Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview vs Inkling
Pricing, context window and real answers (September 2026)
Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview (Google) and Inkling (Thinking Machines), 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
 Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview | Inkling | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Thinking Machines | |
| Input (per 1M tokens) | ¥357.4 | ¥178.7 |
| Output (per 1M tokens) | ¥2,144.4 | ¥723.74 |
| Typical cost (1,000 in + 500 out tokens × 1,000 calls) | ¥1,430 | ¥541 |
| Context window | 1,048,576 tokens | 524,288 tokens |
| Release date | 2/19/2026 | 7/17/2026 |
| Input modalities | audio, file, image, text, video | text, image, audio |
| Throughput (p50) | — | — |
| Arena · overall | #15 · ELO 1,487 | #85 · ELO 1,440 |
| Arena · Japanese | #9 · ELO 1,494 | #63 · ELO 1,415 |
| Arena · coding | #28 · ELO 1,520 | #78 · ELO 1,492 |
Prices are FastMetal's yen rates before tax. Arena ranks are as of the latest leaderboard scrape.
Which should you pick?
- On price, Inkling: ¥723.74 per 1M output tokens, 66% less than Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview.
- On the Overall arena board, Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview ranks higher (#15; Inkling is #85).
- On the Japanese arena board, Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview ranks higher (#9; Inkling is #63).
- On the Coding arena board, Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview ranks higher (#28; Inkling is #78).
- For long documents, Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview: a 1,048,576-token context window against 524,288 for Inkling.
- 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.
Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview
There are **3** 'r's in the word 'strawberry'.
Here is the step-by-step breakdown of the spelling:
1. **s** - not an 'r'
2. **t** - not an 'r'
3. **r** - **1st 'r'**
4. **a** - not an 'r'
5. **w** - not an 'r'
6. **b** - not an 'r'
7. **e** - not an 'r'
8. **r** - **2nd 'r'**
9. **r** - **3rd 'r'**
10. **y** - not an 'r'
Therefore, the total count is 3.
5.3s503 output tokens
Inkling
Let's break down the word **"strawberry"** letter by letter:
1. **s**
2. **t**
3. **r** ← (1st 'r')
4. **a**
5. **w**
6. **b**
7. **e**
8. **r** ← (2nd 'r')
9. **r** ← (3rd 'r')
10. **y**
So the spelling is: s-t-**r**-a-w-b-e-**r**-**r**-y
Counting them up:
- One 'r' in "str" (the 3rd letter)
- Two 'r's in "berry" (the 8th and 9th letters)
**Total: 3 'r's** in "strawberry".**
2.4s417 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…
Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview
### The Cause
This error occurs because the `users` prop being passed to your `UserList` component is currently `undefined`.
In JavaScript, you can only use the `.map()` method on arrays. Because `users` is `undefined` (often due to data not finishing an API fetch yet, or the parent component forgetting to pass the prop), Node/React throws an error when it tries to read `.map`.
### How to Fix It
You can fix this in a few different ways, depending on how you want your application to behave.
#### Fix 1: Assign a Default Value (Recommended)
The cleanest way to handle this is to assign a default empty array to `users` in your component's parameters. If `users` is undefined, it defaults to…
13.2s1511 output tokens
Inkling
The error occurs because `users` is `undefined` when `UserList` renders, so `users.map` fails.
This usually happens when:
- The parent doesn't pass the prop (`<UserList />` instead of `<UserList users={...} />`)
- Data is still loading (e.g., API hasn't returned yet)
## Quick Fix
Provide a default empty array so `.map` always has an array to work with:
```jsx
function UserList({ users = [] }) {
return (
<ul>
{users.map(user => <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>)}
</ul>
);
}
```
Alternatively, guard against undefined explicitly:
```jsx
function UserList({ users }) {
if (!users) return null; // or a loading state
return (
<ul>
{users.map(user => <li key={…
4.9s585 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):…
Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview
Here is a review of your function. While the original code works, there are several areas where it can be improved regarding **best practices**, **readability**, and **performance**.
### 1. Refactored Code
Here is the improved version of your function. I will explain the specific changes below.
```python
import time
import requests
import logging
from typing import Any
# Optional: Set up a logger
logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
def get_data(url: str, retries: int = 3, delay: int = 2, timeout: int = 10) -> list[dict[str, Any]]:
"""
Fetches JSON data from a URL and extracts active items.
Args:
url: The API endpoint to fetch data from.
retries: Number o…
23.6s3094 output tokens
Inkling
Here is a review with an improved version followed by explanations.
### Issues in the original
- **Imports inside the function**: Re-importing on every call is inefficient.
- **Bare `except:`**: Catches `SystemExit`, `KeyboardInterrupt`, etc.
- **Silent failures**: No logging; errors disappear.
- **Magic numbers**: `10`, `2`, `200` are hard-coded.
- **Data validation missing**: Assumes `data` is a list and every item has `"active"`, `"name"`, and `"id"` (will crash with `KeyError`).
- **Performance**: Uses `.append()` in a loop instead of a list comprehension.
- **Ambiguous return**: `[]` means both "success with no results" and "total failure".
### Improved version
```python
import loggi…
54.1s5649 output tokens
Frequently asked questions
- Which is cheaper, Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview or Inkling?
- Per 1M output tokens, Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview is ¥2,144.4 and Inkling is ¥723.74 on FastMetal (yen, before tax), so Inkling is cheaper.
- How do the context windows of Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview and Inkling compare?
- Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview takes 1,048,576 tokens; Inkling takes 524,288.
- Which ranks higher, Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview or Inkling?
- Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview ranks higher on the public arena (Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview #9, Inkling #63). Ranks move as the leaderboard updates.
- Can I use Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview and Inkling with the same API key?
- Yes. On FastMetal's OpenAI-compatible endpoint, switch by passing "gemini-3.1-pro-preview" or "inkling" 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 Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview and Inkling from the browser chat and the API. No monthly fee.