Inkling vs Kimi K3
Pricing, context window and real answers (August 2026)
Inkling (Thinkingmachines) and Kimi K3 (Moonshot), 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
| Inkling |  Kimi K3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Thinkingmachines | Moonshot |
| Input (per 1M tokens) | ¥178.7 | ¥536.1 |
| Output (per 1M tokens) | ¥723.74 | ¥2,680.5 |
| Typical cost (1,000 in + 500 out tokens × 1,000 calls) | ¥541 | ¥1,876 |
| Context window | 524,288 tokens | 1,048,576 tokens |
| Release date | 7/17/2026 | 7/16/2026 |
| Input modalities | text, image, audio | text, image |
| Arena · overall | #71 · ELO 1,443 | #11 · ELO 1,486 |
| Arena · Japanese | Unranked | Unranked |
| Arena · coding | #64 · ELO 1,496 | #8 · ELO 1,530 |
Prices are FastMetal's yen rates before tax. Arena ranks are as of the latest leaderboard scrape.
Which should you pick?
- On price, Inkling: ¥723.74 per 1M output tokens, 73% less than Kimi K3.
- On the Overall arena board, Kimi K3 ranks higher (#11; Inkling is #71).
- On the Coding arena board, Kimi K3 ranks higher (#8; Inkling is #64).
- For long documents, Kimi K3: a 1,048,576-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.
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
Kimi K3
# Counting the 'r's in "strawberry"
**Step 1: Write out each letter with its position**
| Position | Letter |
|----------|--------|
| 1 | s |
| 2 | t |
| 3 | **r** ✓ |
| 4 | a |
| 5 | w |
| 6 | b |
| 7 | e |
| 8 | **r** ✓ |
| 9 | **r** ✓ |
| 10 | y |
**Step 2: Identify each 'r'**
- Position 3: the 'r' in "st**r**"
- Position 8: the first 'r' in "be**r**ry"
- Position 9: the second 'r' in "ber**r**y"
**Step 3: Verify by splitting the word**
"Strawberry" = "straw" + "berry"
- "straw" contains **1** r
- "berry" contains **2** r's
**Answer: There are 3 r's in "strawberry."** 🍓
12.2s594 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…
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
Kimi K3
## What's causing it
The error means `users` is `undefined` when the component renders — `.map()` only exists on arrays, so calling it on `undefined` throws. Your component code is fine; the problem is **upstream**: whatever renders `<UserList />` isn't passing a valid array.
The most common culprit is **async data fetching with uninitialized state** in the parent:
```jsx
function App() {
const [users, setUsers] = useState(); // ← undefined!
useEffect(() => {
fetch('/api/users')
.then(res => res.json())
.then(setUsers);
}, []);
return <UserList users={users} />; // undefined on first render
}
```
The component renders *before* the fetch resolves, so `users` is `…
47.5s1756 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):…
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
Kimi K3
This works, but there are several issues worth addressing. Here's a breakdown, followed by an improved version.
## Issues
### Correctness & best practices
1. **Bare `except:`** — catches *everything*, including `KeyboardInterrupt` and programming bugs like `KeyError` on a malformed item (which then get pointlessly retried). Catch `requests.RequestException` specifically.
2. **Silent failures** — errors are swallowed with no logging, and returning `[]` makes "API is down" indistinguishable from "no active items." At minimum, log; ideally, raise after the final attempt.
3. **Retrying non-retryable errors** — a 400/401/404 will never succeed on retry, but the code sleeps and retries anyway. O…
57.6s8060 output tokens
Frequently asked questions
- Which is cheaper, Inkling or Kimi K3?
- Per 1M output tokens, Inkling is ¥723.74 and Kimi K3 is ¥2,680.5 on FastMetal (yen, before tax), so Inkling is cheaper.
- How do the context windows of Inkling and Kimi K3 compare?
- Inkling takes 524,288 tokens; Kimi K3 takes 1,048,576.
- Which ranks higher, Inkling or Kimi K3?
- Kimi K3 ranks higher on the public arena (Inkling #71, Kimi K3 #11). Ranks move as the leaderboard updates.
- Can I use Inkling and Kimi K3 with the same API key?
- Yes. On FastMetal's OpenAI-compatible endpoint, switch by passing "inkling" or "kimi-k3" 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 Inkling and Kimi K3 from the browser chat and the API. No monthly fee.