GLM-5.2 vs. Claude Opus 4.8

GLM-5.2 from Z.ai is the first open-weight model to approach Claude Opus 4.8 in code and reasoning quality. Token generation with GLM-5.2 costs 5.7x less than Opus 4.8.

Opus 4.8 leads in tasks requiring long autonomous planning and repository interaction, such as SWE-Marathon and NL2Repo. The gap reaches 2x. Opus 4.8 remains the only option for image analysis.

GLM-5.2 is MIT-licensed and suitable for local deployment, making it a good fit for data-sensitive tasks. For most use cases, GLM-5.2 serves as a cost-effective alternative, while Opus 4.8 handles the most complex engineering scenarios.