Model comparison
MiniMax M3 vs Gemini 3.5 Flash
- Input
- $0.60
- Output
- $2.40
- Context
- 1M
- Released
- 2026-06-01
- Input
- $1.50 / 1M tokens
- Output
- $9.00 / 1M tokens
- Context
- 1M
- Released
- 2026-05-19
Gemini 3.5 Flash scores higher on 2 of the 3 benchmarks both models report (the other leads on 1); MiniMax M3 is cheaper on input tokens ($0.6 vs $1.5 per 1M, 2.5×); MiniMax M3 ships open weights while Gemini 3.5 Flash is API-only.
Specs and pricing side by side
| Spec | MiniMax M3 | Gemini 3.5 Flash |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | MiniMax | |
| Released | 2026-06-01 | 2026-05-19 |
| Context window | 1M | 1Msame |
| Max output | not published | 64K |
| Input price | $0.60 | $1.50 / 1M tokens |
| Output price | $2.40 | $9.00 / 1M tokens |
| Parameters | ~428B total / ~23B active | Not disclosed |
| License | MiniMax Community License | Proprietary |
| Weights | Open weights | API only |
| Modalities | Text, Vision, Video | Text, Vision, Audio, Video, PDF |
| Knowledge cutoff | not published | January 2025 |
Benchmarks both models report
| Benchmark | MiniMax M3 | Gemini 3.5 Flash |
|---|---|---|
| SWE-Bench Pro | 59% | 55.1% |
| Terminal-Bench 2.1 | 66% | 76.2% |
| MCP Atlas | 74.2% | 83.6% |
Scores are as published by each maker or its cited source; harness, reasoning effort and date can differ between rows, so treat small gaps as ties. Sources are listed on each model page.
Which one should you pick?
Pick MiniMax M3 if…
- You care about SWE-Bench Pro (it scores higher on 1 shared benchmark).
- Cost matters: input tokens cost 2.5× less ($0.6 vs $1.5 per 1M).
- You want to self-host or fine-tune (open weights, MiniMax Community License).
- Your use case is: long-horizon agentic coding and software engineering.
Pick Gemini 3.5 Flash if…
- You care about Terminal-Bench 2.1, MCP Atlas (it scores higher on 2 shared benchmarks).
- You need Audio / PDF input, which MiniMax M3 lacks.
- Your use case is: coding agents and autonomous multi-step software tasks (e.g. terminal and SWE-style workflows).
FAQ
Which is better, MiniMax M3 or Gemini 3.5 Flash?
Gemini 3.5 Flash scores higher on 2 of the 3 benchmarks both models report (the other leads on 1); MiniMax M3 is cheaper on input tokens ($0.6 vs $1.5 per 1M, 2.5×); MiniMax M3 ships open weights while Gemini 3.5 Flash is API-only. The better pick depends on whether you value benchmark scores, price per token, context length or openness for your workload.
How much cheaper is MiniMax M3?
MiniMax M3: $0.60 input, $2.40 output. Gemini 3.5 Flash: $1.50 / 1M tokens input, $9.00 / 1M tokens output (list API prices as published by each maker).
What are the context windows of MiniMax M3 and Gemini 3.5 Flash?
MiniMax M3 offers 1M; Gemini 3.5 Flash offers 1M with up to 64K output.
Is MiniMax M3 newer than Gemini 3.5 Flash?
MiniMax M3 was released 2026-06-01; Gemini 3.5 Flash was released 2026-05-19.
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