Grok 4.7 vs MiniMax M3
Pricing, context window and real answers (September 2026)
Grok 4.7 (xAI) 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
 Grok 4.7 |  MiniMax M3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | xAI | MiniMax |
| Input (per 1M tokens) | ¥276.2 | ¥53.61 |
| Output (per 1M tokens) | ¥828.6 | ¥214.44 |
| Typical cost (1,000 in + 500 out tokens × 1,000 calls) | ¥691 | ¥161 |
| Context window | 500,000 tokens | 1,048,576 tokens |
| Release date | 9/21/2026 | 5/31/2026 |
| Input modalities | text, image, file | text, image, video |
| Throughput (p50) | — | — |
| Arena · overall | Unranked | #84 · ELO 1,441 |
| Arena · Japanese | Unranked | #77 · ELO 1,398 |
| Arena · coding | Unranked | #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, MiniMax M3: ¥214.44 per 1M output tokens, 74% less than Grok 4.7.
- For long documents, MiniMax M3: a 1,048,576-token context window against 500,000 for Grok 4.7.
- 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.
Grok 4.7
The word "strawberry" consists of the letters S-T-R-A-W-B-E-R-R-Y.
- The 3rd letter is R.
- The 8th letter is R.
- The 9th letter is R.
This gives a total of 3 R's.
4.7s299 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…
Grok 4.7
The error happens because `users` is `undefined` when `UserList` renders, so calling `.map` on it fails.
That usually means the parent rendered `<UserList />` (or `<UserList users={undefined} />`) before data was loaded, or the prop name doesn’t match.
**Fix it in the component** so it tolerates a missing list:
```jsx
function UserList({ users = [] }) {
return (
<ul>
{users.map(user => <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>)}
</ul>
);
}
```
Or guard the call:
```jsx
function UserList({ users }) {
return (
<ul>
{(users ?? []).map(user => <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>)}
</ul>
);
}
```
**Also check the parent** so you pass an array once data exists:
`…
12.8s393 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):…
Grok 4.7
## Review
The function works for the happy path, but it hides failures, retries the wrong errors, and is harder to read and debug than it needs to be.
### Issues
1. **Imports inside the function** — move them to module level unless you have a strong reason (circular imports, optional dependency).
2. **Bare `except`** — swallows `KeyboardInterrupt`, `SystemExit`, and programming bugs. Catch specific exceptions.
3. **Retries non-retryable failures** — 4xx (except maybe 429) will not succeed on retry. Network errors and 5xx are the usual candidates.
4. **Sleeps after the last attempt** — wastes up to 2 seconds before returning `[]`.
5. **Unused loop variable** and vague names (`r`, `i`).
6.…
22.3s1525 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, Grok 4.7 or MiniMax M3?
- Per 1M output tokens, Grok 4.7 is ¥828.6 and MiniMax M3 is ¥214.44 on FastMetal (yen, before tax), so MiniMax M3 is cheaper.
- How do the context windows of Grok 4.7 and MiniMax M3 compare?
- Grok 4.7 takes 500,000 tokens; MiniMax M3 takes 1,048,576.
- Can I use Grok 4.7 and MiniMax M3 with the same API key?
- Yes. On FastMetal's OpenAI-compatible endpoint, switch by passing "grok-4.7" 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 Grok 4.7 and MiniMax M3 from the browser chat and the API. No monthly fee.