DeepSeek V4 Pro vs MiniMax M3.1 Flash
Pricing, context window and real answers (October 2026)
DeepSeek V4 Pro (DeepSeek) and MiniMax M3.1 Flash (MiniMax), compared as you can actually call them on FastMetal. Both are served from the same OpenAI-compatible endpoint and API key; switching is a change to the model string.
Specs and pricing
 DeepSeek V4 Pro |  MiniMax M3.1 Flash | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | DeepSeek | MiniMax |
| Input (per 1M tokens) | $1.38 | $0.1583 |
| Output (per 1M tokens) | $2.75 | $0.633 |
| Typical cost (1,000 in + 500 out tokens × 1,000 calls) | $2.75 | $0.4748 |
| Context window | 1,048,576 tokens | 1,048,576 tokens |
| Release date | 4/24/2026 | 10/19/2026 |
| Input modalities | text | text, image |
| Throughput (p50) | 166 tokens/s (n=26) | — |
| Arena · overall | #64 · ELO 1,458 | Unranked |
| Arena · Japanese | #33 · ELO 1,456 | Unranked |
| Arena · coding | #78 · ELO 1,501 | Unranked |
Prices are FastMetal's rates, before tax.
Rankings: LMArena leaderboard dataset (lmarena-ai/leaderboard-dataset), CC BY 4.0, snapshot 2026-10-15; category names mapped and ratings rounded by FastMetal.
Which should you pick?
- On price, MiniMax M3.1 Flash: $0.633 per 1M output tokens, 77% less than DeepSeek V4 Pro.
- If in doubt, try both on the same key. Switching is a change to the model string, and each is billed at its own rate.
Real answers to the same prompts
Exactly what the FastMetal gateway returned, side by side. Not benchmark scores: actual output.
Count the number of 'r's in 'strawberry'
Count the number of 'r's in 'strawberry'. Explain your reasoning step by step.
DeepSeek V4 Pro
The word is "strawberry". Let's count the occurrences of the letter 'r' step by step:
1. Write the word: s t r a w b e r r y
2. Examine each character:
- s: not an 'r'
- t: not an 'r'
- r: is an 'r' → count 1
- a: not an 'r'
- w: not an 'r'
- b: not an 'r'
- e: not an 'r'
- r: is an 'r' → count 2
- r: is an 'r' → count 3
- y: not an 'r'
3. Total number of 'r's = 3.
Therefore, there are **3** 'r's in "strawberry".
7.3s1136 output tokens
MiniMax M3.1 Flash
1. Spell **strawberry**:
**s – t – r – a – w – b – e – r – r – y**
2. Count the letter **r**: it appears at positions **3, 8, and 9**.
**Total: 3 “r”s.**
3.0s193 output tokens
Debug This Error
I'm getting the following error in my Node.js application: TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map') at UserList (/app/components/UserList.js:12:25) at renderWithHooks (/app/node_modules/rea…
DeepSeek V4 Pro
The error is occurring because `users` is `undefined` when the component renders, and you're trying to call `.map()` on it. This typically happens when the data hasn't been loaded yet or wasn't passed correctly to the component.
## Here are several ways to fix this:
### 1. **Add a default value with empty array (Simplest fix)**
```javascript
function UserList({ users = [] }) {
return (
<ul>
{users.map(user => <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>)}
</ul>
);
}
```
### 2. **Add a conditional check**
```javascript
function UserList({ users }) {
if (!users) {
return <div>No users found</div>;
}
return (
<ul>
{users.map(user => <li key={user.id}>{user.name}<…
6.9s442 output tokens
MiniMax M3.1 Flash
The error occurs because `users` is `undefined` when `UserList` renders. Calling `.map()` on `undefined` causes the `TypeError`.
This commonly happens when:
- `<UserList />` is rendered without passing the `users` prop.
- The prop has a different name, such as `user`.
- Data is still loading and the parent initializes its state as `undefined`.
- An API response is accessed before it exists.
### Immediate fix
Provide a default empty array:
```jsx
function UserList({ users = [] }) {
return (
<ul>
{users.map(user => (
<li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>
))}
</ul>
);
}
```
Then pass the actual data from the parent:
```jsx
const [users, setUsers] = useState([…
7.3s744 output tokens
Code Review
Please review the following Python function and suggest improvements for readability, performance, and best practices: def get_data(url, retries=3): import requests import time for i in range(retries):…
DeepSeek V4 Pro
Here’s a review of your `get_data` function, highlighting issues and suggesting improvements.
## Overall Observations
- The function works but has several readability, robustness, and maintainability issues.
- Imports are inside the function, bare `except` hides errors, and the filtering logic is not Pythonic.
- No type hints or docstring, making it harder to use and understand.
## Specific Improvements
### 1. Move Imports to the Top of the Module
**Why:** Imports inside a function are executed every time the function is called, which is slightly slower and violates PEP 8 style guidelines.
**Before:**
```python
def get_data(url, retries=3):
import requests
import time
# ...
`…
40.5s2277 output tokens
MiniMax M3.1 Flash
The function is understandable, but it has a few important issues:
- `except:` catches programming errors such as `KeyError`, `TypeError`, and even `KeyboardInterrupt`.
- Every non-200 response is retried, including permanent failures such as 400, 401, and 404.
- It sleeps after the final failed attempt.
- Returning `[]` makes a failed request indistinguishable from a successful response containing no active records.
- A fixed delay can cause clients to retry simultaneously; exponential backoff and `Retry-After` are preferable.
- `item["active"] == True` should be `item.get("active") is True` if the API contract says it is a JSON boolean.
- A `Session` can reuse connections, while `requests…
146.5s
Frequently asked questions
- Which is cheaper, DeepSeek V4 Pro or MiniMax M3.1 Flash?
- Per 1M output tokens, DeepSeek V4 Pro is $2.75 and MiniMax M3.1 Flash is $0.633 on FastMetal (US dollars, before tax), so MiniMax M3.1 Flash is cheaper.
- How do the context windows of DeepSeek V4 Pro and MiniMax M3.1 Flash compare?
- DeepSeek V4 Pro takes 1,048,576 tokens; MiniMax M3.1 Flash takes 1,048,576.
- Can I use DeepSeek V4 Pro and MiniMax M3.1 Flash with the same API key?
- Yes. On FastMetal's OpenAI-compatible endpoint, switch by passing "deepseek-v4-pro" or "minimax-m3.1-flash" as the model. Each is billed at its own rate from the same prepaid balance.
Try both on one API key
Create an account and add credit to call DeepSeek V4 Pro and MiniMax M3.1 Flash from the browser chat and the API. No monthly fee.