MiniMax-01 vs Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B
MiniMax-01 (2025) and Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B (2026) are frontier reasoning models from MiniMax and NVIDIA AI. MiniMax-01 ships a 4M-token context window, while Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B ships a 1M-token context window. On RULER, Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B leads by 2.1 pts. On pricing, Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B costs $0.09/1M input tokens versus $0.20/1M for the alternative. This comparison covers specs, pricing, API access, capabilities, benchmarks, input and output token costs, and production fit for coding and agent workloads.
Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B is ~135% cheaper at $0.09/1M; pay for MiniMax-01 only for long-context analysis.
Decision scorecard
Local evidence first| Signal | MiniMax-01 | Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | multimodal apps and long-context analysis | reasoning-heavy apps, tool-calling agents, and long-context analysis |
| Decision fit | RAG, Long context, and Vision | Coding, RAG, and Agents |
| Context window | 4M | 1M |
| Cheapest output | $1.10/1M tokens | $0.40/1M tokens |
| Provider routes | 1 tracked | 6 tracked |
| Shared benchmarks | 1 shared | RULER leader |
Decision tradeoffs
- MiniMax-01 has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
- MiniMax-01 uniquely exposes Vision and Multimodal in local model data.
- Local decision data tags MiniMax-01 for RAG, Long context, and Vision.
- Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B holds a shared-benchmark lead on RULER, ahead by 2.1 points.
- Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $0.40/1M tokens.
- Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and route flexibility.
- Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B uniquely exposes Reasoning, JSON / Tool use, and Structured outputs in local model data.
- Local decision data tags Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
Monthly cost at traffic
Estimate token spend from the cheapest tracked input and output route or tier on this page.
MiniMax-01
$435
Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter
Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B
$168
Cheapest tracked route/tier: DeepInfra
Estimated monthly gap: $267. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.
Switch friction
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B is $0.70/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
- Check replacement coverage for Vision and Multimodal before moving production traffic.
- Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B adds Reasoning, JSON / Tool use, and Structured outputs in local capability data.
- Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
- MiniMax-01 is $0.70/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
- Check replacement coverage for Reasoning, JSON / Tool use, and Structured outputs before moving production traffic.
- MiniMax-01 adds Vision and Multimodal in local capability data.
Specs
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2025-01-14 | 2026-03-11 |
| Context window | 4M | 1M |
| Parameters | 456B total, 45.9B active | 120B |
| Architecture | Mixture of Experts | Decoder Only |
| License | MiniMax Model License | NVIDIA Nemotron Open Model License |
| Openness | Open weights | Open weights |
| Weights | Available | Available·NVIDIA Open Model |
| Code | Unknown | Unknown |
| Commercial use | Restricted | Permitted |
| Knowledge cutoff | - | - |
Pricing and availability
| Pricing attribute | MiniMax-01 | Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B |
|---|---|---|
| Input price | $0.20/1M tokens | $0.09/1M tokens |
| Output price | $1.10/1M tokens | $0.40/1M tokens |
| Providers |
Capabilities
| Capability | MiniMax-01 | Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B |
|---|---|---|
| Vision | Yes | No |
| Multimodal | Yes | No |
| Reasoning | No | Yes |
| JSON / Tool use | No | Yes |
| Structured outputs | No | Yes |
| Code execution | No | No |
| IDE integration | No | No |
| Computer use | No | No |
| Parallel agents | No | No |
Benchmarks
| Benchmark | MiniMax-01 | Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B |
|---|---|---|
| RULER | 94.7 | 96.8 |
Deep dive
On shared benchmark coverage, RULER has MiniMax-01 at 94.7 and Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B at 96.8, with Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B ahead by 2.1 points. The largest visible gap is 2.1 points on RULER, which matters most when that benchmark mirrors your workload. Treat isolated benchmark wins as directional, because provider routing, prompt style, and tool access can move real application results.
The capability footprint differs most on vision: MiniMax-01, multimodal input: MiniMax-01, reasoning mode: Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B, JSON / Tool use: Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B, and structured outputs: Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B. Both models share the core language-model surface, so the practical split is not just feature count. Use those differences to decide whether the page is about raw model quality, agentic coding support, multimodal ingestion, or predictable structured API behavior.
For cost, MiniMax-01 lists $0.20/1M input and $1.10/1M output tokens on the cheapest listed provider, while Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B lists $0.09/1M input and $0.40/1M output tokens on the cheapest listed provider. A 70/30 input-output blend puts Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B lower by about $0.29 per million blended tokens. Availability is 1 providers versus 6, so concentration risk also matters.
Choose MiniMax-01 when long-context analysis and larger context windows are central to the workload. Choose Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B when reasoning depth, lower input-token cost, and broader provider choice are more important. For production, rerun your own prompts through the exact provider, region, and tool stack you plan to ship.
FAQ
Which has a larger context window, MiniMax-01 or Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B?
MiniMax-01 supports 4M tokens, while Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B supports 1M tokens. That gap matters most for long documents, large codebases, retrieval-heavy agents, and conversations where earlier context must remain visible.
Which is cheaper, MiniMax-01 or Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B?
Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B is cheaper on listed token pricing. MiniMax-01 costs $0.20/1M input and $1.10/1M output tokens. Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B costs $0.09/1M input and $0.40/1M output tokens. Provider discounts or batch pricing can still change the final bill.
Is MiniMax-01 or Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B open source?
MiniMax-01 is listed under MiniMax Model License. Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B is listed under NVIDIA Nemotron Open Model License. License labels affect whether you can self-host, redistribute weights, or rely only on hosted APIs, so confirm the upstream license before deployment.
Which is better for vision, MiniMax-01 or Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B?
MiniMax-01 has the clearer documented vision signal in this comparison. If vision is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ. Use this as a quick comparison signal, then confirm the provider-specific limits before committing to production.
Which is better for multimodal input, MiniMax-01 or Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B?
MiniMax-01 has the clearer documented multimodal input signal in this comparison. If multimodal input is mission-critical, validate it against the provider endpoint because model-level support and API-level exposure can differ.
Where can I run MiniMax-01 and Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B?
MiniMax-01 is available on OpenRouter. Nemotron 3 Super-120B-A12B is available on Cloudflare Workers AI, DeepInfra, NVIDIA NIM, OpenRouter, and Fireworks AI. Provider coverage can affect latency, region availability, compliance posture, and fallback options.
Continue comparing
Last reviewed: 2026-10-26. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.