GPT-6.1 Sol vs Inkling
Pricing, context window and real answers (September 2026)
GPT-6.1 Sol (OpenAI) 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
 GPT-6.1 Sol | Inkling | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | Thinking Machines |
| Input (per 1M tokens) | ¥357.4 | ¥159.6 |
| Output (per 1M tokens) | ¥1,787 | ¥680.4 |
| Typical cost (1,000 in + 500 out tokens × 1,000 calls) | ¥1,251 | ¥500 |
| Context window | 1,050,000 tokens | 524,288 tokens |
| Release date | 9/29/2026 | 7/17/2026 |
| Input modalities | file, image, text | text, image, audio |
| Throughput (p50) | — | — |
| Arena · overall | Unranked | #87 · ELO 1,442 |
| Arena · Japanese | Unranked | #54 · ELO 1,429 |
| Arena · coding | Unranked | #86 · ELO 1,491 |
Prices are FastMetal's yen rates before tax.
Rankings: LMArena leaderboard dataset (lmarena-ai/leaderboard-dataset), CC BY 4.0, snapshot 2026-09-25; category names mapped and ratings rounded by FastMetal.
Which should you pick?
- On price, Inkling: ¥680.4 per 1M output tokens, 62% less than GPT-6.1 Sol.
- For long documents, GPT-6.1 Sol: a 1,050,000-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.
GPT-6.1 Sol
“strawberry” is spelled **s-t-r-a-w-b-e-r-r-y**.
The letter **r** appears at positions **3, 8, and 9**.
So, there are **3 r’s** in “strawberry.”
2.8s88 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…
GPT-6.1 Sol
The error means **`users` is `undefined` when `UserList` renders**. Calling `.map()` on `undefined` throws this error.
This commonly happens when the parent doesn’t pass the `users` prop, or when data hasn’t finished loading yet.
### Fix: provide a default empty array
```jsx
function UserList({ users = [] }) {
return (
<ul>
{users.map(user => (
<li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>
))}
</ul>
);
}
```
This renders an empty list if `users` is omitted or `undefined`. It does **not** handle `null`.
### Check the parent component too
Make sure it passes an array:
```jsx
<UserList users={users} />
```
If you’re fetching users asynchronously, initialize the stat…
5.8s306 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):…
GPT-6.1 Sol
The function is short, but its main weakness is that it hides failures: a network error, invalid JSON, and a genuinely empty result all return `[]`.
### Suggested improvements
- **Move imports to module scope.** This is conventional and makes dependencies visible. Repeated imports are cached, so the performance benefit is minor.
- **Avoid bare `except:`.** It catches everything, including `KeyboardInterrupt` and `SystemExit`, and can hide programming errors.
- **Handle HTTP errors explicitly.** `raise_for_status()` provides useful exceptions. Retry transient failures such as timeouts, connection errors, HTTP 429, and HTTP 5xx—not permanent errors such as HTTP 404.
- **Don’t sleep after the…
19.0s1094 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, GPT-6.1 Sol or Inkling?
- Per 1M output tokens, GPT-6.1 Sol is ¥1,787 and Inkling is ¥680.4 on FastMetal (yen, before tax), so Inkling is cheaper.
- How do the context windows of GPT-6.1 Sol and Inkling compare?
- GPT-6.1 Sol takes 1,050,000 tokens; Inkling takes 524,288.
- Can I use GPT-6.1 Sol and Inkling with the same API key?
- Yes. On FastMetal's OpenAI-compatible endpoint, switch by passing "gpt-6.1-sol" 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 GPT-6.1 Sol and Inkling from the browser chat and the API. No monthly fee.