Alternatives · 15 models compared · checked 1 Sep 2026
MiniMax M2.1 alternatives: 15 models in or near grid D3
The closest model to MiniMax M2.1 on the atlas is Codestral 2508, in the same square, at $0.30 per 1M input tokens against MiniMax M2.1’s . 5 of the 15 nearest models are cheaper on input; the cheapest is Ministral 3 3B 2512 at $0.10. We rank by position on the atlas, not by capability, because we hold no capability data.
$0.30
observed We measured
- Source
- Our catalogue
- Retrieved
- 1 Sep 2026
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ModelsAtlas. “MiniMax M2.1 alternatives: 15 models in or near grid D3”. Retrieved 1 Sep 2026. https://modelsatlas.com/models/minimax/m2-1/alternatives
Where the alternatives sit
Each square is a price band (A–H) × a context band (1–6). How the grid works
Same squareGRIDD310 modelsCodestral 2508, Command A+, DeepSeek V3 and 7 more
MiniMax M2.1Its 15 nearest modelsOther modelsOpen weights
View the map as a table (2 squares)
| Square | Price band | Context band | Models |
|---|---|---|---|
| GRIDC3 | $0.10–0.30 | 128–256K | Ministral 3 3B 2512, Llama Guard 4 12B, Nemotron 3.5 Content Safety, MiniMax M2.7, Llama 3.3 70B Instruct |
| GRIDD3 | $0.30–1 | 128–256K | MiniMax M2.1, Codestral 2508, Command A+, MiniMax M2, Muse Glimmer 30B, DeepSeek V3, Llama 3.1 70B Instruct, Mistral Medium 3, Mistral Medium 3.1, Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image), R1 0528 |
Top 15 alternatives
Ranked by steps away on the atlas, then cheaper before pricier, then input price
| # | Model | Grid | Why it fits | Input / 1M | vs MiniMax M2.1 | Output / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | MiniMax M2.1MiniMax · the model you’re replacing | GRIDD3 | Baseline | $0.30 | — | $1.20 | 205K | |
| 1 | Codestral 2508Mistral AI | GRIDD3 | Same square, same input price, 1.3× the context | $0.30 | same | $0.90 | 256K | Compare → |
| 2 | Command A+Cohere | GRIDD3 | Same square, same input price | $0.30 | same | $1.50 | 192K | Compare → |
| 3 | MiniMax M2MiniMax | GRIDD3 | Same maker, same square, same input price | $0.30 | same | $1.20 | 205K | Compare → |
| 4 | Muse Glimmer 30BMeta | GRIDD3 | Same square, same input price | $0.30 | same | $1.20 | 131K | Compare → |
| 5 | DeepSeek V3DeepSeek | GRIDD3 | Same square, 7% pricier input | $0.32 | +7% | $0.89 | 164K | Compare → |
| 6 | Llama 3.1 70B InstructMeta | GRIDD3 | Same square, 33% pricier input | $0.40 | +33% | $0.40 | 131K | Compare → |
| 7 | Mistral Medium 3Mistral AI | GRIDD3 | Same square, 33% pricier input | $0.40 | +33% | $2.00 | 131K | |
| 8 | Mistral Medium 3.1Mistral AI | GRIDD3 | Same square, 33% pricier input | $0.40 | +33% | $2.00 | 131K | |
| 9 | Nano Banana 2 (Gemini 3.1 Flash Image)Google | GRIDD3 | Same square, 67% pricier input | $0.50 | +67% | $3.00 | 131K | |
| 10 | R1 0528DeepSeek | GRIDD3 | Same square, 133% pricier input | $0.70 | +133% | $2.50 | 164K | |
| 11 | Ministral 3 3B 2512Mistral AI | GRIDC3 | Neighbouring square C3, 67% cheaper input | $0.10 | −67% | $0.10 | 131K | |
| 12 | Llama Guard 4 12BMeta | GRIDC3 | Neighbouring square C3, 40% cheaper input | $0.18 | −40% | $0.18 | 164K | |
| 13 | Nemotron 3.5 Content SafetyNVIDIA | GRIDC3 | Neighbouring square C3, 33% cheaper input | $0.20 | −33% | $0.20 | 131K | |
| 14 | MiniMax M2.7MiniMax | GRIDC3 | Same maker, neighbouring square C3, 30% cheaper input | $0.21 | −30% | $0.84 | 205K | |
| 15 | Llama 3.3 70B InstructMeta | GRIDC3 | Neighbouring square C3, 27% cheaper input | $0.22 | −27% | $0.50 | 131K |
What switching saves
3,000 input + 800 output tokens × 1,000 requests a day
Σ Derived from standard-tier prices; excludes caching and batch discounts. Use your own numbers →
Larger-context alternatives
| Model | Input / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Codestral 2508Mistral AI | $0.30 | 256K | Compare |
| Qwen3 Coder 480B A35BQwen (Alibaba) | $0.30 | 262K | |
| Qwen3.6 27BQwen (Alibaba) · open weights | $0.32 | 262K | |
| Devstral 2 2512Mistral AI | $0.40 | 262K | |
| Qwen3.5 397B A17BQwen (Alibaba) | $0.55 | 262K |
Free alternatives
| Model | Input / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyria 3 Clip PreviewGoogle | Free | 1.05M | |
| Lyria 3 Pro PreviewGoogle | Free | 1.05M |
Compare MiniMax M2.1 head to head
Questions
What is the best alternative to MiniMax M2.1?
Codestral 2508 ranks first: same square, same input price, 1.3× the context. Input is $0.30 per 1M tokens against $0.30 for MiniMax M2.1. Ranking is by position on the atlas, not by quality.
What is the cheapest alternative to MiniMax M2.1?
Ministral 3 3B 2512 at $0.10 per 1M input tokens, 67% less than MiniMax M2.1, among the 15 closest.
Is there an open-weight alternative to MiniMax M2.1?
None of the 15 closest is marked open-weight in our records.
Which alternative has a larger context window?
Codestral 2508 hold more than MiniMax M2.1's 205K; the largest is Codestral 2508 at 256K.
How are alternatives ranked?
By distance on the atlas grid from MiniMax M2.1's square D3: the same square first, then neighbouring squares. Within the same distance, cheaper models come before pricier ones, then the lowest input price wins. We hold no capability data, so we do not claim a model can do what MiniMax M2.1 does, only that it costs and holds about the same. No vendor pays for position.
More alternatives
Keep going in your AI
Opens with this page as the source. We add nothing else to the prompt.
- What is the best alternative to MiniMax M2.1?
- What is the cheapest alternative to MiniMax M2.1?
- Is there an open-weight alternative to MiniMax M2.1?