MiniMax M2.1 vs Step 3.5 Flash
Input price
$0.29
$0.09
Output price
$0.95
$0.30
Context window
205K
262K
Throughput
166 tok/s
162 tok/s
Availability
99.0%
99.4%
Cost / task
$0.001
$0.000
Efficiency score
90
90
Estimated monthly cost by workload
Metric
MINIMAX-M2.1
STEP-3.5-FLASH
Chat assistant
$201.00
$63.00
RAG / long context
$433.50
$135.00
Agent / tool use
$550.80
$172.80
Efficiency score: Step 3.5 Flash
Across price, speed and reliability, Step 3.5 Flash offers the stronger overall balance for most workloads — but the right pick depends on your exact mix of input, output and latency needs.
Figures are illustrative demo data, not financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
Is MiniMax M2.1 or Step 3.5 Flash cheaper?+
Step 3.5 Flash has the lower input price — $0.09 vs $0.29 per 1M tokens — so for most blended workloads it is the more cost-effective of the two. Figures are illustrative demo data.
Which should I choose, MiniMax M2.1 or Step 3.5 Flash?+
Across price, speed and reliability, Step 3.5 Flash offers the stronger overall balance for most workloads — but the right pick depends on your exact mix of input, output and latency needs.