MiniMax M3.1 Flash vs Qwen3.8 Flash
MiniMax M3.1 Flash and Qwen3.8 Flash are closely matched at 48.5 and 48.0 on the LLM Stats Score. Qwen3.8 Flash is 1.1x cheaper per token.
MiniMax · Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
MiniMax M3.1 Flash and Qwen3.8 Flash are closely matched on the overall LLM Stats Score at 48.5 and 48.0.
In the 5 individual benchmarks reported for both models, MiniMax M3.1 Flash wins 3; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, Qwen3.8 Flash is roughly 1.1x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose MiniMax M3.1 Flash
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 3 of 5 exact shared results
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Oct 2026
Choose Qwen3.8 Flash
- cost matters — it's about 1.1x 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 · 22 for Qwen3.8 Flash
MiniMax M3.1 Flash outperforms in 3 benchmarks (DeepSWE 1.1, NL2Repo, OSWorld 2.0), while Qwen3.8 Flash is better at 2 benchmarks (Agents' Last Exam, CharXiv-R).
MiniMax M3.1 Flash has a slight edge in benchmark performance.
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) costs the same as Qwen3.8 Flash ($0.15/1M tokens).
For output processing, MiniMax M3.1 Flash ($0.60/1M tokens) is 1.3x more expensive than Qwen3.8 Flash ($0.47/1M tokens).
In conclusion, MiniMax M3.1 Flash is more expensive than Qwen3.8 Flash.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Both models have the same input context window of 1,000,000 tokens. MiniMax M3.1 Flash can generate longer responses up to 524,288 tokens, while Qwen3.8 Flash is limited to 131,072 tokens.
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both MiniMax M3.1 Flash and Qwen3.8 Flash support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
MiniMax M3.1 Flash
Qwen3.8 Flash
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 Qwen3.8 Flash was released on 2026-08-26.
MiniMax M3.1 Flash is 2 months newer than Qwen3.8 Flash.
Oct 19, 2026
0 days ago
1mo newerAug 26, 2026
1 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 M3.1 Flash is available from MiniMax. Qwen3.8 Flash is available from Novita.
MiniMax M3.1 Flash
Qwen3.8 Flash
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against MiniMax M3.1 Flash and Qwen3.8 Flash side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about MiniMax M3.1 Flash vs Qwen3.8 Flash.