GLM 5.1 vs Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
Pricing, context window and real answers (September 2026)
GLM 5.1 (Z.ai) and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct (Meta), 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
 GLM 5.1 |  Llama 3.1 8B Instruct | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Z.ai | Meta |
| Input (per 1M tokens) | ¥250.18 | ¥8.94 |
| Output (per 1M tokens) | ¥786.28 | ¥14.3 |
| Typical cost (1,000 in + 500 out tokens × 1,000 calls) | ¥643 | ¥16 |
| Context window | 204,800 tokens | 131,072 tokens |
| Release date | 4/7/2026 | 7/23/2024 |
| Input modalities | text | text |
| Throughput (p50) | — | — |
| Arena · overall | #47 · ELO 1,466 | #329 · ELO 1,211 |
| Arena · Japanese | #46 · ELO 1,434 | #243 · ELO 1,087 |
| Arena · coding | #45 · ELO 1,513 | #323 · ELO 1,260 |
Prices are FastMetal's yen rates before tax. Arena ranks are as of the latest leaderboard scrape.
Which should you pick?
- On price, Llama 3.1 8B Instruct: ¥14.3 per 1M output tokens, 98% less than GLM 5.1.
- On the Overall arena board, GLM 5.1 ranks higher (#47; Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is #329).
- On the Japanese arena board, GLM 5.1 ranks higher (#46; Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is #243).
- On the Coding arena board, GLM 5.1 ranks higher (#45; Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is #323).
- For long documents, GLM 5.1: a 204,800-token context window against 131,072 for Llama 3.1 8B Instruct.
- 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 5.1
There are **3** 'r's in the word "strawberry".
Here is the step-by-step reasoning:
1. Let's break down the word "strawberry" letter by letter: s - t - r - a - w - b - e - r - r - y
2. Now, let's check each letter one by one to see if it is an 'r':
- **s**: not an 'r'
- **t**: not an 'r'
- **r**: this is the 1st 'r'
- **a**: not an 'r'
- **w**: not an 'r'
- **b**: not an 'r'
- **e**: not an 'r'
- **r**: this is the 2nd 'r'
- **r**: this is the 3rd 'r'
- **y**: not an 'r'
3. Counting them up, there are three 'r's in total (in the 3rd, 8th, and 9th positions).
7.3s565 output tokens
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
To count the number of 'r's in 'strawberry', I will break down the word into its individual letters and examine each one. Here's the step-by-step process:
1. The word 'strawberry' consists of the following letters: s-t-r-a-w-b-e-r-r-y.
2. I will start by counting the letters that are not 'r'. The word has 1 's', 1 't', 1 'a', 1 'w', 1 'b', 1 'e', 1 'y'.
3. Next, I will count the number of 'r's. The word has 2 'r's, one of which is part of the letter combination 'rr'.
Therefore, there are 2 'r's in the word 'strawberry'.
9.7s169 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 5.1
### What is causing the error?
The error `TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map')` means you are trying to call the `.map()` method on a variable that is `undefined`.
In your code, the variable is `users`. When the `UserList` component renders, the `users` prop is `undefined`, so `undefined.map()` throws an error.
### Why is `users` undefined?
This usually happens for one of two reasons:
1. **You forgot to pass the prop:** The parent component rendering `<UserList />` is not passing the `users` attribute (e.g., `<UserList />` instead of `<UserList users={myUsers} />`).
2. **Async Data Fetching:** You are fetching the users from an API. On the initial render, befor…
45.0s1680 output tokens
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
The error `TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map')` typically occurs when you're trying to access a property (in this case, `map`) on an object that is `undefined`.
In your case, the `users` prop passed to the `UserList` component is `undefined`. This is likely because the parent component that renders `UserList` is not passing the `users` prop, or the prop is not being properly initialized.
To fix this error, you can add a simple check to ensure that `users` is not `undefined` before trying to call `map` on it:
```javascript
function UserList({ users }) {
if (!users) return null; // or return a default message, e.g. "No users found"
return (
<ul>
{us…
7.9s292 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 5.1
Here is a review of your function, broken down by areas for improvement, followed by a refactored version of the code.
### Key Areas for Improvement
1. **Imports Inside the Function:**
Placing `import` statements inside a function is generally discouraged in Python. It slows down the function execution every time it is called, and it violates PEP 8 (the Python style guide). Imports should always be at the top of the module.
2. **Bare `except` Clause:**
Using a bare `except:` catches *everything*, including `KeyboardInterrupt` and `SystemExit`, which makes it hard to terminate a hanging program. You should catch specific exceptions (like `requests.exceptions.RequestException`).
3. *…
70.3s2854 output tokens
Llama 3.1 8B Instruct
Here are some suggestions for improving the function's readability, performance, and best practices:
**Readability Improvements**
1. **Function name**: Consider renaming `get_data` to `fetch_active_items` to better reflect its purpose.
2. **Variable naming**: Use more descriptive variable names, such as `response` instead of `r`, and `active_items` instead of `result`.
3. **Code organization**: Break up the function into smaller, more focused sections. This will improve readability and make it easier to understand the logic.
4. **Type hints**: Add type hints for function parameters and return types to make the code more self-documenting.
**Performance Improvements**
1. **Use a more effic…
29.7s533 output tokens
Frequently asked questions
- Which is cheaper, GLM 5.1 or Llama 3.1 8B Instruct?
- Per 1M output tokens, GLM 5.1 is ¥786.28 and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is ¥14.3 on FastMetal (yen, before tax), so Llama 3.1 8B Instruct is cheaper.
- How do the context windows of GLM 5.1 and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct compare?
- GLM 5.1 takes 204,800 tokens; Llama 3.1 8B Instruct takes 131,072.
- Which ranks higher, GLM 5.1 or Llama 3.1 8B Instruct?
- GLM 5.1 ranks higher on the public arena (GLM 5.1 #46, Llama 3.1 8B Instruct #243). Ranks move as the leaderboard updates.
- Can I use GLM 5.1 and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct with the same API key?
- Yes. On FastMetal's OpenAI-compatible endpoint, switch by passing "glm-5.1" or "llama-3.1-8b-instruct" 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 5.1 and Llama 3.1 8B Instruct from the browser chat and the API. No monthly fee.