FastMetal

Model comparison

Grok 4.7 vs MiniMax M3.1 Flash

Pricing, context window and real answers (October 2026)

Grok 4.7 (xAI) and MiniMax M3.1 Flash (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

x-ai logoGrok 4.7minimax logoMiniMax M3.1 Flash
ProviderxAIMiniMax
Input (per 1M tokens)$2.20$0.1583
Output (per 1M tokens)$6.60$0.633
Typical cost (1,000 in + 500 out tokens × 1,000 calls)$5.50$0.4748
Context window500,000 tokens1,048,576 tokens
Release date9/21/202610/19/2026
Input modalitiestext, image, filetext, image
Throughput (p50)190 tokens/s (n=24)—
Arena · overall#89 · ELO 1,444Unranked
Arena · Japanese#81 · ELO 1,409Unranked
Arena · coding#86 · ELO 1,497Unranked

Prices are FastMetal's rates, before tax.

Rankings: LMArena leaderboard dataset (lmarena-ai/leaderboard-dataset), CC BY 4.0, snapshot 2026-10-15; category names mapped and ratings rounded by FastMetal.

Which should you pick?

  • On price, MiniMax M3.1 Flash: $0.633 per 1M output tokens, 90% less than Grok 4.7.
  • For long documents, MiniMax M3.1 Flash: 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 M3.1 Flash

1. Spell **strawberry**: **s – t – r – a – w – b – e – r – r – y** 2. Count the letter **r**: it appears at positions **3, 8, and 9**. **Total: 3 “r”s.**
3.0s193 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 M3.1 Flash

The error occurs because `users` is `undefined` when `UserList` renders. Calling `.map()` on `undefined` causes the `TypeError`. This commonly happens when: - `<UserList />` is rendered without passing the `users` prop. - The prop has a different name, such as `user`. - Data is still loading and the parent initializes its state as `undefined`. - An API response is accessed before it exists. ### Immediate fix Provide a default empty array: ```jsx function UserList({ users = [] }) { return ( <ul> {users.map(user => ( <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li> ))} </ul> ); } ``` Then pass the actual data from the parent: ```jsx const [users, setUsers] = useState([…
7.3s744 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 M3.1 Flash

The function is understandable, but it has a few important issues: - `except:` catches programming errors such as `KeyError`, `TypeError`, and even `KeyboardInterrupt`. - Every non-200 response is retried, including permanent failures such as 400, 401, and 404. - It sleeps after the final failed attempt. - Returning `[]` makes a failed request indistinguishable from a successful response containing no active records. - A fixed delay can cause clients to retry simultaneously; exponential backoff and `Retry-After` are preferable. - `item["active"] == True` should be `item.get("active") is True` if the API contract says it is a JSON boolean. - A `Session` can reuse connections, while `requests…
146.5s

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Frequently asked questions

Which is cheaper, Grok 4.7 or MiniMax M3.1 Flash?
Per 1M output tokens, Grok 4.7 is $6.60 and MiniMax M3.1 Flash is $0.633 on FastMetal (US dollars, before tax), so MiniMax M3.1 Flash is cheaper.
How do the context windows of Grok 4.7 and MiniMax M3.1 Flash compare?
Grok 4.7 takes 500,000 tokens; MiniMax M3.1 Flash takes 1,048,576.
Can I use Grok 4.7 and MiniMax M3.1 Flash with the same API key?
Yes. On FastMetal's OpenAI-compatible endpoint, switch by passing "grok-4.7" or "minimax-m3.1-flash" 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 M3.1 Flash from the browser chat and the API. No monthly fee.

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