GLM 5.1 vs MiniMax M3
Pricing, context window and real answers (August 2026)
GLM 5.1 (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
 GLM 5.1 |  MiniMax M3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Z.ai | MiniMax |
| Input (per 1M tokens) | ¥250.18 | ¥53.61 |
| Output (per 1M tokens) | ¥786.28 | ¥214.44 |
| Typical cost (1,000 in + 500 out tokens × 1,000 calls) | ¥643 | ¥161 |
| Context window | 204,800 tokens | 1,048,576 tokens |
| Release date | 4/7/2026 | 5/31/2026 |
| Input modalities | text | text, image, video |
| Arena · overall | #41 · ELO 1,466 | #78 · ELO 1,442 |
| Arena · Japanese | #49 · ELO 1,430 | #73 · ELO 1,402 |
| Arena · coding | #36 · ELO 1,514 | #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, 73% less than GLM 5.1.
- On the Overall arena board, GLM 5.1 ranks higher (#41; MiniMax M3 is #78).
- On the Japanese arena board, GLM 5.1 ranks higher (#49; MiniMax M3 is #73).
- On the Coding arena board, GLM 5.1 ranks higher (#36; MiniMax M3 is #64).
- For long documents, MiniMax M3: a 1,048,576-token context window against 204,800 for GLM 5.1.
- 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
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 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
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 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
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
Frequently asked questions
- Which is cheaper, GLM 5.1 or MiniMax M3?
- Per 1M output tokens, GLM 5.1 is ¥786.28 and MiniMax M3 is ¥214.44 on FastMetal (yen, before tax), so MiniMax M3 is cheaper.
- How do the context windows of GLM 5.1 and MiniMax M3 compare?
- GLM 5.1 takes 204,800 tokens; MiniMax M3 takes 1,048,576.
- Which ranks higher, GLM 5.1 or MiniMax M3?
- GLM 5.1 ranks higher on the public arena (GLM 5.1 #49, MiniMax M3 #73). Ranks move as the leaderboard updates.
- Can I use GLM 5.1 and MiniMax M3 with the same API key?
- Yes. On FastMetal's OpenAI-compatible endpoint, switch by passing "glm-5.1" 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 5.1 and MiniMax M3 from the browser chat and the API. No monthly fee.