Alternatives · 15 models compared · checked 1 Sep 2026
MiniMax M2.5 alternatives: 15 models in or near grid C3
The closest model to MiniMax M2.5 on the atlas is Ministral 3 3B 2512, in the same square, at $0.10 per 1M input tokens against MiniMax M2.5’s . 13 of the 15 nearest models are cheaper on input; the cheapest is gpt-oss-20b at $0.02. We rank by position on the atlas, not by capability, because we hold no capability data.
$0.27
observed We measured
- Source
- Our catalogue
- Retrieved
- 1 Sep 2026
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ModelsAtlas. “MiniMax M2.5 alternatives: 15 models in or near grid C3”. Retrieved 1 Sep 2026. https://modelsatlas.com/models/minimax/m2-5/alternatives
Where the alternatives sit
Each square is a price band (A–H) × a context band (1–6). How the grid works
Same squareGRIDC39 modelsDeepSeek V3 0324, DeepSeek V3.1, DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus and 6 more
MiniMax M2.5Its 15 nearest modelsOther modelsOpen weights
View the map as a table (2 squares)
| Square | Price band | Context band | Models |
|---|---|---|---|
| GRIDB3 | <$0.10 | 128–256K | gpt-oss-20b, Mistral Nemo, gpt-oss-120b, Gemma 3 12B, Gemma 3 4B, Llama 3.1 8B Instruct |
| GRIDC3 | $0.10–0.30 | 128–256K | MiniMax M2.5, Ministral 3 3B 2512, Llama Guard 4 12B, Nemotron 3.5 Content Safety, MiniMax M2.7, Llama 3.3 70B Instruct, DeepSeek V3.1, DeepSeek V3.2, DeepSeek V3.1 Terminus, DeepSeek V3 0324 |
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 M2.5 | Output / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | MiniMax M2.5MiniMax · the model you’re replacing | GRIDC3 | Baseline | $0.27 | — | $1.08 | 205K | |
| 1 | Ministral 3 3B 2512Mistral AI | GRIDC3 | Same square, 63% cheaper input | $0.10 | −63% | $0.10 | 131K | |
| 2 | Llama Guard 4 12BMeta | GRIDC3 | Same square, 33% cheaper input | $0.18 | −33% | $0.18 | 164K | |
| 3 | Nemotron 3.5 Content SafetyNVIDIA | GRIDC3 | Same square, 26% cheaper input | $0.20 | −26% | $0.20 | 131K | |
| 4 | MiniMax M2.7MiniMax | GRIDC3 | Same maker, same square, 22% cheaper input | $0.21 | −22% | $0.84 | 205K | Compare → |
| 5 | Llama 3.3 70B InstructMeta | GRIDC3 | Same square, 19% cheaper input | $0.22 | −19% | $0.50 | 131K | Compare → |
| 6 | DeepSeek V3.1DeepSeek | GRIDC3 | Same square, 7% cheaper input | $0.25 | −7% | $0.95 | 164K | Compare → |
| 7 | DeepSeek V3.2DeepSeek | GRIDC3 | Same square, 4% cheaper input | $0.26 | −4% | $0.80 | 164K | Compare → |
| 8 | DeepSeek V3.1 TerminusDeepSeek | GRIDC3 | Same square, same input price | $0.27 | same | $1.00 | 164K | Compare → |
| 9 | DeepSeek V3 0324DeepSeek | GRIDC3 | Same square, 7% pricier input | $0.29 | +7% | $1.14 | 164K | Compare → |
| 10 | gpt-oss-20bOpenAI | GRIDB3 | Neighbouring square B3, 93% cheaper input | $0.02 | −93% | $0.09 | 131K | |
| 11 | Mistral NemoMistral AI | GRIDB3 | Neighbouring square B3, 89% cheaper input | $0.03 | −89% | $0.03 | 131K | |
| 12 | gpt-oss-120bOpenAI | GRIDB3 | Neighbouring square B3, 89% cheaper input | $0.03 | −89% | $0.15 | 131K | |
| 13 | Gemma 3 12BGoogle | GRIDB3 | Neighbouring square B3, 81% cheaper input | $0.05 | −81% | $0.15 | 131K | |
| 14 | Gemma 3 4BGoogle | GRIDB3 | Neighbouring square B3, 81% cheaper input | $0.05 | −81% | $0.10 | 131K | |
| 15 | Llama 3.1 8B InstructMeta | GRIDB3 | Neighbouring square B3, 81% cheaper input | $0.05 | −81% | $0.08 | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mistral Small 3.2 24BMistral AI | $0.09 | 256K | |
| Qwen3 30B A3B Instruct 2507Qwen (Alibaba) | $0.10 | 262K | |
| Qwen3 Next 80B A3B InstructQwen (Alibaba) | $0.10 | 262K | |
| Qwen3.5-9BQwen (Alibaba) | $0.10 | 262K | |
| Qwen3.6 35B A3BQwen (Alibaba) · open weights | $0.10 | 262K |
Free alternatives
| Model | Input / 1M | Context | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyria 3 Clip PreviewGoogle | Free | 1.05M | |
| Lyria 3 Pro PreviewGoogle | Free | 1.05M |
Compare MiniMax M2.5 head to head
Questions
What is the best alternative to MiniMax M2.5?
Ministral 3 3B 2512 ranks first: same square, 63% cheaper input. Input is $0.10 per 1M tokens against $0.27 for MiniMax M2.5. Ranking is by position on the atlas, not by quality.
What is the cheapest alternative to MiniMax M2.5?
gpt-oss-20b at $0.02 per 1M input tokens, 93% less than MiniMax M2.5, among the 15 closest.
Is there an open-weight alternative to MiniMax M2.5?
None of the 15 closest is marked open-weight in our records.
Which alternative has a larger context window?
None of the 15 closest holds more than MiniMax M2.5's 205K.
How are alternatives ranked?
By distance on the atlas grid from MiniMax M2.5's square C3: 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 M2.5 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 M2.5?
- What is the cheapest alternative to MiniMax M2.5?
- Is there an open-weight alternative to MiniMax M2.5?