MiniMax M1 vs Ministral 3 3B 2512
MiniMax M1 leads Ministral 3 3B 2512 on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, 11.7 to 4.8, and Ministral 3 3B 2512 costs 22.0x less per output token ($0.10 vs $2.20 per million). Updated October 22, 2026; 1 benchmarks have a result for both.
MiniMax M1 or Ministral 3 3B 2512: which to pick
Neither model has a coding score yet, so the two cannot be ranked on coding.
Pick MiniMax M1 for a larger context window (1M against 131K tokens).
- Shared results
- 1
- MiniMax M1 only
- 28
- Ministral 3 3B 2512 only
- 6
- Like-for-like categories
- 1 of 9
Only benchmarks that tested both models count toward a pick; a result only one model has is shown but not compared.
Which one for your work
Each card is decided by one number both models carry. Where only one has it, the card says so and makes no call.
Coding
Vibe Coding Index, six public coding benchmarks
No call
Neither has a coding score yet.
One side not measured
Intelligence
AA Intelligence Index
MiniMax M1
MiniMax M1 leads, 11.7 against 4.8.
Same board, both measured
Agentic work
AA Agentic Index
No call
Only Ministral 3 3B 2512 has a AA Agentic Index result, 0.8.
Directional only
Web design
Design Arena: websites
No call
Only Ministral 3 3B 2512 has a Design Arena: websites result, 1027.
Directional only
Long documents
Listed context window
MiniMax M1
MiniMax M1 takes 1M tokens against 131K.
Listed by OpenRouter
Everyday cost
1K input + 500 output tokens
Ministral 3 3B 2512
MiniMax M1 $0.0015, Ministral 3 3B 2512 $0.0001 per turn.
List prices
At a glance
- Coding index
- MiniMax M1 not benchmarked, Ministral 3 3B 2512 not benchmarked.
- Widest category
- Intelligence, 6.9 points apart on average over 1 shared benchmark.
- Widest single gap
- AA Intelligence Index: MiniMax M1 11.7 against Ministral 3 3B 2512 4.8, 6.9 points apart on a 0 to 100 scale.
- Output price
- MiniMax M1 $2.20 against Ministral 3 3B 2512 $0.10 per million output tokens, 22.0x apart.
- Context window
- MiniMax M1 takes 1M tokens, Ministral 3 3B 2512 131K.
Benchmark by benchmark
First the score: boards each model leads, per category, where both have a result. Then every board, a category to a fold; bars are each result on a 0 to 100 scale, so compare the two in a row, not one row with another.
| Category | MiniMax M1 | Bars | Ministral 3 3B 2512 | Ties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence | 1 | 0 | ||
| All shared boards | 1 | 0 |
CodingDirectional onlySix of these boards feed the Vibe Coding Index3 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | MiniMax M1 | Ministral 3 3B 2512 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA Coding Index | Not measured | 4.8 | Only Ministral 3 3B 2512 measured |
| LMArena Text: coding | 1359 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: software and IT | 1359 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 40 boards here | |||
IntelligenceLike-for-likePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index10
| Benchmark | MiniMax M1 | Ministral 3 3B 2512 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA Intelligence Index | 11.7 | 4.8 | MiniMax M1 |
| Neither model has a result on the other 1 board here | |||
Agentic workDirectional onlyPublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index1 board, none shared
| Benchmark | MiniMax M1 | Ministral 3 3B 2512 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA Agentic Index | Not measured | 0.8 | Only Ministral 3 3B 2512 measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 41 boards here | |||
ReasoningDirectional onlyPublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index3 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | MiniMax M1 | Ministral 3 3B 2512 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| LMArena Text: hard prompts | 1339 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: expert | 1317 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: hard prompts in English | 1353 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 20 boards here | |||
MathDirectional onlyPublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index2 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | MiniMax M1 | Ministral 3 3B 2512 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| LMArena Text: math | 1361 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: mathematical work | 1363 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 12 boards here | |||
KnowledgeDirectional onlyPublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index4 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | MiniMax M1 | Ministral 3 3B 2512 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| LMArena Text: science | 1354 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: medicine and healthcare | 1355 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: legal and government | 1337 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: business and finance | 1319 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 16 boards here | |||
Web designDirectional onlyPublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index4 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | MiniMax M1 | Ministral 3 3B 2512 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Design Arena: websites | Not measured | 1027 | Only Ministral 3 3B 2512 measured |
| Design Arena: game dev | Not measured | 948 | Only Ministral 3 3B 2512 measured |
| Design Arena: 3D | Not measured | 962 | Only Ministral 3 3B 2512 measured |
| Design Arena: all code categories | Not measured | 1009 | Only Ministral 3 3B 2512 measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 5 boards here | |||
GeneralDirectional onlyPublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index17 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | MiniMax M1 | Ministral 3 3B 2512 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| LMArena Text | 1343 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: instruction following | 1312 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: creative writing | 1297 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: English | 1363 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: non-English | 1319 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: Chinese | 1360 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: German | 1350 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: Japanese | 1217 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: Korean | 1266 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: French | 1370 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: Spanish | 1353 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: Russian | 1329 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: Polish | 1329 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: multi-turn | 1335 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: longer queries | 1326 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: writing and language | 1311 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: entertainment and media | 1303 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 31 boards here | |||
Image generationNot comparablePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index0 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | MiniMax M1 | Ministral 3 3B 2512 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neither model has a result on 5 boards here | |||
What each workload costs
Three fixed token mixes at each model's listed price, so per-token rates become a bill.
Chat turn
1K input + 500 output tokens
Ministral 3 3B 2512 costs less
Repository review
50K input + 3K output tokens
Ministral 3 3B 2512 costs less
Agent loop
200K input + 10K output tokens
Ministral 3 3B 2512 costs less
Listed OpenRouter rates, without cache or batch discounts. A workload that does not fit a model's context window would need splitting.
Specification differences
The leading value in a row is marked; a row with a missing value names no leader. Our two rows are marked in red.
| Specification | MiniMax M1 | Mistral Ministral 3 3B 2512 |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | MiniMax | Mistral AI |
| Weights | No public weights listed | Open weights |
| Released | June 17, 2025 | December 2, 2025 |
| Context window | 1M | 131K |
| Input $/Mtok | $0.40 | $0.10 |
| Output $/Mtok | $2.20 | $0.10 |
| Coding index | Not benchmarked | Not benchmarked |
| Independent measurements behind it | 0 | 0 |
| Cost per solved task | Not computable | Not computable |
| Source | OpenRouter listing | OpenRouter listing |
Questions
Is MiniMax M1 better than Ministral 3 3B 2512 for coding?
Neither model has a coding score yet, so the two cannot be ranked on coding. Pick MiniMax M1 for a larger context window (1M against 131K tokens).
Which is cheaper, MiniMax M1 or Ministral 3 3B 2512?
MiniMax M1 costs $0.40 per million input tokens and $2.20 per million output tokens; Ministral 3 3B 2512 costs $0.10 and $0.10. Cost per solved task is known for neither of them.
Which has the bigger context window, MiniMax M1 or Ministral 3 3B 2512?
MiniMax M1, with 1M tokens against 131K.
How many benchmarks is the MiniMax M1 vs Ministral 3 3B 2512 comparison based on?
1 benchmarks have a result for both models as of October 22, 2026. MiniMax M1's coding index rests on 0 independent benchmarks and Ministral 3 3B 2512's on 0. Where only one model has a result, the page says so instead of naming a winner.