Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 17, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, Gemini 3 Flash delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,495 vs 1,478), while Gemini 3 Flash leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (75.8%), while MiniMax M2.5 is more budget-friendly at $0.9/1M per 1M output tokens, while Gemini 3 Flash provides faster response streaming (190 tok/s). Review the complete breakdown below to determine which model best fits your performance and budget requirements.
9 direct benchmark disciplines evaluated across capability, speed, and cost
Fast Google frontier-adjacent model. Near-top official SWE-bench at a fraction of Opus price.
MiniMax coding model. Tied near the top of official SWE-bench bash-only in Feb 2026.
Currently comparing Gemini 3 Flash vs MiniMax M2.5. Alternative family tiers available.
Δ 17 Arena Elo pts
190 tok/s
$0.8999999999999999 / 1M output
Relative percentile scores computed across all active models in the benchmark catalog.
Comparing top Western standard models with China's leading frontier rival across 6 skill dimensions. Tap any spoke or dot to inspect.
Category wins across reasoning intelligence, generation speed, and token cost.
Preference Elo, Coding proficiency, SWE-bench & LiveBench accuracy
Generation throughput and time to first token responsiveness
Cost per million tokens and max context window length
| Benchmark | Gemini 3 Flash | MiniMax M2.5 | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +17 | ||
| Coding Elo | +26 | ||
| LiveBench | +2.4% | ||
| SWE-bench | — | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +2.2% | ||
| Time to first token | +155 ms | ||
| Output speed | 190 tok/s | 90 tok/s | +100 tok/s |
| Input price | $0.5/1M | $0.22/1M | +$0.28/1M |
| Output price | $0.9/1M | +$2.1/1M | |
| Context window | +844k |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
MiniMax M2.5 is estimated to save $41.30/month ($496/year).
Higher SWE-bench (75.8%).
Lower output list price ($0.9/1M).
Lower TTFT (95 ms).
Larger window (1M).
Gemini 3 Flash is the side marked multimodal in the catalog.
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | Gemini 3 Flash | Higher SWE-bench (75.8%). |
| High-volume chat | MiniMax M2.5 | Lower output list price ($0.9/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | Gemini 3 Flash | Lower TTFT (95 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | Gemini 3 Flash | Larger window (1M). |
| Screenshots / vision | Gemini 3 Flash | Gemini 3 Flash is the side marked multimodal in the catalog. |
March 2026 speed SKU. Still a useful cheap-coding compare even after 3.6/3.7 Flash.
Tied near the top of official SWE-bench bash-only in Feb 2026. Coding lists should still see it.
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Verified Head-to-Head Telemetry
