Model Comparison
MiniMax M3 vs GLM-5.1Which is better in 2026?
MiniMax M3 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. MiniMax M3 is 4.1x cheaper per token.
Verdict: MiniMax M3 vs GLM-5.1 — which is better?
MiniMax M3 (by MiniMax) and GLM-5.1 (by Zhipu AI) 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.
MiniMax M3 outperforms in 5 benchmarks (BrowseComp, Finance Agent v2, GDPval-AA, MCP Atlas, SWE-Bench Pro), while GLM-5.1 is better at 2 benchmarks (LiveBench, NL2Repo). MiniMax M3 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
On price, MiniMax M3 is roughly 4.1x 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 MiniMax M3 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 5 of 7 shared benchmarks
- cost matters — it's about 4.1x 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
Choose GLM-5.1 if…
- you want predictable pricing at $1.40/M input and $4.40/M output
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
MiniMax M3 outperforms in 5 benchmarks (BrowseComp, Finance Agent v2, GDPval-AA, MCP Atlas, SWE-Bench Pro), while GLM-5.1 is better at 2 benchmarks (LiveBench, NL2Repo).
MiniMax M3 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, MiniMax M3 ($0.30/1M tokens) is 4.7x cheaper than GLM-5.1 ($1.40/1M tokens).
For output processing, MiniMax M3 ($1.20/1M tokens) is 3.7x cheaper than GLM-5.1 ($4.40/1M tokens).
In conclusion, GLM-5.1 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 GLM-5.1's 200,000 tokens. MiniMax M3 can generate longer responses up to 131,072 tokens, while GLM-5.1 is limited to 128,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
MiniMax M3 supports multimodal inputs, whereas GLM-5.1 does not.
MiniMax M3 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
MiniMax M3
GLM-5.1
License
Usage and distribution terms
Both models are licensed under MIT.
Both models share the same licensing terms, providing consistent usage rights.
MIT
Open weights
MIT
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
MiniMax M3 was released on 2026-06-01, while GLM-5.1 was released on 2026-04-07.
MiniMax M3 is 2 months newer than GLM-5.1.
Jun 1, 2026
1 months ago
1mo newerApr 7, 2026
3 months ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
MiniMax M3 is available from Fireworks, Novita, Together, MiniMax. GLM-5.1 is available from FriendliAI, ZAI.
MiniMax M3
GLM-5.1
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
MiniMax M3
View detailsMiniMax
GLM-5.1
View detailsZhipu AI
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against MiniMax M3 and GLM-5.1 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about MiniMax M3 vs GLM-5.1.