Model Comparison
GPT-5 vs MiniMax M3Which is better in 2026?
MiniMax M3 has a slight edge in benchmark performance. MiniMax M3 is 6.5x cheaper per token.
Verdict: GPT-5 vs MiniMax M3 — which is better?
GPT-5 (by OpenAI) 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.
GPT-5 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (MMMU-Pro), while MiniMax M3 is better at 2 benchmarks (BrowseComp, SWE-Bench Verified). MiniMax M3 has a slight edge in benchmark performance.
On price, MiniMax M3 is roughly 6.5x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
MiniMax M3 also accepts a larger context window (512,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose GPT-5 if…
- you want predictable pricing at $1.25/M input and $10.00/M output
Choose MiniMax M3 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 3 of 4 shared benchmarks
- cost matters — it's about 6.5x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 512,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jun 2026
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GPT-5 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (MMMU-Pro), while MiniMax M3 is better at 2 benchmarks (BrowseComp, SWE-Bench Verified).
MiniMax M3 has a slight edge in benchmark performance.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GPT-5 ($1.25/1M tokens) is 4.2x more expensive than MiniMax M3 ($0.30/1M tokens).
For output processing, GPT-5 ($10.00/1M tokens) is 8.3x more expensive than MiniMax M3 ($1.20/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GPT-5 is more expensive than MiniMax M3.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
MiniMax M3 accepts 512,000 input tokens compared to GPT-5's 400,000 tokens. MiniMax M3 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while GPT-5 is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both GPT-5 and MiniMax M3 support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
GPT-5
MiniMax M3
License
Usage and distribution terms
GPT-5 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.
Proprietary
Closed source
MIT
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
GPT-5 was released on 2025-08-07, while MiniMax M3 was released on 2026-06-01.
MiniMax M3 is 10 months newer than GPT-5.
Aug 7, 2025
11 months ago
Jun 1, 2026
1 months ago
9mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
GPT-5 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-09-30, while MiniMax M3's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm GPT-5's training data extends to 2024-09-30, but cannot make a direct comparison without MiniMax M3's cutoff date.
Sep 2024
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Provider Availability
GPT-5 is available from OpenAI. MiniMax M3 is available from Fireworks, Novita, Together, MiniMax.
GPT-5
MiniMax M3
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
GPT-5
View detailsOpenAI
MiniMax M3
View detailsMiniMax
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GPT-5 and MiniMax M3 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about GPT-5 vs MiniMax M3.