Model Comparison

Gemini 3.6 Flash vs MiniMax M3Which is better in 2026?

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks. MiniMax M3 is 5.7x cheaper per token.

Verdict: Gemini 3.6 Flash vs MiniMax M3 — which is better?

Gemini 3.6 Flash (by Google) and MiniMax M3 (by MiniMax) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.

Gemini 3.6 Flash outperforms in 2 benchmarks (OSWorld-Verified, Terminal-Bench 2.1), while MiniMax M3 is better at 2 benchmarks (GDPval-AA, SWE-Bench Pro). Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.

On price, MiniMax M3 is roughly 5.7x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Gemini 3.6 Flash also accepts a larger context window (1,048,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose Gemini 3.6 Flash if…

  • you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026

Choose MiniMax M3 if…

  • cost matters — it's about 5.7x cheaper per token
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

4 benchmarks

Gemini 3.6 Flash outperforms in 2 benchmarks (OSWorld-Verified, Terminal-Bench 2.1), while MiniMax M3 is better at 2 benchmarks (GDPval-AA, SWE-Bench Pro).

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks.

Tue Jul 21 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

MiniMax M3 costs less

For input processing, Gemini 3.6 Flash ($1.50/1M tokens) is 5.0x more expensive than MiniMax M3 ($0.30/1M tokens).

For output processing, Gemini 3.6 Flash ($7.50/1M tokens) is 6.3x more expensive than MiniMax M3 ($1.20/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Gemini 3.6 Flash is more expensive than MiniMax M3.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Tue Jul 21 2026 • llm-stats.com
Google
Gemini 3.6 Flash
Input tokens$1.50
Output tokens$7.50
Best providerGoogle
MiniMax
MiniMax M3
Input tokens$0.30
Output tokens$1.20
Best providerFireworks
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Gemini 3.6 Flash accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to MiniMax M3's 512,000 tokens. MiniMax M3 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while Gemini 3.6 Flash is limited to 65,536 tokens.

Google
Gemini 3.6 Flash
Input1,048,576 tokens
Output65,536 tokens
MiniMax
MiniMax M3
Input512,000 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Tue Jul 21 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both Gemini 3.6 Flash and MiniMax M3 support multimodal inputs.

They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.

Gemini 3.6 Flash

Text
Images
Audio
Video

MiniMax M3

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Gemini 3.6 Flash is licensed under a proprietary license, while MiniMax M3 uses MIT.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

Gemini 3.6 Flash

Proprietary

Closed source

MiniMax M3

MIT

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Gemini 3.6 Flash was released on 2026-07-21, while MiniMax M3 was released on 2026-06-01.

Gemini 3.6 Flash is 2 months newer than MiniMax M3.

Gemini 3.6 Flash

Jul 21, 2026

0 days ago

1mo newer
MiniMax M3

Jun 1, 2026

1 months ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Gemini 3.6 Flash has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-03-31, while MiniMax M3's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Gemini 3.6 Flash's training data extends to 2026-03-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without MiniMax M3's cutoff date.

Gemini 3.6 Flash

Mar 2026

MiniMax M3

—

Provider Availability

Gemini 3.6 Flash is available from Google. MiniMax M3 is available from Fireworks, Novita, Together, MiniMax.

Gemini 3.6 Flash

google logo
Google
Input Price:Input: $1.50/1MOutput Price:Output: $7.50/1M

MiniMax M3

fireworks logo
Fireworks
Input Price:Input: $0.30/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.20/1M
novita logo
Novita
Input Price:Input: $0.30/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.20/1M
together logo
Together
Input Price:Input: $0.30/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.20/1M
minimax logo
MiniMax
Input Price:Input: $0.60/1MOutput Price:Output: $2.40/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

Google
Larger context window (1,048,576 tokens)
Higher OSWorld-Verified score (83.0% vs 70.1%)
Higher Terminal-Bench 2.1 score (78.0% vs 66.0%)
MiniMax
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights
Higher GDPval-AA score (47.7% vs 47.4%)
Higher SWE-Bench Pro score (59.0% vs 58.7%)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Gemini 3.6 Flash and MiniMax M3 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Gemini 3.6 Flash
✓ Preferred
MiniMax M3
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Google
Gemini 3.6 Flash
MiniMax
MiniMax M3

FAQ

Common questions about Gemini 3.6 Flash vs MiniMax M3.

Which is better, Gemini 3.6 Flash or MiniMax M3?

Both models are evenly matched across the benchmarks. Gemini 3.6 Flash is made by Google and MiniMax M3 is made by MiniMax. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Gemini 3.6 Flash compare to MiniMax M3 in benchmarks?

Gemini 3.6 Flash scores CharXiv-R: 89.4%, OSWorld-Verified: 83.0%, Terminal-Bench 2.1: 78.0%, MLE-Bench: 63.9%, SWE-Bench Pro: 58.7%. MiniMax M3 scores OmniDocBench 1.5: 91.6%, SpreadSheetBench-v1: 89.3%, USAMO 2026: 85.7%, Video-MME: 85.4%, VideoMMMU: 84.6%.

Is Gemini 3.6 Flash cheaper than MiniMax M3?

MiniMax M3 is 5.0x cheaper for input tokens. Gemini 3.6 Flash costs $1.50/M input and $7.50/M output via google. MiniMax M3 costs $0.30/M input and $1.20/M output via fireworks.

What are the context window sizes for Gemini 3.6 Flash and MiniMax M3?

Gemini 3.6 Flash supports 1.0M tokens and MiniMax M3 supports 512K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between Gemini 3.6 Flash and MiniMax M3?

Key differences include context window (1.0M vs 512K), input pricing ($1.50 vs $0.30/M), licensing (Proprietary vs MIT). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Gemini 3.6 Flash and MiniMax M3?

Gemini 3.6 Flash is developed by Google and MiniMax M3 is developed by MiniMax.

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