OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo vs MiniMax: MiniMax M2: Which AI Model Is Better?
Updated March 24, 2026· Based on independent benchmark data
Quick Verdict
MiniMax: MiniMax M2 is 2.0x cheaper at $0.26/1M tokens vs $0.50/1M.
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Metric | OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo | MiniMax: MiniMax M2 |
|---|---|---|
| Intelligence Score | N/A | 49.6 |
| Coding Score | N/A | 41.9 |
| Math Score | N/A | N/A |
| Speed (tok/s) | N/A | 44 tok/s |
| Latency (TTFT) | N/A | 2.03s |
| Input Price / 1M tokens | $0.50 | $0.26 |
| Output Price / 1M tokens | $1.50 | $1.00 |
| Context Window | 16K | 197K |
| Max Output Tokens | 4K | 197K |
| Input Modalities | Text | Text |
| Output Modalities | Text | Text |
| Free Tier | No | No |
Detailed Analysis
Pricing
MiniMax: MiniMax M2 is more affordable at $0.26/1M input tokens ($1.00/1M output), while OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo costs $0.50/1M input ($1.50/1M output). For a typical workload of 100 requests per day at 2,000 tokens each, OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo would cost approximately $3.00/month vs $1.53/month for MiniMax: MiniMax M2 in input costs alone.
Context Window
MiniMax: MiniMax M2 offers a larger context window at 197K tokens compared to OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo's 16K. This means MiniMax: MiniMax M2 can process roughly 98 pages of text in a single request vs 8 pages for OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo. For output length, MiniMax: MiniMax M2 can generate up to 197K tokens per response vs 4K for OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo.
Best Use Cases
Choose MiniMax: MiniMax M2 when you need lower cost, larger context window (197K).
Choose MiniMax: MiniMax M2 if:
- ✓Budget is a concern ($0.26/1M vs $0.50/1M)
- ✓You need a larger context window (197K vs 16K)
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo or MiniMax: MiniMax M2?
MiniMax: MiniMax M2 is cheaper at $0.26/1M input tokens vs $0.50/1M for OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo.
Can OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo process images?
No, OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo does not support image input. Neither model supports image input.
Which has a larger context window, OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo or MiniMax: MiniMax M2?
MiniMax: MiniMax M2 has a larger context window at 197K compared to OpenAI: GPT-3.5 Turbo's 16K.
Related Comparisons
Benchmark data by Artificial Analysis
Data last synced: March 24, 2026