MiniMax M3 vs Sakana Namazu
MiniMax M3 and Sakana Namazu are closely matched at 41.9 and 43.2 on the LLM Stats Score. MiniMax M3 is 3.3x cheaper per token.
MiniMax · Sakana AI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
MiniMax M3 and Sakana Namazu are closely matched on the overall LLM Stats Score at 41.9 and 43.2.
On price, MiniMax M3 is roughly 3.3x 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.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose MiniMax M3
- cost matters — it's about 3.3x 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 Sakana Namazu
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2026
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
35 reported for MiniMax M3 · 3 for Sakana Namazu
MiniMax M3 and Sakana Namazudon't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, MiniMax M3 ($0.30/1M tokens) is 3.2x cheaper than Sakana Namazu ($0.95/1M tokens).
For output processing, MiniMax M3 ($1.20/1M tokens) is 3.3x cheaper than Sakana Namazu ($4.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Sakana Namazu 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 Sakana Namazu's 256,000 tokens. Sakana Namazu can generate longer responses up to 256,000 tokens, while MiniMax M3 is limited to 131,072 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both MiniMax M3 and Sakana Namazu support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
MiniMax M3
Sakana Namazu
License
Usage and distribution terms
MiniMax M3 is licensed under MIT, while Sakana Namazu 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 Sakana Namazu was released on 2026-08-03.
Sakana Namazu is 2 months newer than MiniMax M3.
Jun 1, 2026
2 months ago
Aug 3, 2026
3 weeks ago
2mo 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, MiniMax, Novita, Together. Sakana Namazu is available from Sakana AI.
MiniMax M3
Sakana Namazu
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against MiniMax M3 and Sakana Namazu side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about MiniMax M3 vs Sakana Namazu.