How can I run MiniMax M2.1 locally?

You can run it easily using Ollama. Simply use the command ollama pull minimax-m2.1 (or the specific tag provided in the library) to download and run the model on your machine.

Is it better than Claude Sonnet 4.5?

It depends on the task. On SWE-bench Multilingual and VIBE-bench (which tests full-stack capabilities including mobile and web), M2.1 scores higher. However, on the standard SWE-bench Verified, Claude Sonnet 4.5 still holds a lead (77.2% vs 74.0%).

What languages is it best at?

Unlike many models that focus heavily on Python, M2.1 is specifically optimized for Rust, Java, Go, C++, Kotlin, Objective-C, and TypeScript, making it a superior choice for systems and mobile programming.

If you use it via the API (like on OpenRouter), it is very affordable at approximately $0.30 per 1 million input tokens and $1.20 per 1 million output tokens.

MiniMax M2.1

A lightweight, state-of-the-art open model optimized for coding and agents.

From MiniMax

Code & Development

23 Dec 2025

10K+

Free

Pricing Model

Free

Starting Price

$10/Month

About This AI

MiniMax M2.1 is a specialized Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) language model designed for coding and agentic workflows.

With only 10 billion active parameters during inference, it offers high speed and low latency.

It is optimized for multi-language programming (including Rust and C++), native mobile app development (Android/iOS), and complex “vibe coding” tasks.

It outperforms larger proprietary models on specific multilingual and agentic benchmarks.

AI App Builder AI Website Builder Coding Debugging

Pricing

Pricing Model

Free

Starting Price

$10/Month

Key Features

Highly efficient MoE architecture for fast inference.
Optimized for Rust, Java, Go, C++, TypeScript, and more.
Specific enhancements for native Android and iOS development.
Built for "compile-run-fix" loops and handling multi-step agent tasks.
Supports a 204,800 token context window.

Pros

Extremely cost-effective (~$0.30/1M input tokens).
Beats Gemini 3 Pro and Sonnet 4.5 on VIBE-bench and Multilingual SWE-bench.
Runs locally on consumer hardware via Ollama.
Strong performance in generating 3D web apps and visualizations.

Cons

Slightly lower score on standard SWE-bench Verified compared to the absolute top closed models (74% vs ~78-80%).
Some reported hiccups on niche coding challenges during early independent testing.

Best for Local coding agents, mobile app developers, and building cost-efficient coding assistants.

FAQs

How can I run MiniMax M2.1 locally?
You can run it easily using Ollama. Simply use the command ollama pull minimax-m2.1 (or the specific tag provided in the library) to download and run the model on your machine.
Is it better than Claude Sonnet 4.5?
It depends on the task. On SWE-bench Multilingual and VIBE-bench (which tests full-stack capabilities including mobile and web), M2.1 scores higher. However, on the standard SWE-bench Verified, Claude Sonnet 4.5 still holds a lead (77.2% vs 74.0%).
What languages is it best at?
Unlike many models that focus heavily on Python, M2.1 is specifically optimized for Rust, Java, Go, C++, Kotlin, Objective-C, and TypeScript, making it a superior choice for systems and mobile programming.
What is the pricing?
If you use it via the API (like on OpenRouter), it is very affordable at approximately $0.30 per 1 million input tokens and $1.20 per 1 million output tokens.