Model Comparison
MiniMax M3 vs Grok 4.5Which is better in 2026?
Grok 4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. MiniMax M3 is 5.7x cheaper per token.
Verdict: MiniMax M3 vs Grok 4.5 — which is better?
MiniMax M3 (by MiniMax) and Grok 4.5 (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 0 benchmarks, while Grok 4.5 is better at 3 benchmarks (GDPval-AA, SWE-Bench Pro, Terminal-Bench 2.1). Grok 4.5 significantly outperforms across most 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.
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…
- cost matters — it's about 5.7x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 512,000 token context window
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose Grok 4.5 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 3 of 3 shared benchmarks
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
MiniMax M3 outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Grok 4.5 is better at 3 benchmarks (GDPval-AA, SWE-Bench Pro, Terminal-Bench 2.1).
Grok 4.5 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 6.7x cheaper than Grok 4.5 ($2.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, MiniMax M3 ($1.20/1M tokens) is 5.0x cheaper than Grok 4.5 ($6.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Grok 4.5 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 Grok 4.5's 500,000 tokens. Only MiniMax M3 specifies output context (131,072 tokens).
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both MiniMax M3 and Grok 4.5 support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
MiniMax M3
Grok 4.5
License
Usage and distribution terms
MiniMax M3 is licensed under MIT, while Grok 4.5 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 4.5 was released on 2026-07-08.
Grok 4.5 is 1 month newer than MiniMax M3.
Jun 1, 2026
1 months ago
Jul 8, 2026
1 weeks ago
1mo newerKnowledge 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 4.5 is available from xAI.
MiniMax M3
Grok 4.5
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
MiniMax M3
View detailsMiniMax
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against MiniMax M3 and Grok 4.5 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about MiniMax M3 vs Grok 4.5.