LLM Reference

MiniMax M2.7 vs Step 3.7 Flash

MiniMax M2.7 (2026) and Step 3.7 Flash (2026) are frontier-tier reasoning models from MiniMax and StepFun. MiniMax M2.7 ships a 205k-token context window, while Step 3.7 Flash ships a 256k-token context window. On SWE-bench Pro, Step 3.7 Flash leads by 0.1 pts. On pricing, Step 3.7 Flash costs $0.20/1M input tokens versus $0.28/1M 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.

Step 3.7 Flash is safer overall; choose MiniMax M2.7 when provider fit matters.

Decision scorecard

Local evidence first
SignalMiniMax M2.7Step 3.7 Flash
Best forreasoning-heavy apps, tool-calling agents, and provider-routed productionreasoning-heavy apps, multimodal apps, and tool-calling agents
Decision fitCoding, RAG, and AgentsCoding, RAG, and Agents
Context window205k256k
Cheapest output$1.20/1M tokens$1.15/1M tokens
Provider routes4 tracked3 tracked
Shared benchmarks1 sharedSWE-bench Pro leader

Decision tradeoffs

Choose MiniMax M2.7 when...
  • MiniMax M2.7 has broader tracked provider coverage for fallback and route flexibility.
  • Local decision data tags MiniMax M2.7 for Coding, RAG, and Agents.
Choose Step 3.7 Flash when...
  • Step 3.7 Flash holds a shared-benchmark lead on SWE-bench Pro, ahead by 0.1 points.
  • Step 3.7 Flash has the larger context window for long prompts, retrieval packs, or transcript analysis.
  • Step 3.7 Flash has the lower cheapest tracked output price at $1.15/1M tokens.
  • Step 3.7 Flash uniquely exposes Vision and Multimodal in local model data.
  • Local decision data tags Step 3.7 Flash 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.

Lower estimate Step 3.7 Flash

MiniMax M2.7

$523

Cheapest tracked route/tier: OpenRouter

Step 3.7 Flash

$448

Cheapest tracked route/tier: StepFun

Estimated monthly gap: $75.70. Batch, cache, alternate speed tiers, and negotiated pricing are excluded from this local estimate.

Switch friction

MiniMax M2.7 -> Step 3.7 Flash
  • Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
  • Step 3.7 Flash is $0.05/1M tokens lower on cheapest tracked output pricing before cache, batch, or negotiated discounts.
  • Step 3.7 Flash adds Vision and Multimodal in local capability data.
Step 3.7 Flash -> MiniMax M2.7
  • Provider overlap exists on OpenRouter; start route-level A/B tests there.
  • MiniMax M2.7 is $0.05/1M tokens higher on cheapest tracked output pricing, so quality gains need to justify the spend.
  • Check replacement coverage for Vision and Multimodal before moving production traffic.

Specs

Specification
Released2026-03-182026-05-29
Context window205k256k
Parameters10B active198B (11B active)
ArchitectureDecoder OnlyMixture of Experts
LicenseMITOSI-approvedProprietary
OpennessOpen sourceProprietary
WeightsUnknownNot released
CodeUnknownUnknown
Commercial useCommercial use: permittedCommercial use: conditional
Knowledge cutoff--

Pricing and availability

Pricing attributeMiniMax M2.7Step 3.7 Flash
Input price$0.28/1M tokens$0.20/1M tokens
Output price$1.20/1M tokens$1.15/1M tokens
Providers

Capabilities

CapabilityMiniMax M2.7Step 3.7 Flash
VisionNoYes
MultimodalNoYes
ReasoningYesYes
JSON / Tool useYesYes
Structured outputsYesYes
Code executionNoNo
IDE integrationNoNo
Computer useNoNo
Parallel agentsNoNo

Benchmarks

BenchmarkMiniMax M2.7Step 3.7 Flash
SWE-bench Pro56.256.3

Continue comparing

Last reviewed: 2026-06-29. Data sourced from public model cards and provider documentation.