gpt-oss-20b vs MiniMax M3
Pricing, context window and real answers (September 2026)
gpt-oss-20b (OpenAI) 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
 gpt-oss-20b |  MiniMax M3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | OpenAI | MiniMax |
| Input (per 1M tokens) | ¥5.36 | ¥53.61 |
| Output (per 1M tokens) | ¥25.02 | ¥214.44 |
| Typical cost (1,000 in + 500 out tokens × 1,000 calls) | ¥18 | ¥161 |
| Context window | 131,072 tokens | 1,048,576 tokens |
| Release date | 8/5/2025 | 5/31/2026 |
| Input modalities | text | text, image, video |
| Throughput (p50) | — | — |
| Arena · overall | #252 · ELO 1,317 | #84 · ELO 1,441 |
| Arena · Japanese | #179 · ELO 1,256 | #77 · ELO 1,398 |
| Arena · coding | #232 · ELO 1,369 | #73 · ELO 1,496 |
Prices are FastMetal's yen rates before tax. Arena ranks are as of the latest leaderboard scrape.
Which should you pick?
- On price, gpt-oss-20b: ¥25.02 per 1M output tokens, 88% less than MiniMax M3.
- On the Overall arena board, MiniMax M3 ranks higher (#84; gpt-oss-20b is #252).
- On the Japanese arena board, MiniMax M3 ranks higher (#77; gpt-oss-20b is #179).
- On the Coding arena board, MiniMax M3 ranks higher (#73; gpt-oss-20b is #232).
- For long documents, MiniMax M3: a 1,048,576-token context window against 131,072 for gpt-oss-20b.
- 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-oss-20b
**Count of ‘r’ in “strawberry”: 3**
---
### Step‑by‑step reasoning
1. **Write out the word in individual letters**
```
s t r a w b e r r y
```
2. **Identify each ‘r’**
- The first ‘r’: appears after the “t” → **r**
- The second ‘r’: appears in the part “berry” → **r**
- The third ‘r’: the next letter after that → **r**
3. **Verify there are no more letters left**
The remaining letters are “b”, “e”, “y”, none of which are “r”.
4. **Count the identified ‘r’s**
1 (first) + 1 (second) + 1 (third) = **3**
---
### Quick recap
- Word: **strawberry**
- Letters containing “r”: positions 3, 8, and 9.
- Total count: **3**.
11.6s371 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…
gpt-oss-20b
### Why does the error happen?
`users.map(...)` can only run when **`users` is an array**.
The stack trace shows that the crash happens on line 12 of `UserList.js`, which is the
exact spot where the code tries to call `.map`.
The value that is being passed to `UserList` (or the initial value that the parent
creates) is **`undefined`** (or it could be `null`/`{}`). When JavaScript tries to
read `users.map`, it throws:
```
TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map')
```
Typical reasons for this are:
1. The parent component **didn’t pass the `users` prop** at all.
2. The parent passed it but the value was **`undefined` / `null`** because data
hasn’t been loaded ye…
11.4s1303 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):…
gpt-oss-20b
Below is a quick “code‑review” style list that touches the three axes you asked for – **readability**, **performance**, and **best practices**.
After the bullet‑list I’ll paste a refactored version that incorporates the most common fixes.
---
## 1. Readability
| Issue | Why it hurts | Quick fix |
|-------|--------------|-----------|
| **Imports inside the function** | Every call recompiles the import tables and makes the module’s top‑level slower. | Move `import requests` and `import time` to the module’s global header. |
| **Bare `except:`** | Catches *everything* (KeyboardInterrupt, SystemExit, MemoryError, etc.) and swallows useful tracebacks. | Catch only the expected network-relate…
24.6s2267 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, gpt-oss-20b or MiniMax M3?
- Per 1M output tokens, gpt-oss-20b is ¥25.02 and MiniMax M3 is ¥214.44 on FastMetal (yen, before tax), so gpt-oss-20b is cheaper.
- How do the context windows of gpt-oss-20b and MiniMax M3 compare?
- gpt-oss-20b takes 131,072 tokens; MiniMax M3 takes 1,048,576.
- Which ranks higher, gpt-oss-20b or MiniMax M3?
- MiniMax M3 ranks higher on the public arena (gpt-oss-20b #179, MiniMax M3 #77). Ranks move as the leaderboard updates.
- Can I use gpt-oss-20b and MiniMax M3 with the same API key?
- Yes. On FastMetal's OpenAI-compatible endpoint, switch by passing "gpt-oss-20b" 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 gpt-oss-20b and MiniMax M3 from the browser chat and the API. No monthly fee.