Inkling vs MiniMax M2.7
Pricing, context window and real answers (August 2026)
Inkling (Thinkingmachines) and MiniMax M2.7 (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
| Inkling |  MiniMax M2.7 | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Thinkingmachines | MiniMax |
| Input (per 1M tokens) | ¥178.7 | ¥53.61 |
| Output (per 1M tokens) | ¥723.74 | ¥214.44 |
| Typical cost (1,000 in + 500 out tokens × 1,000 calls) | ¥541 | ¥161 |
| Context window | 524,288 tokens | 204,800 tokens |
| Release date | 7/17/2026 | 3/18/2026 |
| Input modalities | text, image, audio | text |
| Arena · overall | #81 · ELO 1,439 | #121 · ELO 1,417 |
| Arena · Japanese | #52 · ELO 1,425 | #166 · ELO 1,278 |
| Arena · coding | #80 · ELO 1,489 | #94 · ELO 1,481 |
Prices are FastMetal's yen rates before tax. Arena ranks are as of the latest leaderboard scrape.
Which should you pick?
- On price, MiniMax M2.7: ¥214.44 per 1M output tokens, 70% less than Inkling.
- On the Overall arena board, Inkling ranks higher (#81; MiniMax M2.7 is #121).
- On the Japanese arena board, Inkling ranks higher (#52; MiniMax M2.7 is #166).
- On the Coding arena board, Inkling ranks higher (#80; MiniMax M2.7 is #94).
- For long documents, Inkling: a 524,288-token context window against 204,800 for MiniMax M2.7.
- 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.
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
MiniMax M2.7
**Step‑by‑step counting**
1. Write the word **strawberry** as a sequence of its letters:
`s‑t‑r‑a‑w‑b‑e‑r‑r‑y`
2. Go through each letter and check whether it is the letter **r** (case‑insensitive).
| Position | Letter | Is it “r”? |
|----------|--------|------------|
| 1 | s | No |
| 2 | t | No |
| 3 | **r** | Yes → count = 1 |
| 4 | a | No |
| 5 | w | No |
| 6 | b | No |
| 7 | e | No |
| 8 | **r** | Yes → count = 2 |
| 9 | **r** | Yes → count = 3 |
| 10 | y | No |
3. After checking all ten positions, the total number of times the letter **…
11.1s475 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
MiniMax M2.7
# Fixing the "Cannot read properties of undefined" Error
## The Problem
The error occurs because `users` is `undefined` when the component renders. The `.map()` method can't be called on `undefined`.
This typically happens when:
- The parent component doesn't pass the `users` prop
- The data is still loading/fetching
- The initial state is `undefined` instead of an empty array
---
## Solutions
### 1. Add a Default Parameter (Recommended)
```javascript
function UserList({ users = [] }) {
return (
<ul>
{users.map(user => <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>)}
</ul>
);
}
```
### 2. Use Optional Chaining
```javascript
function UserList({ users }) {
return (
<ul>…
14.2s695 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
MiniMax M2.7
# Code Review: `get_data` Function
## Issues Identified
### 1. **Critical Issues**
```python
# ❌ Bare except clause - catches everything including KeyboardInterrupt
except:
time.sleep(2)
```
```python
# ❌ Comparing to True - redundant comparison
if item["active"] == True:
```
```python
# ❌ No JSON error handling - r.json() can raise ValueError
data = r.json()
```
### 2. **Code Quality Issues**
| Issue | Location | Problem |
|-------|----------|---------|
| Imports inside function | Line 2-3 | Should be at module level |
| Magic numbers | `timeout=10`, `sleep(2)` | Not descriptive |
| No docstring | Function | No documentation |
| No type hints | Function signature | Missing type safet…
31.7s1690 output tokens
Frequently asked questions
- Which is cheaper, Inkling or MiniMax M2.7?
- Per 1M output tokens, Inkling is ¥723.74 and MiniMax M2.7 is ¥214.44 on FastMetal (yen, before tax), so MiniMax M2.7 is cheaper.
- How do the context windows of Inkling and MiniMax M2.7 compare?
- Inkling takes 524,288 tokens; MiniMax M2.7 takes 204,800.
- Which ranks higher, Inkling or MiniMax M2.7?
- Inkling ranks higher on the public arena (Inkling #52, MiniMax M2.7 #166). Ranks move as the leaderboard updates.
- Can I use Inkling and MiniMax M2.7 with the same API key?
- Yes. On FastMetal's OpenAI-compatible endpoint, switch by passing "inkling" or "minimax-m2.7" 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 MiniMax M2.7 from the browser chat and the API. No monthly fee.