Model Comparison
MiniMax M3 vs Grok 4.3Which is better in 2026?
MiniMax M3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. MiniMax M3 is 3.0x cheaper per token.
Verdict: MiniMax M3 vs Grok 4.3 — which is better?
MiniMax M3 (by MiniMax) and Grok 4.3 (by xAI) 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 2 benchmarks (Finance Agent v2, GDPval-AA), while Grok 4.3 is better at 0 benchmarks. MiniMax M3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, MiniMax M3 is roughly 3.0x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Grok 4.3 also accepts a larger context window (1,000,000 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 2 of 2 shared benchmarks
- cost matters — it's about 3.0x cheaper per token
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jun 2026
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose Grok 4.3 if…
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,000,000 token context window
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
MiniMax M3 outperforms in 2 benchmarks (Finance Agent v2, GDPval-AA), while Grok 4.3 is better at 0 benchmarks.
MiniMax M3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, MiniMax M3 ($0.30/1M tokens) is 4.2x cheaper than Grok 4.3 ($1.25/1M tokens).
For output processing, MiniMax M3 ($1.20/1M tokens) is 2.1x cheaper than Grok 4.3 ($2.50/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Grok 4.3 is more expensive than MiniMax M3.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Grok 4.3 accepts 1,000,000 input tokens compared to MiniMax M3's 512,000 tokens. Only MiniMax M3 specifies output context (131,072 tokens).
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
MiniMax M3 supports multimodal inputs, whereas Grok 4.3 does not.
MiniMax M3 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
MiniMax M3
Grok 4.3
License
Usage and distribution terms
MiniMax M3 is licensed under MIT, while Grok 4.3 uses a proprietary license.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
MIT
Open weights
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
MiniMax M3 was released on 2026-06-01, while Grok 4.3 was released on 2026-05-06.
MiniMax M3 is 1 month newer than Grok 4.3.
Jun 1, 2026
1 months ago
3w newerMay 6, 2026
2 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. Grok 4.3 is available from xAI.
MiniMax M3
Grok 4.3
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
MiniMax M3
View detailsMiniMax
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against MiniMax M3 and Grok 4.3 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about MiniMax M3 vs Grok 4.3.