Last Updated on July 30, 2025
The release of GLM 4.5 marks a major milestone in China’s AI ecosystem. Developed by Zhipu AI, a spinout from Tsinghua University, GLM 4.5 is a powerful multi-modal foundation model aiming to rival OpenAI’s GPT-4 and Google’s Gemini 1.5. But what exactly makes this model stand out—and what does it offer to businesses, developers, and creators?
What is GLM 4.5?
GLM 4.5 (General Language Model 4.5) is a next-gen large language model developed by Zhipu AI. It supports both text and image generation, code completion, multilingual processing, and context windows up to 128K tokens. The model builds on the success of GLM-4, with stronger reasoning, better cost-efficiency, and enterprise-grade deployment features.
GLM 4.5 powers China’s AI assistant ecosystem, including the ChatGLM product line, and is available through API and agent-based integrations.
Key Features of GLM 4.5
1. Advanced Multimodal Capabilities
GLM 4.5 can process and generate:
- Natural language (Chinese, English, and more)
- Code (Python, JavaScript)
- Image captions and visual reasoning
- Document summaries and tabular analysis
It positions itself as a direct alternative to GPT-4o in Asia.
2. Competitive Benchmark Performance
According to Simon Willison, GLM 4.5 ranks:
- Top 3 globally across 12 industry benchmarks
- #1 among all open-source Chinese large language models
- Strongest in reasoning, code generation, and agent-native use cases
3. Dual Modes: Fast vs. Thinking
The model introduces dual modes:
- Thinking Mode for advanced reasoning
- Fast Mode for quick conversations and API efficiency
This mirrors capabilities in GPT-4o and Claude 3.5, but with enhanced local deployment potential.
4. Real Cost Efficiency
GLM 4.5 has shocked the industry with its pricing:
- Input: ~$0.11 per million tokens
- Output: ~$0.28 per million tokens
- Generation speed: Over 100 tokens/sec
This undercuts DeepSeek, Alibaba’s Qwen, and other Chinese models, as reported by Reuters.
Use Cases of GLM 4.5
This release is optimized for deployment in:
- Finance: Credit risk modeling, earnings analysis
- Legal: Contract review, legal QA
- Education: Adaptive learning and exam prep
- Marketing: Multilingual ad copywriting
- Productivity: Smart spreadsheets and document workflows
Its local deployment flexibility makes it ideal for industries requiring data security and compliance.
GLM 4.5 vs Gemini 2.5 Pro vs GPT‑4o
| Feature | GLM 4.5 | Gemini 2.5 Pro | GPT‑4o |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multimodal | ✅ Text, image | ✅ Text, image, audio | ✅ Text, image, audio |
| Context Window | 128K tokens | 1M tokens | 128K tokens |
| Reasoning Performance | Excellent | 🥇 Best-in-class (LiveCodeBench #1) | 🥈 Top-tier |
| Chinese NLP | 🥇 Native-level | ✅ Improved | Moderate |
| Agent Compatibility | ✅ Native agents (ChatGLM) | ✅ Gemini AI Mode & Pro UI | ✅ GPTs, Assistants API |
| Local Deployment | ✅ Supported | ❌ Cloud-only | ❌ Cloud-only |
| Pricing (Input/Output) | ~$0.11 / ~$0.28 per 1M tokens | ~$0.35 / ~$1.50 (est.) | $0.50 / $1.50 |
| Speed | 100+ tokens/sec | Flash/Pro modes (very fast) | 100+ tokens/sec |
| Release Date | July 2025 | June 2025 | May 2024 |
Release Date and Public Access
GLM 4.5 was officially released during the World AI Conference 2025 in Shanghai. While Zhipu AI’s main cloud and demo endpoints are not currently accessible globally, working code snippets and weights were confirmed available through Chinese partner platforms at launch.
According to Economic Times, this release escalates the race for cost-efficient, open foundation models in China’s enterprise ecosystem.
Why It Matters
GLM 4.5 is part of China’s broader sovereign AI strategy—with over 1,500 of the 3,755 large models globally now developed in China. Zhipu AI’s approach combines:
- Open model research
- Local hardware acceleration
- Compliance with domestic AI policies
For PromptNest readers, GLM 4.5 signals a rising wave of regional AI alternatives—especially for those working on secure or multilingual applications.
Final Thoughts
GLM 4.5 isn’t just another LLM — it’s the most serious open-source contender yet from the Chinese AI ecosystem. With strong performance, smart deployment features, and cost-effective pricing, it offers developers and AI teams a powerful foundation for the next generation of intelligent agents.