MiniMax M3.1 Flash vs o4-mini
MiniMax M3.1 Flash leads the LLM Stats Score 48.7 to 27.0. MiniMax M3.1 Flash is 7.3x cheaper per token.
MiniMax · OpenAI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
MiniMax M3.1 Flash leads the overall LLM Stats Score 48.7 to 27.0, ranking #29 overall.
In the 1 individual benchmarks reported for both models, MiniMax M3.1 Flash wins 1; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, MiniMax M3.1 Flash is roughly 7.3x 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 48.7 and ranks #29 on LLM Stats
- your work emphasizes reasoning and coding — it leads those capability indexes
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 1 of 1 exact shared results
- cost matters — it's about 7.3x cheaper per token
- 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 o4-mini
- you want predictable pricing at $1.10/M input and $4.40/M output
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Capability indexes
Additional strengths measured across groups of related public benchmarks
Individual benchmarks
15 reported for MiniMax M3.1 Flash · 14 for o4-mini
MiniMax M3.1 Flash outperforms in 1 benchmarks (CharXiv-R), while o4-mini is better at 0 benchmarks.
MiniMax M3.1 Flash significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
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 7.3x cheaper than o4-mini ($1.10/1M tokens).
For output processing, MiniMax M3.1 Flash ($0.60/1M tokens) is 7.3x cheaper than o4-mini ($4.40/1M tokens).
In conclusion, o4-mini is more expensive than MiniMax M3.1 Flash.*
* 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 o4-mini's 200,000 tokens. MiniMax M3.1 Flash can generate longer responses up to 524,288 tokens, while o4-mini is limited to 100,000 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both MiniMax M3.1 Flash and o4-mini support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
MiniMax M3.1 Flash
o4-mini
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 o4-mini was released on 2025-04-16.
MiniMax M3.1 Flash is 18 months newer than o4-mini.
Oct 19, 2026
0 days ago
1.5yr newerApr 16, 2025
1.5 years ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
o4-mini has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-05-31, while MiniMax M3.1 Flash's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm o4-mini's training data extends to 2024-05-31, but cannot make a direct comparison without MiniMax M3.1 Flash's cutoff date.
—
May 2024
Provider Availability
MiniMax M3.1 Flash is available from MiniMax. o4-mini is available from OpenAI.
MiniMax M3.1 Flash
o4-mini
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against MiniMax M3.1 Flash and o4-mini side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about MiniMax M3.1 Flash vs o4-mini.