Hy4 vs MiniMax M3
Pricing, context window and real answers (November 2026)
Hy4 (Tencent) 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
 Hy4 |  MiniMax M3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Tencent | MiniMax |
| Input (per 1M tokens) | $0.8799 | $0.2954 |
| Output (per 1M tokens) | $2.64 | $1.17 |
| Typical cost (1,000 in + 500 out tokens × 1,000 calls) | $2.20 | $0.8757 |
| Context window | 1,000,000 tokens | 1,048,576 tokens |
| Release date | 11/4/2026 | 5/31/2026 |
| Input modalities | text | text, image, video |
| Throughput (p50) | — | 35 tokens/s (n=26) |
| Arena · overall | Unranked | #98 · ELO 1,439 |
| Arena · Japanese | Unranked | #105 · ELO 1,388 |
| Arena · coding | Unranked | #89 · ELO 1,495 |
Prices are FastMetal's rates, before tax.
Rankings: LMArena leaderboard dataset (lmarena-ai/leaderboard-dataset), CC BY 4.0, snapshot 2026-10-28; category names mapped and ratings rounded by FastMetal.
Which should you pick?
- On price, MiniMax M3: $1.17 per 1M output tokens, 56% less than Hy4.
- For long documents, MiniMax M3: a 1,048,576-token context window against 1,000,000 for Hy4.
- 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.
Hy4
The word **“strawberry”** is spelled:
**s t r a w b e r r y**
Step by step:
1. Check each letter: s, t, **r**, a, w, b, e, **r**, **r**, y
2. Mark the **r**’s: one after **t**, and two near the end before **y**.
3. Count them: 1 + 1 + 1 = **3**
So, there are **3** ‘r’s in **“strawberry”**.
4.2s343 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…
Hy4
The error is caused by this line:
```js
{users.map(user => <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>)}
```
At render time, `users` is `undefined`. Since `.map()` only exists on arrays, JavaScript tries to read `map` from `undefined` and throws:
```txt
Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map')
```
Even though this is in a Node.js app, this specific error is happening during React rendering, likely server-side rendering or a Node-based build/render process.
Common causes:
1. The parent component is not passing `users`.
2. The prop name is misspelled.
3. `users` comes from async data and is `undefined` on the first render.
4. Your API returns something like `{ users: [...] }`, but you…
20.3s1951 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):…
Hy4
Here are the main improvement areas, followed by a possible rewrite.
## Key issues
### Readability / style
- Move imports to the top of the module.
- Use descriptive names: `response` instead of `r`, `attempt` instead of `i`.
- `if item["active"] == True:` should be `if item.get("active") is True:` or simply `if item.get("active"):`, depending on intent.
- The filtering loop can be a list comprehension.
- Add type hints and a docstring.
### Performance
- Repeated imports are cached by Python, so not a major cost, but top-level imports are cleaner.
- Avoid sleeping after the final failed attempt.
- Use `requests.Session` for connection pooling if this function may be called repeatedly or i…
110.2s10761 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, Hy4 or MiniMax M3?
- Per 1M output tokens, Hy4 is $2.64 and MiniMax M3 is $1.17 on FastMetal (US dollars, before tax), so MiniMax M3 is cheaper.
- How do the context windows of Hy4 and MiniMax M3 compare?
- Hy4 takes 1,000,000 tokens; MiniMax M3 takes 1,048,576.
- Can I use Hy4 and MiniMax M3 with the same API key?
- Yes. On FastMetal's OpenAI-compatible endpoint, switch by passing "hy4" 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 Hy4 and MiniMax M3 from the browser chat and the API. No monthly fee.