Z.ai: GLM 5 ranks higher at 24/100 vs Qwen: Qwen3 235B A22B Instruct 2507 at 23/100. Capability-level comparison backed by match graph evidence from real search data.
| Feature | Qwen: Qwen3 235B A22B Instruct 2507 | Z.ai: GLM 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Model | Model |
| UnfragileRank | 23/100 | 24/100 |
| Adoption |
| 0 |
| 0 |
| Quality | 0 | 0 |
| Ecosystem | 0 | 0 |
| Match Graph | 0 | 0 |
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starting Price | $7.10e-8 per prompt token | $6.00e-7 per prompt token |
| Capabilities | 10 decomposed | 12 decomposed |
| Times Matched | 0 | 0 |
Generates coherent, contextually-appropriate text responses across 100+ languages using a mixture-of-experts (MoE) architecture where only 22B of 235B total parameters activate per forward pass. The model is instruction-tuned via supervised fine-tuning on diverse task examples, enabling it to follow complex multi-step directives, answer questions, and adapt tone/style based on user intent without explicit task-specific prompting.
Unique: Sparse mixture-of-experts architecture activating only 22B of 235B parameters per forward pass, reducing memory footprint and inference latency while maintaining instruction-following quality through targeted parameter routing rather than dense computation
vs alternatives: More efficient than dense 235B models (lower latency, smaller memory) while maintaining instruction-following quality comparable to GPT-4 class models, with native multilingual support across 100+ languages without separate language-specific fine-tuning
Maintains coherent multi-turn conversation context by processing full conversation history within the model's context window (typically 128K tokens), using transformer self-attention to weight relevant prior messages and maintain consistency across dialogue turns. The instruction-tuned architecture enables the model to track conversation state, reference previous statements, and adapt responses based on established context without explicit state management code.
Unique: Instruction-tuned architecture explicitly optimized for multi-turn dialogue through supervised fine-tuning on conversation examples, enabling natural context tracking and reference resolution without requiring explicit conversation state machine implementation
vs alternatives: More natural conversation flow than base models due to instruction-tuning on dialogue examples, with larger context window (128K tokens) than many alternatives, enabling longer conversation histories before context truncation
Generates syntactically correct code across 50+ programming languages (Python, JavaScript, Java, C++, Go, Rust, etc.) and explains existing code through instruction-tuned patterns learned from code-heavy training data. The model uses transformer attention to understand code structure, variable scope, and language-specific idioms, enabling both generation from natural language specifications and explanation of complex code logic.
Unique: Instruction-tuned specifically on code generation and explanation tasks across 50+ languages, with MoE architecture enabling efficient routing to language-specific parameter subsets rather than dense computation across all parameters
vs alternatives: Broader language coverage than specialized code models (Codex, CodeLlama) with better instruction-following for non-generation tasks like code review and explanation, though may underperform specialized models on pure code completion benchmarks
Extracts structured information from unstructured text and generates valid JSON/YAML/CSV output by leveraging instruction-tuning on structured output examples and transformer attention patterns that understand schema constraints. The model can parse natural language into structured formats, validate against implicit schemas, and generate machine-readable output without requiring external parsing libraries or schema validation frameworks.
Unique: Instruction-tuned on structured output generation examples, enabling the model to learn output format constraints from prompts without requiring external schema validation or constraint enforcement frameworks
vs alternatives: More flexible than constrained decoding approaches (which require explicit grammar/schema) because it learns format patterns from examples, though less reliable than grammar-constrained generation for strict schema adherence
Decomposes complex problems into intermediate reasoning steps using chain-of-thought patterns learned during instruction-tuning, enabling the model to show work, justify conclusions, and handle multi-step logical reasoning. The transformer architecture processes the full reasoning chain in context, allowing later steps to reference earlier reasoning and build on intermediate conclusions without explicit planning or state management.
Unique: Instruction-tuned on chain-of-thought examples enabling the model to naturally decompose reasoning without requiring explicit prompting frameworks or external planning systems, with MoE architecture potentially routing complex reasoning to specialized parameter subsets
vs alternatives: More natural reasoning flow than base models due to instruction-tuning, though may underperform specialized reasoning models (o1, DeepSeek-R1) on very complex mathematical or logical problems requiring extensive search
Integrates with external tools and APIs by accepting structured function schemas and generating function calls in JSON format, enabling the model to decide when to invoke tools, what parameters to pass, and how to incorporate tool results into responses. The instruction-tuned architecture understands function signatures and can map natural language requests to appropriate function calls without requiring explicit function-calling API support.
Unique: Instruction-tuned to understand function schemas and generate valid JSON function calls without native function-calling API, requiring custom client-side orchestration but enabling flexibility in tool definition and integration patterns
vs alternatives: More flexible than native function-calling APIs (can define arbitrary tool schemas) but requires more client-side implementation; less reliable than native function-calling due to JSON parsing requirements and lack of constrained decoding
Filters harmful content and generates responses that avoid unsafe outputs through instruction-tuning on safety examples and alignment techniques. The model learns to recognize potentially harmful requests, decline appropriately, and suggest safe alternatives without requiring external content moderation APIs. Safety constraints are embedded in the model weights through supervised fine-tuning rather than post-hoc filtering.
Unique: Safety constraints embedded through instruction-tuning on safety examples rather than post-hoc filtering, enabling the model to understand context and provide nuanced refusals with explanations rather than binary blocking
vs alternatives: More contextually-aware than external content filters (understands intent and nuance) but less configurable than modular safety systems; safety decisions are opaque and cannot be easily adjusted per use case
Synthesizes information from long documents (up to 128K tokens) by processing full text in context and generating concise summaries, extracting key points, or answering questions about document content. The transformer attention mechanism identifies relevant passages and integrates information across the entire document without requiring external chunking or retrieval systems.
Unique: Large context window (128K tokens) enables processing entire documents without chunking or retrieval, with instruction-tuning on summarization examples enabling natural summary generation without explicit summarization algorithms
vs alternatives: Larger context window than many alternatives (GPT-3.5, Llama 2) enabling full document processing without chunking, though may underperform specialized summarization models on very long documents due to attention distribution challenges
+2 more capabilities
GLM-5 processes extended code contexts (supporting multi-file projects and large codebases) while maintaining semantic understanding of system architecture through attention mechanisms optimized for code structure. The model uses specialized tokenization for programming languages and maintains coherence across thousands of tokens of code context, enabling generation of complex features that respect existing patterns and dependencies.
Unique: Engineered specifically for complex systems design with attention mechanisms tuned for code structure and architectural patterns, rather than generic language modeling — enables understanding of system-wide dependencies and design constraints across extended contexts
vs alternatives: Outperforms general-purpose models on large-scale programming tasks because it's optimized for architectural coherence and long-horizon code generation rather than treating code as generic text
GLM-5 supports extended reasoning chains for agentic workflows through structured prompt patterns that enable step-by-step decomposition of complex tasks. The model can maintain state across multiple turns, reason about tool outputs, and make decisions about next actions — designed for long-horizon agent loops where the model must plan, execute, observe, and adapt across dozens of steps.
Unique: Explicitly engineered for long-horizon agent workflows with architectural patterns optimized for extended reasoning chains, rather than single-turn tool calling — maintains coherence and decision quality across dozens of reasoning steps
vs alternatives: Better suited for multi-step agentic tasks than general-purpose models because reasoning and tool-use patterns are baked into the training, not bolted on via prompt engineering
Z.ai: GLM 5 scores higher at 24/100 vs Qwen: Qwen3 235B A22B Instruct 2507 at 23/100.
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GLM-5 analyzes code for performance bottlenecks and suggests optimization strategies through understanding of algorithmic complexity, memory management, and system-level performance patterns. The model can identify inefficient algorithms, suggest data structure improvements, and recommend caching or parallelization strategies — enabling targeted performance improvements with understanding of trade-offs.
Unique: Understands algorithmic complexity and system-level performance patterns, enabling identification of fundamental bottlenecks and suggestion of targeted optimizations rather than micro-optimizations
vs alternatives: Identifies more fundamental performance issues than profiling tools because it understands algorithmic complexity and can suggest architectural improvements, not just code-level optimizations
GLM-5 generates comprehensive API specifications, including endpoint definitions, request/response schemas, error handling, and usage examples through understanding of API design best practices and REST/GraphQL patterns. The model can produce OpenAPI/Swagger specifications, generate API documentation, and suggest design improvements — enabling rapid API specification and documentation.
Unique: Generates comprehensive API specifications that follow REST/GraphQL best practices and include error handling, authentication, and usage examples — not just endpoint definitions
vs alternatives: Produces more complete and best-practice-aligned API specifications than simple code-to-spec tools because it understands API design patterns and includes comprehensive documentation
GLM-5 generates high-quality technical documentation, design documents, and architectural specifications through training on expert-level technical writing patterns. The model understands domain-specific terminology, maintains consistency across long documents, and can generate structured documentation (API specs, RFC-style documents, architecture decision records) with appropriate technical depth and precision.
Unique: Trained on expert-level technical documentation patterns and domain-specific terminology, enabling generation of publication-ready documentation with appropriate technical depth rather than generic summaries
vs alternatives: Produces more technically precise and domain-aware documentation than general-purpose models because it understands architectural patterns, trade-offs, and expert writing conventions specific to software engineering
GLM-5 breaks down complex, ambiguous problems into structured task hierarchies and implementation plans through chain-of-thought reasoning patterns. The model can identify dependencies, suggest phased approaches, and generate detailed step-by-step plans for tackling large engineering challenges — useful for translating high-level requirements into actionable development roadmaps.
Unique: Optimized for expert-level problem decomposition through training on complex system design patterns and architectural reasoning, enabling generation of sophisticated multi-phase plans rather than simple task lists
vs alternatives: Produces more sophisticated and architecturally-aware plans than general-purpose models because it understands system design patterns, dependency relationships, and phased implementation strategies
GLM-5 analyzes code for quality issues, architectural violations, and design improvements through patterns learned from expert code review practices. The model can identify performance bottlenecks, suggest refactoring opportunities, flag architectural inconsistencies, and provide detailed feedback on code quality — going beyond simple linting to understand design intent and system-wide implications.
Unique: Trained on expert code review patterns and architectural reasoning, enabling detection of design issues and architectural violations rather than just syntax and style problems
vs alternatives: Provides more sophisticated architectural and design feedback than linting tools because it understands system-wide implications and expert design patterns, not just local code quality
GLM-5 translates code between programming languages while preserving semantic meaning and adapting to language-specific idioms. The model understands language-specific patterns, libraries, and best practices, enabling translation that produces idiomatic code rather than mechanical line-by-line conversions — useful for migrating systems across language ecosystems or supporting polyglot architectures.
Unique: Produces idiomatic, language-specific code rather than mechanical translations because it understands language-specific patterns, libraries, and best practices learned from diverse codebases
vs alternatives: Generates more idiomatic and maintainable translations than simple pattern-matching tools because it understands semantic equivalence and language-specific idioms
+4 more capabilities