MiniMax M3.1 Flash vs Nova Lite
MiniMax M3.1 Flash leads the LLM Stats Score 48.5 to 7.2. Nova Lite is 2.5x cheaper per token.
MiniMax · Amazon · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
MiniMax M3.1 Flash leads the overall LLM Stats Score 48.5 to 7.2, ranking #29 overall.
On price, Nova Lite is roughly 2.5x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
MiniMax M3.1 Flash also accepts a larger context window (1,000,000 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 M3.1 Flash
- overall performance matters — it scores 48.5 and ranks #29 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning and coding — it leads those capability indexes
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,000,000 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Oct 2026
Choose Nova Lite
- cost matters — it's about 2.5x cheaper per token
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
14 reported for MiniMax M3.1 Flash · 27 for Nova Lite
MiniMax M3.1 Flash and Nova Litedon'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 M3.1 Flash ($0.15/1M tokens) is 2.5x more expensive than Nova Lite ($0.06/1M tokens).
For output processing, MiniMax M3.1 Flash ($0.60/1M tokens) is 2.5x more expensive than Nova Lite ($0.24/1M tokens).
In conclusion, MiniMax M3.1 Flash is more expensive than Nova Lite.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
MiniMax M3.1 Flash accepts 1,000,000 input tokens compared to Nova Lite's 300,000 tokens. MiniMax M3.1 Flash can generate longer responses up to 524,288 tokens, while Nova Lite is limited to 2,048 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both MiniMax M3.1 Flash and Nova Lite support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
MiniMax M3.1 Flash
Nova Lite
License
Usage and distribution terms
Both models are licensed under proprietary licenses.
Both models have usage restrictions defined by their respective organizations.
Proprietary
Closed source
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
MiniMax M3.1 Flash was released on 2026-10-19, while Nova Lite was released on 2024-11-20.
MiniMax M3.1 Flash is 23 months newer than Nova Lite.
Oct 19, 2026
-2 days ago
1.9yr newerNov 20, 2024
1.9 years 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 M3.1 Flash is available from MiniMax. Nova Lite is available from Bedrock.
MiniMax M3.1 Flash
Nova Lite
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against MiniMax M3.1 Flash and Nova Lite side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about MiniMax M3.1 Flash vs Nova Lite.