Kimi K2.6 vs Solar Mini 4
Pricing, context window and real answers (September 2026)
Kimi K2.6 (Moonshot) and Solar Mini 4 (Upstage), 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
 Kimi K2.6 | Solar Mini 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Moonshot | Upstage |
| Input (per 1M tokens) | ¥159.6 | ¥8.94 |
| Output (per 1M tokens) | ¥672 | ¥35.74 |
| Typical cost (1,000 in + 500 out tokens × 1,000 calls) | ¥496 | ¥27 |
| Context window | 262,144 tokens | 524,288 tokens |
| Release date | 4/20/2026 | 9/23/2026 |
| Input modalities | text, image | text |
| Throughput (p50) | — | — |
| Arena · overall | #52 · ELO 1,460 | Unranked |
| Arena · Japanese | #36 · ELO 1,443 | Unranked |
| Arena · coding | #39 · ELO 1,514 | Unranked |
Prices are FastMetal's yen rates before tax. Arena ranks are as of the latest leaderboard scrape.
Which should you pick?
- On price, Solar Mini 4: ¥35.74 per 1M output tokens, 95% less than Kimi K2.6.
- For long documents, Solar Mini 4: a 524,288-token context window against 262,144 for Kimi K2.6.
- 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.
Kimi K2.6
Here is the step-by-step count:
**Step 1:** Write out the word and number each 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
**Step 2:** Identify the positions containing the letter 'r'.
- The 3rd letter is **r**
- The 8th letter is **r**
- The 9th letter is **r**
**Step 3:** Tally the total.
There are **3** letter 'r's in "strawberry".
4.5s352 output tokens
Solar Mini 4
Sure! Let’s count the letter **'r'** in the word **'strawberry'** step by step.
**Step 1: Write out the word and its letters**
`s t r a w b e r r y`
**Step 2: Go through each letter one by one and check if it is 'r'**
1. `s` → not 'r'
2. `t` → not 'r'
3. `r` → **yes** (1st 'r')
4. `a` → not 'r'
5. `w` → not 'r'
6. `b` → not 'r'
7. `e` → not 'r'
8. `r` → **yes** (2nd 'r')
9. `r` → **yes** (3rd 'r')
10. `y` → not 'r'
**Step 3: Tally the total**
Total 'r' count = 3
**Final answer:** There are **3** letter 'r's in the word **'strawberry'**.
2.5s239 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…
Kimi K2.6
The error occurs because `users` is `undefined` when your component renders. The `.map()` method only works on arrays, so calling it on `undefined` throws this error.
This usually happens when:
- The parent component hasn't finished fetching data yet
- The `users` prop isn't being passed at all
- The prop is misspelled in the parent component
## Quick Fix
Set a **default value** for the `users` prop:
```jsx
function UserList({ users = [] }) {
return (
<ul>
{users.map(user => <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>)}
</ul>
);
}
```
## Alternative Fixes
**Optional chaining** (renders nothing if undefined):
```jsx
{users?.map(user => <li key={user.id}>{user.name}</li>)}
```…
71.8s864 output tokens
Solar Mini 4
This error occurs because the `users` prop being passed to your `UserList` component is `undefined` (or the component is rendered without that prop), and your code tries to call `.map()` on it.
### 🔍 Why this happens
In JavaScript, `undefined.map` is not a function, so calling it throws:
```
TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'map')
```
This commonly happens when:
- The parent component doesn't pass the `users` prop at all
- The parent passes `users` as `undefined`, `null`, or a non-array value (like a promise, object, or string)
- Data hasn't finished loading yet (e.g., fetched from an API asynchronously)
### ✅ How to fix it
The most robust solution is to provide a…
9.2s701 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):…
Kimi K2.6
Here is a refactored version followed by a breakdown of the improvements.
### Refactored Function
```python
import logging
import time
from typing import Any
import requests
logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
def fetch_active_items(
url: str,
*,
retries: int = 3,
timeout: float = 10.0,
backoff: float = 2.0,
) -> list[dict[str, Any]]:
"""Fetch active items from an API endpoint with retry logic.
Args:
url: The API endpoint URL.
retries: Number of retry attempts for transient failures.
timeout: HTTP request timeout in seconds.
backoff: Base delay in seconds between retries (linear backoff).
Returns:
A list of activ…
17.9s4061 output tokens
Solar Mini 4
Here’s a reviewed version of your function, followed by a breakdown of the improvements:
```python
import time
import requests
from requests.adapters import HTTPAdapter
from urllib3.util.retry import Retry
def get_data(url: str, retries: int = 3) -> list[dict]:
"""
Fetch JSON from a URL and return a list of active items with name/id.
Args:
url: The endpoint to request.
retries: Number of retry attempts on failure.
Returns:
A list of dicts matching {'name': str, 'id': any} for active items.
"""
if retries < 1:
raise ValueError("retries must be at least 1")
session = requests.Session()
retry_strategy = Retry(
total=re…
10.8s1278 output tokens
Frequently asked questions
- Which is cheaper, Kimi K2.6 or Solar Mini 4?
- Per 1M output tokens, Kimi K2.6 is ¥672 and Solar Mini 4 is ¥35.74 on FastMetal (yen, before tax), so Solar Mini 4 is cheaper.
- How do the context windows of Kimi K2.6 and Solar Mini 4 compare?
- Kimi K2.6 takes 262,144 tokens; Solar Mini 4 takes 524,288.
- Can I use Kimi K2.6 and Solar Mini 4 with the same API key?
- Yes. On FastMetal's OpenAI-compatible endpoint, switch by passing "kimi-k2.6" or "solar-mini4" 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 Kimi K2.6 and Solar Mini 4 from the browser chat and the API. No monthly fee.