MiniMax M3vsOpenAI o4-mini
MiniMax M3 is cheaper than OpenAI o4-mini at $0.3/M vs $1.1/M input tokens.
| Spec | MiniMax M3 | OpenAI o4-mini |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.3/M tokens | $1.1/M tokens |
| Output price | $1.2/M tokens | $4.4/M tokens |
| Context window | 1.0M tokens | — |
| Weights | Open | Closed |
| Free API (OpenRouter) | No | No |
| Released | Jun 2026 | Apr 2025 |
Our Verdict
MiniMax M3
OpenAI o4-miniRunner-up
Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, MiniMax M3 has the edge: bigger model tier, newer, bigger context window.
MiniMax M3 costs 3.7x less per token.
Too close to call
API pricing
Cost per 1M tokens
MiniMax M3
Input
$0.30
3.7× cheaper
Output
$1.20
3.7× cheaper
OpenAI o4-mini
Input
$1.10
Output
$4.40
MiniMax M3 is cheaper on both: 3.7× input, 3.7× output.
Where to run it
13 hosts, cheapest first
OpenAI o4-mini1 host
Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 9 Sep 2026.
Writing DNA
Style Comparison
Similarity
39%
MiniMax M3 uses 520.0x more bold
MiniMax M3
OpenAI o4-mini
55%Vocabulary73%
24wSentence Length21w
0.52Hedging0.39
5.2Bold0.0
3.0Lists2.0
1.15Emoji0.00
1.21Headings0.00
0.02Transitions0.05
Based on 27 + 17 text responses
Research
What we learned reading every model
FAQ
Common questions
Keep exploring
More comparisons
OpenAI o4-mini vs Ox AlphaNew provider
OpenAI o4-mini vs Claude Opus 4.1New provider
OpenAI o4-mini vs Claude Sonnet 4New provider
OpenAI o4-mini vs MiniMax M2.7Cross-provider
MiniMax M3 vs GPT-5.6 SolCross-provider
MiniMax M3 vs GPT-5.6 TerraCross-provider
MiniMax M3 vs GPT-6 AstraCross-provider
MiniMax M3 vs GPT-6 Astra ProCross-provider