Grok 4.5 vs MiniMax M3
Price, context and benchmark scores side by side — every number from the live model catalogue.
| Grok 4.5x-ai | MiniMax M3minimax | |
|---|---|---|
| Input / 1M tokens | $2.00 | $0.240 |
| Output / 1M tokens | $6.00 | $0.960 |
| 1M in + 300K out | $3.80 | $0.53 |
| Context window | 500K | 1.0M |
| Intelligence index | 53.8 | 44.4 |
| Coding index | 72.4 | 58.6 |
| Agentic index | 45.7 | 35.4 |
| Cheapest provider | xAI | GMICloud |
| Providers serving it | 1 | 8 |
| Weights | Closed | Open |
| Image input | Yes | Yes |
| Tool calling | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning mode | Yes | Yes |
| Released | Jul 8, 2026 | May 31, 2026 |
Which one to pick
Pick Grok 4.5 if…
- You want the higher general-intelligence score (53.8).
- Code quality is the priority — it leads on the coding index (72.4).
- You are running agent loops — higher agentic index (45.7).
Pick MiniMax M3 if…
- Token cost matters: $0.960 per 1M output vs $6.00.
- You need the bigger context window (1.0M).
- You want the option to self-host — weights are public.
- You want provider redundancy: 8 providers serve it.
FAQ
Is Grok 4.5 better than MiniMax M3?
Grok 4.5 scores higher on general intelligence (53.8 vs 44.4), while MiniMax M3 is 6.3× cheaper per output token ($0.960 vs $6.00). For code, Grok 4.5 leads (72.4 coding index). MiniMax M3 takes the larger context at 1.0M.
Which is cheaper, Grok 4.5 or MiniMax M3?
MiniMax M3, at $0.960 per 1M output tokens versus $6.00. On a 1M input + 300K output workload that is $0.53 against $3.80.
Can I self-host Grok 4.5 or MiniMax M3?
Grok 4.5: closed weights, API only. MiniMax M3: open weights (MiniMaxAI/Minimax-M3).