DeepSeek V4-Pro vs GLM 5.2

DeepSeek · China  |  Z.ai · China · Updated June 2026

Quick verdict

Pick DeepSeek V4-Pro for open-weight 1.6t moe (~49b active) — deepseek's largest, self-hostable or 1m-token context with up to 384k output tokens. Pick GLM 5.2 for long-horizon agentic coding or project-level software engineering. On a tight budget at scale, DeepSeek V4-Pro is the value pick.

DeepSeek V4-Pro (DeepSeek) and GLM 5.2 (Z.ai) are two of the models people most often weigh against each other in 2026. DeepSeek V4-Pro is deepSeek's 1.6-trillion-parameter open-weight model at $0.435/$0.87 — strong open-weight coding and a 1M context at a fraction of flagship prices. GLM 5.2 is an open-weight reasoning model built for long-horizon coding and multi-step agent workflows — strong and cheap. Their biggest split is price, and the breakdown below shows exactly how that plays out for your workload.

Key differences at a glance

Side-by-side specs

SpecDeepSeek V4-ProGLM 5.2
ProviderDeepSeek (China) Z.ai (China)
ReleasedApril 24, 2026 June 13, 2026
Context window1M (~1,500 pages) 1M (~1,500 pages)
Price (in/out)$0.435/$0.87 per 1M tokens $1.4/$4.4 per 1M tokens
Open weight?Yes — self-hostable Yes — self-hostable
Modalitiestext, code text, code
SWE-Bench VerifiedNot published Not published
MRCR v2 @ 1MNot published Not published

Who wins what

Open-weight 1.6T MoE (~49B active) — DeepSeek's largest, self-hostable

DeepSeek V4-Pro

DeepSeek's 1.6-trillion-parameter open-weight model at $0.435/$0.87 — strong open-weight coding and a 1M context at a fraction of flagship prices — and it runs cheaper at $0.435/$0.87 per 1M tokens.

1M-token context with up to 384K output tokens

DeepSeek V4-Pro

DeepSeek V4-Pro lists 1M-token context with up to 384K output tokens among its strengths; GLM 5.2 does not.

Permanent low pricing at $0.435/$0.87 per million, set May 2026

DeepSeek V4-Pro

DeepSeek V4-Pro lists permanent low pricing at $0.435/$0.87 per million, set May 2026 among its strengths; GLM 5.2 does not.

Long-horizon agentic coding

GLM 5.2

An open-weight reasoning model built for long-horizon coding and multi-step agent workflows — strong and cheap — and it is the newer of the two.

Project-level software engineering

GLM 5.2

GLM 5.2 lists project-level software engineering among its strengths; DeepSeek V4-Pro does not.

Tool use across long-running tasks

GLM 5.2

DeepSeek V4-Pro is comparatively weak here — independent SWE-Bench Verified placement is inconsistent across sources

Lowest cost at scale

DeepSeek V4-Pro

At $0.435/$0.87 per 1M tokens, it is the cheaper of the two — the gap dominates the bill on high-volume workloads.

Which should you pick?

A cost-sensitive startup shipping high volume

DeepSeek V4-Pro

At $0.435/$0.87 per 1M tokens it undercuts GLM 5.2, and on millions of tokens that margin decides the monthly bill.

Anyone whose priority is open-weight 1.6t moe (~49b active) — deepseek's largest, self-hostable

DeepSeek V4-Pro

It is specifically built for that.

Anyone whose priority is long-horizon agentic coding

GLM 5.2

That is its strongest area.

DeepSeek V4-Pro: where it fits

DeepSeek's 1.6-trillion-parameter open-weight model at $0.435/$0.87 — strong open-weight coding and a 1M context at a fraction of flagship prices. Released April 24, 2026 by DeepSeek, it is built for open-weight 1.6T MoE (~49B active) — DeepSeek's largest, self-hostable, 1M-token context with up to 384K output tokens, permanent low pricing at $0.435/$0.87 per million, set May 2026, and sources place it near the top of open-weight coding, around 80 on SWE-Bench Verified.

Its trade-offs are real: independent SWE-Bench Verified placement is inconsistent across sources, pro and Pro-Max variants are quoted with different scores, text and code only — no image, audio or video, and overlaps DeepSeek V4 and V3.2 already in this comparison. At $0.435 in / $0.87 out per million tokens, it sits in the budget price band.

GLM 5.2: where it fits

An open-weight reasoning model built for long-horizon coding and multi-step agent workflows — strong and cheap. Released June 13, 2026 by Z.ai, it is built for long-horizon agentic coding, project-level software engineering, tool use across long-running tasks, and tops the open-weight intelligence index (SWE-bench Pro 62.1).

Its trade-offs: text-only — no native multimodal input, and new release with a limited third-party track record. At $1.4 in / $4.4 out per million tokens, it sits in the mid price band.

The bottom line for this matchup

DeepSeek V4-Pro and GLM 5.2 overlap enough that the right pick depends on your specific job. DeepSeek V4-Pro costs less per token; and each leads in its own area — DeepSeek V4-Pro for open-weight 1.6t moe (~49b active) — deepseek's largest, self-hostable, GLM 5.2 for long-horizon agentic coding. Rather than crowning one, run the same hard task through both once and let the results decide.

Want both DeepSeek V4-Pro and GLM 5.2 without two subscriptions? LumiChats gives you these plus 40+ models under one ₹69/day pass (about $1/day) — draft with one, cross-check with the other.

See pricing

Frequently asked questions

Is DeepSeek V4-Pro or GLM 5.2 better for coding?

Public SWE-Bench figures are not available for either model, so the honest test is your own repository — run an identical real bug through both. By design, DeepSeek V4-Pro leans toward open-weight 1.6t moe (~49b active) — deepseek's largest, self-hostable while GLM 5.2 leans toward long-horizon agentic coding, and that positioning usually predicts which feels better on your codebase.

Which is cheaper, DeepSeek V4-Pro or GLM 5.2?

DeepSeek V4-Pro is cheaper — $0.435/$0.87 per 1M tokens vs $1.4/$4.4 per 1M tokens, roughly 3.2× apart on input.

Which has the bigger context window?

Both advertise 1M (~1,500 pages). Remember advertised ≠ usable: recall typically degrades before the ceiling.

Can I use both DeepSeek V4-Pro and GLM 5.2 together?

Yes — a multi-model platform like LumiChats gives you DeepSeek V4-Pro, GLM 5.2 and 40+ others under one ₹69/day pass (about $1/day), so you can draft with one and cross-check with the other instead of buying two subscriptions.

Which is newer, DeepSeek V4-Pro or GLM 5.2?

GLM 5.2 — released June 13, 2026, about 50 days after DeepSeek V4-Pro.

Related comparisons

Specifications and benchmarks reflect publicly reported figures as of June 2026 and may change as providers release updates. Always verify on your own workload.