GLM-5.1 on Novita AI: Launch Guide and Pricing

GLM-5.1 is available on Novita AI as a serverless text LLM with OpenAI-compatible chat completions access. The model ID is zai-org/glm-5.1; the listed context window is 204,800 tokens; and pricing was listed at $1.38 per million input tokens and $4.4 per million output tokens when checked on June 12, 2026.

This guide shows the exact model ID, endpoint, pricing fields, and a first request you can copy into a test environment.

Table Of Contents

• Key Takeaways
• What Is GLM-5.1?
• GLM-5.1 API Access on Novita AI
• GLM-5.1 Specs and Pricing Summary
• When to Use GLM-5.1
• When Not to Use GLM-5.1
• FAQ

Key Takeaways

• Novita AI lists GLM-5.1 as a serverless Chat model with text input and text output.
• Use zai-org/glm-5.1 for OpenAI-compatible chat completion requests.
• The model page lists a 204,800-token context window, 131,072 max output tokens, $1.38/M input tokens, $4.4/M output tokens, and $0.26/M cache-read input tokens.
• Start testing it on prompts that actually need long context, such as code review packets, migration plans, or agent task histories.

What Is GLM-5.1?

GLM-5.1 is a Z.AI GLM-family text model listed on Novita AI for long-horizon tasks, engineering work, and coding-assistant use cases. The model page describes it as a model for sustained execution, planning, iterative optimization, and production-grade task delivery.

For integration work, the key details are the model ID, endpoint path, context and output limits, and pricing for long prompts or long responses. On Novita AI, those details are tied to the zai-org/glm-5.1 model listing and the LLM API documentation.

GLM-5.1 is distinct from the older GLM-5 entry in the Novita AI catalog. GLM-5.1 has its own model ID, model-detail page, pricing, and context size. If your existing integration uses zai-org/glm-5, do not silently swap model IDs. Run a small evaluation with representative prompts, expected output format, and token-cost logging before changing production traffic.

GLM-5.1 API Access on Novita AI

Start from the GLM-5.1 model page on Novita AI to confirm the current model listing, pricing, context size, features, and endpoint options before rollout. The model is listed as a Chat model with serverless access, text input, and text output.

For OpenAI-compatible client code, use the Novita AI chat completion API documentation. The request path is:

POST https://api.novita.ai/openai/v1/chat/completions

If you use the OpenAI Python SDK, configure the client with:

https://api.novita.ai/openai

Then call client.chat.completions.create(...) with model="zai-org/glm-5.1".

The model entry also lists an Anthropic endpoint option. This guide focuses on the OpenAI-compatible chat completions path because it is the most direct starting point for teams adapting existing OpenAI SDK code.

GLM-5.1 Specs and Pricing Summary

Values below were checked against the live Novita model page and API docs on June 12, 2026.

Field	Details
Display name	GLM-5.1
Model ID	zai-org/glm-5.1
Model type	Chat
Access mode	Serverless
Input / output modality	Text input / text output
OpenAI-compatible base URL	https://api.novita.ai/openai
Chat endpoint	POST /v1/chat/completions
Listed endpoints	chat/completions, anthropic
Context window	204,800 tokens
Max output tokens	131,072 tokens
Input pricing	$1.38 per million tokens
Output pricing	$4.4 per million tokens
Cache-read input pricing	$0.26 per million tokens
Listed feature labels	Function calling, structured outputs, reasoning, serverless

Pricing and limits can change. Before you estimate costs or route production traffic, recheck the live GLM-5.1 model page and use the latest values in your own calculator.

When to Use GLM-5.1

Use GLM-5.1 when the request is text-first and the model needs enough context to reason across many files, logs, requirements, or previous messages. Typical tests include code review packets, migration plans, repository summaries, documentation synthesis, and agent task histories.

The listed 204,800-token context window and 131,072-token max output leave room for issue history, source excerpts, logs, test output, architectural notes, and a response schema. Use that space for material the answer depends on, not as a place to dump every file.

For production tests, keep the prompt organized: separate requirements from source excerpts, label logs and files clearly, and record input and output token counts. That makes cost and quality easier to compare across model runs.

When Not to Use GLM-5.1

For short classification, simple extraction, routing, or one-line rewriting, start with a smaller model unless your own tests show GLM-5.1 gives a clear quality gain. Those tasks usually do not need a long context window.

GLM-5.1 is listed as a text-input, text-output model on Novita AI. If your application needs image understanding, speech, image generation, or video generation, choose a model page and API family that explicitly supports that modality.

If you are comparing GLM-5.1 across providers, check the Novita AI model page before you copy settings from another source. The model ID, endpoint path, context limits, and pricing in your Novita AI integration should match the Novita AI listing and API docs.

Step 1: Get Your Novita API Key

Create or open your Novita AI account, then generate an API key from the Novita AI console. Store it in an environment variable instead of hard-coding it in source files:

export NOVITA_API_KEY="your_api_key_here"

For production apps, keep the API key in your secret manager, CI secret store, or deployment platform’s encrypted environment settings. Do not commit the key to a repository or paste it into client-side browser code.

Step 2: Confirm Model ID and Endpoint

Use this model ID:

zai-org/glm-5.1

Use this OpenAI-compatible base URL in SDK clients:

https://api.novita.ai/openai

Use this full endpoint path for direct HTTP requests:

https://api.novita.ai/openai/v1/chat/completions

Before a production rollout, make a final check against the Novita AI model list endpoint or the GLM-5.1 model page. That check confirms that the model ID is still available and that the model metadata still matches your code and pricing notes.

Step 3: Send Your First GLM-5.1 Request

Here is a minimal Python example using the OpenAI SDK style:

import os
from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    api_key=os.environ["NOVITA_API_KEY"],
    base_url="https://api.novita.ai/openai",
)

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="zai-org/glm-5.1",
    messages=[
        {
            "role": "system",
            "content": "You review backend migration plans. Return a checklist with risks, test coverage, and rollback steps.",
        },
        {
            "role": "user",
            "content": "Create a migration checklist for moving a Python service from sync workers to async workers.",
        },
    ],
    max_tokens=1200,
    temperature=0.2,
)

print(response.choices[0].message.content)

And here is the same first request with cURL:

curl "https://api.novita.ai/openai/v1/chat/completions" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ${NOVITA_API_KEY}" \
  -d '{
    "model": "zai-org/glm-5.1",
    "messages": [
      {
        "role": "system",
        "content": "You review backend migration plans. Return a checklist with risks, test coverage, and rollback steps."
      },
      {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "Create a migration checklist for moving a Python service from sync workers to async workers."
      }
    ],
    "max_tokens": 1200,
    "temperature": 0.2
  }'

These examples use the common chat-completion fields covered in the Novita AI LLM API documentation: model, messages, max_tokens, and temperature.

Step 4: Read the Response

For the standard chat completion response, read the assistant message from:

response.choices[0].message.content

Log token usage when it is available in the client response. Usage data helps you compare prompt designs, estimate cost, and identify requests that are too broad for the task.

Keep the first response format simple. Once the basic request works, add your own response schema, routing logic, retries, and evaluation checks. The model page lists structured outputs and function calling among supported feature labels, but verify each advanced parameter in your own integration before making it part of a production contract.

Step 5: Check Pricing, Limits, and Common Errors

GLM-5.1 pricing is token-based. As checked on June 12, 2026, the Novita AI model page lists $1.38 per million input tokens, $4.4 per million output tokens, and $0.26 per million cache-read input tokens. Costs rise quickly if prompts include irrelevant context or outputs are left unbounded.

Common issues to check during integration:

• Authentication error: confirm that NOVITA_API_KEY is set and sent as Authorization: Bearer ${NOVITA_API_KEY}.
• Model not found: confirm the exact model ID is zai-org/glm-5.1.
• Wrong base URL: SDK clients should use https://api.novita.ai/openai, while direct HTTP requests should call https://api.novita.ai/openai/v1/chat/completions.
• Context too large: reduce retrieved documents, logs, or source files before retrying.
• Output too long: set a practical max_tokens value for the task and ask for a bounded answer format.
• Automation drift: evaluate on real tasks, add deterministic validators where possible, and require human review for high-impact changes.

Final Recommendation

Use GLM-5.1 on Novita AI when your test case depends on long text context and you want an OpenAI-compatible chat completions path. Start with a small evaluation set, call zai-org/glm-5.1, log token usage, and compare the answers against the model you already use.

For short prompts, simple extraction, or non-text workloads, choose a smaller or modality-specific model first. GLM-5.1 makes the most sense when the task depends on a larger context window or a longer output budget.

FAQ

Is GLM-5.1 available on Novita AI?

Yes. As checked on June 12, 2026, GLM-5.1 is listed in the Novita AI model library as a serverless Chat model.

What model ID should I use for GLM-5.1?

Use zai-org/glm-5.1.

What endpoint should I call?

For OpenAI-compatible chat completions, call POST https://api.novita.ai/openai/v1/chat/completions. In OpenAI SDK clients, set the base URL to https://api.novita.ai/openai.

How much does GLM-5.1 cost on Novita AI?

As checked on June 12, 2026, Novita AI lists GLM-5.1 at $1.38 per million input tokens and $4.4 per million output tokens. The model page also lists cache-read input pricing at $0.26 per million tokens.

What are the GLM-5.1 context and output limits?

The Novita AI model page lists a 204,800-token context window and 131,072 max output tokens for GLM-5.1.

Does GLM-5.1 support function calling or structured outputs?

The Novita AI model page lists function calling and structured outputs among GLM-5.1 feature labels. Verify the exact request fields in your own integration before depending on advanced behavior in production.

How is GLM-5.1 different from GLM-5 on Novita AI?

GLM-5.1 and GLM-5 are separate Novita AI model entries with different model IDs, prices, context values, and catalog status. Use zai-org/glm-5.1 for GLM-5.1 and zai-org/glm-5 for GLM-5.

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