MiniMax M3.1 Flash vs MiniMax M3

MiniMax M3.1 Flash vs MiniMax M3 at a glance

MiniMax M3.1 Flash and MiniMax M3 are both MiniMax models in the Text Generation category, available through the EmpirioLabs API.

Key differences

• MiniMax M3.1 Flash is the newer release (Oct 19, 2026); MiniMax M3 was released on Jun 1, 2026.
• Both models have a context window of 1M tokens.
• Capabilities listed only for MiniMax M3.1 Flash: agentic coding.
• Both models list the same rate for Web search (per call when invoked).

MiniMax M3.1 Flash vs MiniMax M3: specs

MiniMax M3.1 Flash vs MiniMax M3: API pricing

Live rates from the EmpirioLabs catalog for both models. Each rate card always matches what the API charges.

MiniMax M3.1 Flash vs MiniMax M3: API parameters

Request parameters each model lists on EmpirioLabs, with the allowed values or range where one applies. A dash marks a parameter the model does not list.

MiniMax M3.1 Flash vs MiniMax M3: limits and notes

MiniMax M3.1 Flash

Text, image, and video input with text output, a 1M token context, and up to 524,288 output tokens. The model always reasons: reasoning_effort sets how deeply (low, medium, high, xhigh, or max; the default is max), and the reasoning text is returned in reasoning_content. Reasoning tokens are billed as output tokens. Repeated prompt prefixes are cached automatically and billed at the cached input rate. Set tool_web_search to true to let the model search the web; each executed search is billed, and one request can run several searches. Answers that used web search end with a Sources list unless disable_formatting is true. Structured output through response_format is not supported; ask for JSON in the prompt instead.

MiniMax M3

Text, image, and video input with text output. Thinking defaults to adaptive and can be disabled. Pricing is based on input tokens including cache hits: <=512K uses the discounted standard tier, while >512K uses the high-context tier. Supports up to 1M input tokens. Set tool_web_search to true to let the model search the web; each executed search is billed, and one request can run several searches. Answers that used web search end with a Sources list unless disable_formatting is true. Structured output through response_format is not supported; ask for JSON in the prompt instead.

How to call MiniMax M3.1 Flash and MiniMax M3

MiniMax M3.1 Flash serves the OpenAI-compatible Chat Completions API. Point any OpenAI SDK at https://api.empiriolabs.ai/v1 with your EmpirioLabs API key and use the model id minimax-m3-1-flash. Both models are called through the same endpoint. Set model to minimax-m3-1-flash or minimax-m3. Get an API key from the EmpirioLabs dashboard.

curl https://api.empiriolabs.ai/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $EMPIRIOLABS_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "minimax-m3-1-flash",
    "messages": [
      {"role": "user", "content": "Write a haiku about the ocean."}
    ]
  }'

MiniMax M3.1 Flash vs MiniMax M3: common questions

What is the difference between MiniMax M3.1 Flash and MiniMax M3?

MiniMax M3.1 Flash is the newer release (Oct 19, 2026); MiniMax M3 was released on Jun 1, 2026. Both models have a context window of 1M tokens. Capabilities listed only for MiniMax M3.1 Flash: agentic coding. The specs, rate cards, and parameters on this page come from the live EmpirioLabs catalog.

Which is newer, MiniMax M3.1 Flash or MiniMax M3?

MiniMax M3.1 Flash is the newer release (Oct 19, 2026); MiniMax M3 was released on Jun 1, 2026.

Which has the lower rate, MiniMax M3.1 Flash or MiniMax M3?

Both models list the same rate for Web search (per call when invoked). Both live rate cards are on this page and always match what the API charges.

Can I switch between MiniMax M3.1 Flash and MiniMax M3 without rebuilding my integration?

Yes. Both models use POST /v1/chat/completions with the same EmpirioLabs API key, so most integrations switch by changing the model value. Check the parameters table on this page first if you rely on a model-specific parameter.

Can I try MiniMax M3.1 Flash and MiniMax M3 in the browser before integrating?

Yes. Open each model in the EmpirioLabs playground and run the same prompt on both, with the parameters the API exposes.