MiniMax Pricing: Which Model Is Worth Paying For?
OpenRouter lists 8 MiniMax models. For 1M input plus 1M output tokens they range from $1.05 (MiniMax M2.7) to $2.75 (MiniMax M1), a 3x spread. Most teams overpay by defaulting to the flagship for work a cheaper model passes.
Plans and pricing
MiniMax M2.7
$0.21 input / $0.84 output per 1M tokens205K context on OpenRouter (minimax/minimax-m2.7). 1M input plus 1M output tokens: $1.05.
Best for
High-volume, low-stakes steps: routing, tagging, extraction and first drafts.
Not for
Tasks where a wrong answer costs more than the tokens saved.
MiniMax M2-her
$0.30 input / $1.20 output per 1M tokens66K context on OpenRouter (minimax/minimax-m2-her). 1M input plus 1M output tokens: $1.50.
Best for
A middle tier to test before paying flagship prices.
Not for
Tasks where a wrong answer costs more than the tokens saved.
MiniMax M3
$0.30 input / $1.20 output per 1M tokens1M context on OpenRouter (minimax/minimax-m3). 1M input plus 1M output tokens: $1.50.
Best for
A middle tier to test before paying flagship prices.
Not for
Tasks where a wrong answer costs more than the tokens saved.
MiniMax M1
$0.55 input / $2.20 output per 1M tokens1M context on OpenRouter (minimax/minimax-m1). 1M input plus 1M output tokens: $2.75.
Best for
The hardest MiniMax tasks, once cheaper MiniMax models have failed your acceptance tests.
Not for
Bulk work a smaller model already passes; the price gap compounds at volume.
Prices are OpenRouter's listed per-token prices for MiniMax models, read from the OpenRouter models API and checked 2026-10-04. Buying direct from MiniMax or another host can be priced differently; prices exclude tax and change often.
Who should pay for MiniMax?
MiniMax suits agentic and long-context workloads where output volume drives the bill. Start with MiniMax M2.7 on a sample of real tasks, measure the acceptance rate, and step up a tier only where it fails. Price the whole job, not the token: retries and human review often cost more than the model.
Calculate your exact cost →Who is overpaying for MiniMax?
- Teams sending every request to MiniMax M1 when MiniMax M2.7 passes most of them
- Anyone paying for output tokens they never read: cap max tokens and ask for concise answers
- Buyers comparing token prices without counting retries, failed responses and review time
Official pricing sources
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest MiniMax model?
On OpenRouter, MiniMax M2.7 at $0.21 input and $0.84 output per 1M tokens (checked 2026-10-04).
How much does the top MiniMax model cost?
MiniMax M1 is listed at $0.55 input and $2.20 output per 1M tokens, so 1M of each costs $2.75.
Is MiniMax cheaper than GPT or Claude?
Usually per token, yes. Compare on your own prompts with the AI Cost Calculator: the cheaper model only saves money if it passes the same acceptance tests.