Model comparison

GLM 4.7 vs MiniMax M3

Pricing, context window and real answers (August 2026)

GLM 4.7 (Z.ai) and MiniMax M3 (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

z-ai logoGLM 4.7minimax logoMiniMax M3
ProviderZ.aiMiniMax
Input (per 1M tokens)¥107.22¥53.61
Output (per 1M tokens)¥393.14¥214.44
Typical cost (1,000 in + 500 out tokens × 1,000 calls)¥304¥161
Context window202,752 tokens1,048,576 tokens
Release date12/22/20255/31/2026
Input modalitiestexttext, image, video
Arena · overall#79 · ELO 1,442#78 · ELO 1,442
Arena · JapaneseUnranked#73 · ELO 1,402
Arena · coding#87 · ELO 1,485#64 · ELO 1,499

Prices are FastMetal's yen rates before tax. Arena ranks are as of the latest leaderboard scrape.

Which should you pick?

  • On price, MiniMax M3: ¥214.44 per 1M output tokens, 45% less than GLM 4.7.
  • On the Overall arena board, MiniMax M3 ranks higher (#78; GLM 4.7 is #79).
  • On the Coding arena board, MiniMax M3 ranks higher (#64; GLM 4.7 is #87).
  • For long documents, MiniMax M3: a 1,048,576-token context window against 202,752 for GLM 4.7.
  • 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.

GLM 4.7

There are **3** "r"s in "strawberry". Here is the step-by-step reasoning: 1. **Break down the word into individual letters:** s - t - r - a - w - b - e - r - r - y 2. **Identify the position of each 'r':** * The 3rd letter is **r**. * The 8th letter is **r**. * The 9th letter is **r**. 3. **Count the total occurrences:** 1 + 1 + 1 = 3.
23.3s685 output tokens

MiniMax M3

# Counting 'r's in "strawberry" Let me go through the word letter by letter: **s** - t - **r** - a - w - b - e - **r** - **r** - y | Position | Letter | Is it 'r'? | |----------|--------|------------| | 1 | s | No | | 2 | t | No | | 3 | **r** | ✓ (1st) | | 4 | a | No | | 5 | w | No | | 6 | b | No | | 7 | e | No | | 8 | **r** | ✓ (2nd) | | 9 | **r** | ✓ (3rd) | | 10 | y | No | ## Answer: **3** The word "strawberry" contains **three 'r's** — one at position 3, and two consecutive 'r's at positions 8 and 9.
25.6s455 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…

GLM 4.7

### The Cause The error `TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map')` means that the variable `users` is `undefined` when the component tries to render. In React, this typically happens for one of two reasons: 1. The **Parent Component** is not passing the `users` prop to `UserList`. 2. The **Parent Component** passed the prop, but the data hasn't loaded yet (e.g., an API call is still pending), so the value is initially `undefined`. Since `undefined` does not have a `.map()` method, the application crashes. --- ### How to Fix It There are two main ways to fix this: handling it inside the `UserList` component (defensive coding) or fixing the parent component passing…
42.0s1384 output tokens

MiniMax M3

# Error Analysis The error `Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map')` tells you that **`users` is `undefined`** when your component runs. JavaScript can't call `.map()` on `undefined`, so it throws this error. The component itself is fine syntactically — the problem is that the `users` prop isn't being passed, or hasn't loaded yet. ## Common Causes **1. The prop isn't passed at all:** ```jsx <UserList /> // No users prop → users is undefined ``` **2. Data is still loading (async fetch):** ```jsx const [users, setUsers] = useState(); // undefined initially ``` **3. API returns undefined:** ```jsx const { data } = await fetch('/api/users').then(r => r.json()); setUsers(data);…
32.8s710 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):…

GLM 4.7

Here is a review of your function with suggestions for improving readability, performance, and best practices, followed by a refactored version of the code. ### Code Review 1. **Import Placement:** You import `requests` and `time` inside the function. Imports should generally be placed at the top of the file so they are loaded once when the module starts, rather than every time the function is called. 2. **Bare `except:`:** You used `except:` without specifying an exception type. This is dangerous because it catches *everything*, including `KeyboardInterrupt` (Ctrl+C) and `SystemExit`, preventing your program from terminating when needed. You should specifically catch `requests.exception…
24.5s2951 output tokens

MiniMax M3

## Code Review This function works for the happy path, but it has several issues around error handling, retries, and readability. Here's a breakdown. ### 🐛 Bugs & Correctness Issues | # | Issue | Why It Matters | |---|-------|----------------| | 1 | `except:` with no exception type | Swallows `KeyboardInterrupt`, `SystemExit`, and *everything else* (typos, `MemoryError`). You lose visibility into real failures. | | 2 | Retries on every non‑200, including `4xx` | A `404` or `401` will never succeed by retrying — it just wastes time and rate-limit budget. | | 3 | `if item["active"] == True` | Both linters (PEP 8 E712) and Python idiom prefer `if item["active"]:`. | | 4 | `item["active"]` (…
33.4s3977 output tokens

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Frequently asked questions

Which is cheaper, GLM 4.7 or MiniMax M3?
Per 1M output tokens, GLM 4.7 is ¥393.14 and MiniMax M3 is ¥214.44 on FastMetal (yen, before tax), so MiniMax M3 is cheaper.
How do the context windows of GLM 4.7 and MiniMax M3 compare?
GLM 4.7 takes 202,752 tokens; MiniMax M3 takes 1,048,576.
Which ranks higher, GLM 4.7 or MiniMax M3?
MiniMax M3 ranks higher on the public arena (GLM 4.7 #79, MiniMax M3 #73). Ranks move as the leaderboard updates.
Can I use GLM 4.7 and MiniMax M3 with the same API key?
Yes. On FastMetal's OpenAI-compatible endpoint, switch by passing "glm-4.7" or "minimax-m3" 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 GLM 4.7 and MiniMax M3 from the browser chat and the API. No monthly fee.

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