Model comparison
GPT-4.1 mini vs MiniMax M3
Head-to-head evidence from 19 shared benchmark results across 6 categories. Overall scores shown here use the public BenchAlign v5 ranking lane.
Verified leaderboard positions: GPT-4.1 mini unranked; MiniMax M3 #18
BenchAlign evidence: GPT-4.1 mini estimated; MiniMax M3 supported. Intervals and evidence labels describe ranking uncertainty, not a guarantee for a specific workload.
Evidence parity. GPT-4.1 mini and MiniMax M3 share 19 comparable benchmark results. 2 of 8 categories are comparable. 4 results are unique to GPT-4.1 mini; 26 to MiniMax M3.
Updated July 16, 2026- Shared results
- 19
- GPT-4.1 mini only
- 4
- MiniMax M3 only
- 26
- Comparable categories
- 2 / 8
Pick MiniMax M3 if you want the stronger benchmark profile. GPT-4.1 mini only becomes the better choice if its workflow or ecosystem matters more than the raw scoreboard.
Confidence note. This is a partial-evidence comparison with 19 shared benchmark results across 6 evidence categories; 2 of 8 categories currently have scoreable aggregates for both models. Treat the verdict as directional until coverage is more balanced.
Why this result
MiniMax M3 is clearly ahead on the provisional aggregate, 70 to 42. The gap is large enough that you do not need to squint at the spreadsheet to see the difference.
MiniMax M3's sharpest advantage is in mathematics, where it averages 85.7 against 4.5. The single biggest benchmark swing on the page is SWE-bench Verified, 23.6% to 80.5%.
GPT-4.1 mini is also the more expensive model on tokens at $0.40 input / $1.60 output per 1M tokens, versus $0.30 input / $1.20 output per 1M tokens for MiniMax M3.
Category breakdown
Exact category averages are shown below. Not measured means BenchLM does not have enough sourced public coverage for that model and category.
| Category | GPT-4.1 mini | Δ | MiniMax M3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Math | GPT-4.1 mini4.5 | Margin→ 81.2 | MiniMax M385.7 |
| Coding | GPT-4.1 mini23.6 | Margin→ 48.6 | MiniMax M372.2 |
| Agentic | GPT-4.1 miniNot measured | MarginNo overlap | MiniMax M372.3 |
| Knowledge | GPT-4.1 mini64.2 | MarginNo overlap | MiniMax M3Not measured |
| Multimodal | GPT-4.1 miniNot measured | MarginNo overlap | MiniMax M364.9 |
| Inst. Following | GPT-4.1 mini88.5 | MarginNo overlap | MiniMax M3Not measured |
Decisive benchmark drivers
The largest measured benchmark gaps in this matchup, with exact reported values.
More
- Source ↗
SWE-bench Verified
CodingA 23.6%B 80.5%Winner: MiniMax M3Δ 56.9SWE-bench Verified: GPT-4.1 mini scored 23.6%; MiniMax M3 scored 80.5%. MiniMax M3 wins this benchmark.
Operational comparison
Runtime and commercial metrics are compared only when both models have a complete sourced value.
| Metric | GPT-4.1 mini | MiniMax M3 | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| Input / output priceUSD per 1M tokens | GPT-4.1 mini$0.4 input / $1.6 output | MiniMax M3$0.3 input / $1.2 output | MiniMax M3 has the lower combined listed price. |
| Generation speedtokens per second | GPT-4.1 mini80 tok/s | MiniMax M3Not available | A complete speed comparison is not available. |
| First-answer latencyseconds to first token | GPT-4.1 mini0.76 s | MiniMax M3Not available | A complete latency comparison is not available. |
| Context windowmaximum listed tokens | GPT-4.1 mini1M | MiniMax M31M | Listed context windows are equal. |
Benchmark Deep Dive
Agentic16 benchmarks
| Benchmark | GPT-4.1 mini | MiniMax M3 | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA Agentic IndexSource | 1.7% | 35.4% | MiniMax M3 leads |
| τ²-bench resultsSource | 52.9% | 88.9% | MiniMax M3 leads |
| GDPval-AASource | 0.1% | 44.7% | MiniMax M3 leads |
| GDPval-AASource | 503 | 1395 | MiniMax M3 leads |
| Terminal-Bench 2.0Source | — | 66% | Not comparable |
| BrowseCompSource | — | 83.5% | Not comparable |
| OSWorld-VerifiedSource | — | 70.1% | Not comparable |
| MCP AtlasSource | — | 74.2% | Not comparable |
| Claw-EvalSource | — | 74.5% | Not comparable |
| GDPval rubricsSource | — | 74.7% | Not comparable |
| BankerToolBenchSource | — | 76.1% | Not comparable |
| ResearchClawBenchSource | — | 19.8% | Not comparable |
| OSWorld 2.0Source | — | 4.6% | Not comparable |
| AA BriefcaseSource | — | 1110 | Not comparable |
| AA EnterpriseOps-GymSource | — | 32.1% | Not comparable |
| AA Harvey LABSource | — | 6.7% | Not comparable |
CodingMiniMax M3 wins11 benchmarks
| Benchmark | GPT-4.1 mini | MiniMax M3 | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| SWE-bench VerifiedSource | 23.6% | 80.5% | MiniMax M3 leads |
| AA Coding IndexSource | 20.2% | 58.6% | MiniMax M3 leads |
| Terminal-Bench HardSource | 7.6% | 42.4% | MiniMax M3 leads |
| AA-SciCodeSource | 40.4% | 45.4% | MiniMax M3 leads |
| SWE-bench ProSource | — | 59% | Not comparable |
| Terminal-Bench 2.0Source | — | 66.0% | Not comparable |
| NL2RepoSource | — | 42.1% | Not comparable |
| VIBE V2Source | — | 50.1% | Not comparable |
| SVG-BenchSource | — | 63.7% | Not comparable |
| KernelBench HardSource | — | 28.8% | Not comparable |
| AA Terminal-Bench 2.1Source | — | 65.2% | Not comparable |
Reasoning2 benchmarks
Knowledge9 benchmarks
| Benchmark | GPT-4.1 mini | MiniMax M3 | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| MMLUSource | 87.5% | — | Not comparable |
| GPQASource | 64.2% | — | Not comparable |
| Artificial Analysis Intelligence IndexSource | 14.8% | 44.4% | MiniMax M3 leads |
| AA-GPQA DiamondSource | 66.4% | 92.9% | MiniMax M3 leads |
| AA-HLESource | 4.6% | 37.1% | MiniMax M3 leads |
| AA-Omniscience IndexSource | -50.1% | 1.4% | MiniMax M3 leads |
| AA-Omniscience AccuracySource | 17.5% | 15.0% | GPT-4.1 mini leads |
| AA-Omniscience Hallucination RateSource | 82.0% | 16.1% | MiniMax M3 leads |
| AA Openness IndexSource | — | 33.3% | Not comparable |
MathMiniMax M3 wins2 benchmarks
Multimodal7 benchmarks
| Benchmark | GPT-4.1 mini | MiniMax M3 | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA-MMMU-ProSource | 58.7% | 78.6% | MiniMax M3 leads |
| Design Arena WebsiteSource | 1032 | 1294 | MiniMax M3 leads |
| OfficeQA ProSource | — | 45.1% | Not comparable |
| OmniDocBench 1.5Source | — | 91.6% | Not comparable |
| MMMU-ProSource | — | 78.1% | Not comparable |
| VideoMMMUSource | — | 84.6% | Not comparable |
| Video-MME (with subtitle)Source | — | 85.4% | Not comparable |
Frequently Asked Questions (3)
Which is better, GPT-4.1 mini or MiniMax M3?
MiniMax M3 is ahead on BenchLM's provisional leaderboard, 70 to 42. The biggest single separator in this matchup is SWE-bench Verified, where the scores are 23.6% and 80.5%.
Which is better for coding, GPT-4.1 mini or MiniMax M3?
MiniMax M3 has the edge for coding in this comparison, averaging 72.2 versus 23.6. Inside this category, SWE-bench Verified is the benchmark that creates the most daylight between them.
Which is better for math, GPT-4.1 mini or MiniMax M3?
MiniMax M3 has the edge for math in this comparison, averaging 85.7 versus 4.5. GPT-4.1 mini stays close enough that the answer can still flip depending on your workload.
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