Gemini 3.5 Flash vs MiniMax M2.5
Gemini 3.5 Flash and MiniMax M2.5 are closely matched at 42.4 and 36.8 on the LLM Stats Score. MiniMax M2.5 is 6.4x cheaper per token.
Google · MiniMax · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Gemini 3.5 Flash and MiniMax M2.5 are closely matched on the overall LLM Stats Score at 42.4 and 36.8.
In the 1 individual benchmarks reported for both models, MiniMax M2.5 wins 1; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, MiniMax M2.5 is roughly 6.4x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Gemini 3.5 Flash
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped May 2026
Choose MiniMax M2.5
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 1 of 1 exact shared results
- cost matters — it's about 6.4x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Individual benchmarks
16 reported for Gemini 3.5 Flash · 8 for MiniMax M2.5
Gemini 3.5 Flash outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while MiniMax M2.5 is better at 1 benchmark (SWE-Bench Pro).
MiniMax M2.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Gemini 3.5 Flash ($1.50/1M tokens) is 5.0x more expensive than MiniMax M2.5 ($0.30/1M tokens).
For output processing, Gemini 3.5 Flash ($9.00/1M tokens) is 7.5x more expensive than MiniMax M2.5 ($1.20/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Gemini 3.5 Flash is more expensive than MiniMax M2.5.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Both models have the same input context window of 1,000,000 tokens. Both models can generate responses up to 1,000,000 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Gemini 3.5 Flash supports multimodal inputs, whereas MiniMax M2.5 does not.
Gemini 3.5 Flash can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
Gemini 3.5 Flash
MiniMax M2.5
License
Usage and distribution terms
Gemini 3.5 Flash is licensed under a proprietary license, while MiniMax M2.5 uses MIT.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Proprietary
Closed source
MIT
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Gemini 3.5 Flash was released on 2026-05-19, while MiniMax M2.5 was released on 2026-02-12.
Gemini 3.5 Flash is 3 months newer than MiniMax M2.5.
May 19, 2026
4 months ago
3mo newerFeb 12, 2026
7 months ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Gemini 3.5 Flash has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-01-31, while MiniMax M2.5's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Gemini 3.5 Flash's training data extends to 2026-01-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without MiniMax M2.5's cutoff date.
Jan 2026
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Provider Availability
Gemini 3.5 Flash is available from DeepInfra, Google. MiniMax M2.5 is available from MiniMax.
Gemini 3.5 Flash
MiniMax M2.5
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Gemini 3.5 Flash and MiniMax M2.5 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Gemini 3.5 Flash vs MiniMax M2.5.