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Comparisons / Doubao Seed 2.1 Pro vs MiniMax M3: Multimodal Flagships at Opposite Price Points
Doubao Seed 2.1 Pro vs MiniMax M3: Multimodal Flagships at Opposite Price Points
Updated: 2026-09-22
Compared entities
Comparison dimensions
All figures below are from the China AI Hub database, last verified 2026-09-22. Where a field is not publicly disclosed, we say so rather than estimating.
At a glance
| Dimension | Doubao Seed 2.1 Pro | MiniMax M3 |
|---|---|---|
| Context window | 1,048,576 tokens | 1,048,576 tokens |
| Maximum output | 262,144 tokens | Not publicly disclosed |
| Input price (per 1M) | $6.00 | $0.30 |
| Output price (per 1M) | $30.00 | $1.20 |
| Open weights | No (proprietary) | Yes (MiniMax Community License) |
| API available | Yes | Yes |
| Reasoning | Yes | Yes |
| Coding | Not listed | Yes |
| Vision / Video | Yes / Not listed | Yes / Yes |
| Tool calling | Yes | Yes |
| Computer use | Yes | Not listed |
| Agent capability | Yes | Yes |
| Benchmark records in DB | 1 | 5 |
Pricing
The widest price gap in our database: Doubao Seed 2.1 Pro lists $6.00 input / $30.00 output per 1M tokens; MiniMax M3 lists $0.30 input / $1.20 output — twenty times cheaper on input and twenty-five times on output. Both are official API prices. At $30 per 1M output tokens, long generations and heavy reasoning multiply cost quickly.
Context and output
Both list a 1,048,576-token context window. Doubao Seed 2.1 Pro lists a 262,144-token maximum output; MiniMax M3 does not publicly disclose one.
Capabilities
Both list reasoning, vision, tool calling and agent capability. The differentiators:
- Doubao Seed 2.1 Pro lists computer use; MiniMax M3 does not.
- MiniMax M3 lists coding and video; Doubao Seed 2.1 Pro lists neither.
For GUI automation, only Doubao lists the capability; for coding and video input, only MiniMax M3 does.
Openness and deployment
MiniMax M3 is open weight under the MiniMax Community License (non-commercial free; commercial use requires attribution and, above revenue thresholds, authorization or notice). Doubao Seed 2.1 Pro is proprietary, API-only. Self-hosting exists as an option for one and not the other.
Benchmarks and verification
The database holds 1 benchmark record for Doubao Seed 2.1 Pro and 5 for MiniMax M3, labeled by source type and version. The counts reflect what vendors have published, not model quality; we do not rank the two on this page. Check the benchmark pages for per-score source labels.
Trade-off summary
- Price: MiniMax M3 lists ~1/20 the input and ~1/25 the output price.
- GUI automation: Doubao Seed 2.1 Pro lists computer use; MiniMax M3 does not.
- Coding and video: MiniMax M3 lists both; Doubao Seed 2.1 Pro lists neither.
- Openness: MiniMax M3 is open weight (community license); Doubao Seed 2.1 Pro is API-only.
- Output: Doubao lists a 262,144-token maximum; MiniMax M3 does not disclose one.
The price difference is large enough to dominate most decisions; choose Doubao Seed 2.1 Pro only if computer use is the core requirement. Verify current prices on the official pages before committing.