Key Takeaways:
Zhipu AI has raised the price for its new GLM-5.1 model by 10 percent, signaling a new level of confidence from a Chinese AI developer as its technology achieves performance parity and pricing power against top western competitors. The move marks the first time a domestic Chinese large model has aligned its prices with leading overseas vendors in a core application scenario.
According to data from OpenRouter, the price increase for GLM-5.1 in coding scenarios brings its cached token pricing near the level of Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 4.6. This decision follows the release of benchmark scores showing the model's strong performance. Zhipu AI's Hong Kong-listed shares (02513.HK) jumped 13.8 percent on the news.
The new open-source model continues to show a strong focus on programming capabilities. In a composite average of three major code evaluation benchmarks—SWE-bench Pro, Terminal-Bench, and NL2Repo—GLM-5.1 ranked third globally and first among all domestic Chinese models. Crucially, it became the first domestic model to surpass Opus 4.6 in the SWE-bench Pro test, which simulates real-world software development challenges, setting a new global record.
For investors, the combination of benchmark victories and direct price hikes provides significant technological validation. The ability to command prices comparable to global leaders like Anthropic suggests a strengthening competitive position and the potential for increased revenue, particularly in its home market. The move drew a positive reaction from analysts, with CICC raising its price target for Zhipu AI to HKD900, citing API recurring revenue that was exceeding expectations.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.
