2× as much to run the benchmark ($2097 vs $502; flagship vs premium cost classes). They are not alternatives at one budget: pick GLM-5.2 (Max) when you need intelligence above 24.1, and Solar Mini 4 when 24.1 is enough.
| Metric | GLM-5.2 (Max) | Solar Mini 4 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence (higher is better) | 33.7 | 24.1 | −28.5% Solar Mini 4 is 28.5% less intelligent |
| Total AA cost (lower is better) | $2,097.29 | $502.02 | −76.1% Solar Mini 4 is 76.1% cheaper |
| End-to-end time (lower is better) | 30.10s | 27.46s | −8.8% Solar Mini 4 is 8.8% faster |
| Price per 1M tokens (in / out) | $1.40 / $4.40 | $0.10 / $0.40 | |
| Input modalities | Text | Text |
Solar Mini 4 vs GLM-5.2 (Max): 28.5% less intelligence, 76.1% less cost to run the AA benchmark, and 8.8% faster end-to-end.
Today's Pareto frontier
Against the frontier
- GLM-5.2 (Max) is off the frontier: at the same or lower cost, GPT-6.1 Sol (Max) scores 51.80 for $1082.
- Solar Mini 4 is off the frontier: at the same or lower cost, GPT-6.1 Sol (Medium) scores 47.80 for $361.
GLM-5.2 (Max)Solar Mini 4Today's Pareto frontierOpen-weights frontierEvery other model
Matchup
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Accept: text/markdown or ?format=md returns this page as Markdown. JSON: /api/v1/compare/glm-5-2/solar-mini4 · Markdown: /api/v1/compare/glm-5-2/solar-mini4?format=md · llms.txt · agent skill