MiniMax vs Thinking Machines
Verdict
- MiniMax's flagship leads: MiniMax M3 at 57.0 vs Inkling Small at 55.0.
- MiniMax has the better model in 3 of 4 price bands.
- Thinking Machines's fastest ranked model (Inkling Small, 133 tok/s) beats MiniMax's (MiniMax M3, 88 tok/s).
- MiniMax publishes more open-weights models (7 vs 1).
Best model per price band
Each provider’s highest-index model below the price ceiling. Purple marks the winner of the band.
| Price band | MiniMax | Thinking Machines |
|---|---|---|
| Under $0.50/M | – | – |
| Under $2/M | MiniMax M3 57.0$0.525/M | Inkling Small 55.0$0.638/M |
| Under $10/M | MiniMax M3 57.0$0.525/M | Inkling Small 55.0$0.638/M |
| Any price | MiniMax M3 57.0$0.525/M | Inkling Small 55.0$0.638/M |
Line-up
| Metric | MiniMax | Thinking Machines |
|---|---|---|
| Flagship index | 57.0 | 55.0 |
| Ranked models | 5 | 1 |
| Open-weights models | 7 | 1 |
| Cheapest ranked, $/M | $0.525 | $0.638 |
| Fastest ranked, tok/s | 88 | 133 |
| Release cadence, days | 75 | – |
| Last release | 1 Jun 2026 | – |
| Next expected | 16 Jul 2026 – 14 Sept 2026 | – |
Data as of 10 Sept 2026. See MiniMax and Thinking Machines in full.