GLM 5.2 vs Grok 4.6
Pricing, context window and real answers (August 2026)
GLM 5.2 (Z.ai) and Grok 4.6 (xAI), 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 5.2 |  Grok 4.6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Z.ai | xAI |
| Input (per 1M tokens) | ¥250.18 | ¥357.4 |
| Output (per 1M tokens) | ¥786.28 | ¥1,072.2 |
| Typical cost (1,000 in + 500 out tokens × 1,000 calls) | ¥643 | ¥894 |
| Context window | 1,048,576 tokens | 500,000 tokens |
| Release date | 6/16/2026 | 8/12/2026 |
| Input modalities | text | text, image, file |
| Arena · overall | #31 · ELO 1,469 | Unranked |
| Arena · Japanese | #13 · ELO 1,472 | Unranked |
| Arena · coding | #46 · ELO 1,506 | Unranked |
Prices are FastMetal's yen rates before tax. Arena ranks are as of the latest leaderboard scrape.
Which should you pick?
- On price, GLM 5.2: ¥786.28 per 1M output tokens, 27% less than Grok 4.6.
- For long documents, GLM 5.2: a 1,048,576-token context window against 500,000 for Grok 4.6.
- 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 5.2
To count the number of 'r's in the word 'strawberry', let's look at the word letter by letter:
1. **s** - no 'r'
2. **t** - no 'r'
3. **r** - this is the 1st 'r'
4. **a** - no 'r'
5. **w** - no 'r'
6. **b** - no 'r'
7. **e** - no 'r'
8. **r** - this is the 2nd 'r'
9. **r** - this is the 3rd 'r'
10. **y** - no 'r'
Total count: 3
There are **3** 'r's in the word 'strawberry'.
2.6s439 output tokens
Grok 4.6
The word "strawberry" consists of the following letters in order:
s-t-r-a-w-b-e-r-r-y
Checking each one:
- s: not r
- t: not r
- r: yes (count = 1)
- a: not r
- w: not r
- b: not r
- e: not r
- r: yes (count = 2)
- r: yes (count = 3)
- y: not r
There are exactly 3 r's.
Final answer: 3
3.9s451 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 5.2
The error `TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map')` happens because the `users` prop being passed to your `UserList` component is currently `undefined`. When JavaScript tries to call `.map()` on `undefined`, it throws this error.
Here are the best ways to fix this:
### Fix 1: Provide a default value (Recommended)
You can provide a default empty array `[]` when destructuring the props. This ensures that even if `users` is not passed down, the `.map()` function will still have an array to iterate over (resulting in an empty list rather than a crash).
```jsx
function UserList({ users = [] }) {
return (
<ul>
{users.map(user => <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</…
8.3s1006 output tokens
Grok 4.6
**The error happens because `users` is `undefined` when `.map()` is called.**
`UserList` destructures `{ users }` from its props. If the parent doesn't pass a `users` prop (or passes `undefined`/`null`), `users` is `undefined` and `undefined.map` throws.
This is extremely common when:
- Data is loaded asynchronously (initial render happens before the fetch finishes).
- The parent component forgets to pass the prop or uses a different name.
- The component is rendered before the data is ready (e.g. in a loading state).
### Quick fixes
**1. Default to an empty array (recommended)**
```jsx
function UserList({ users = [] }) {
return (
<ul>
{users.map(user => (
<li key={us…
20.3s598 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 5.2
Here is a review of your Python function, broken down by readability, performance, and best practices, followed by a refactored version of the code.
### 1. Best Practices
* **Move imports to the top:** Importing modules inside a function is generally discouraged. While Python caches imports, putting `import requests` and `import time` at the top of your file is the standard convention and improves readability.
* **Avoid bare `except:` blocks:** Using a bare `except:` catches everything, including `KeyboardInterrupt` and `SystemExit`. This makes it hard to interrupt your program if it gets stuck in a loop. You should catch specific exceptions, such as `requests.exceptions.RequestException` (…
10.9s2061 output tokens
Grok 4.6
Here is a focused review of the function, followed by a cleaned-up version.
## Issues
**Imports inside the function**
`requests` and `time` should live at module level. Importing on every call is slower, hides dependencies, and is harder to mock in tests.
**Bare `except:`**
This swallows `KeyboardInterrupt`, `SystemExit`, and programming errors. Catch `requests.RequestException` (network/timeout/HTTP adapter errors) and JSON/`KeyError`/`TypeError` separately.
**Retrying the wrong things**
A 404 or 400 will never succeed on retry. Retry transient failures (timeouts, connection errors, 429, 5xx). Fail fast on most 4xx responses.
**Sleep after the last attempt**
On the final failur…
27.9s1770 output tokens
Frequently asked questions
- Which is cheaper, GLM 5.2 or Grok 4.6?
- Per 1M output tokens, GLM 5.2 is ¥786.28 and Grok 4.6 is ¥1,072.2 on FastMetal (yen, before tax), so GLM 5.2 is cheaper.
- How do the context windows of GLM 5.2 and Grok 4.6 compare?
- GLM 5.2 takes 1,048,576 tokens; Grok 4.6 takes 500,000.
- Can I use GLM 5.2 and Grok 4.6 with the same API key?
- Yes. On FastMetal's OpenAI-compatible endpoint, switch by passing "glm-5.2" or "grok-4.6" 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 5.2 and Grok 4.6 from the browser chat and the API. No monthly fee.