MiniMax vs Poe
MiniMax and Poe are both AI assistants tools. MiniMax is aimed at developers and small businesses, while Poe is aimed at creators. Poe costs less, from $4.99/mo versus $22/mo for MiniMax. Both have a free plan.
Low-cost agentic coding models, video and speech via API and M Plan
Many AI models in one subscription
| Pricing | Freemium · $22 | Freemium · $5 |
| Starting price | $22/mo | $4.99/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Built for | Developers, Small businesses, Enterprise, Creators | Creators |
| Platforms | web, macos, windows, linux, ios, android | web, macos, windows, ios, android |
| Country | — · 2022 | US · 2022 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose MiniMax if
Developers and cost-sensitive teams that run agentic coding and automation workloads and want low token prices behind Anthropic- or OpenAI-style APIs.
- Very low token prices for agentic coding workloads
- Drop-in base URL for tools built on the Anthropic SDK
- One platform covers text, video, speech and image generation
Look elsewhere if: Teams that need top-tier frontier models with mature enterprise admin and compliance controls (Claude, Gemini).
Choose Poe if
Users who want variety across AI models in one place.
- Try many models with one subscription
- Easy model comparison
- Large bot ecosystem
Look elsewhere if: Heavy users of one assistant who need its full feature set.
MiniMax vs Poe pricing
MiniMax
- MiniMax Code Free$0Limited M3.1 Flash, image and speech use in MiniMax Code
- M3.1 Flash API$0.15/1M input tokensOutput $0.60/1M, cached input $0.015/1M; pay-as-you-go
- M3 API$0.30/1M input tokensUp to 512k input, after permanent 50% off; output $1.20/1M
- M Plan Go$22/moM3.1 Flash, image and speech models; $220 billed yearly
- M Plan Explore$55/mo3x Go usage, adds H3 video; $550 billed yearly
Poe
- Free$0Small daily compute point allowance
- Starter$4.99/mo10,000 points/day
- Premium$19.99/mo$199.99/yr billed annually
- Premium Plus$49.99/moLarger monthly points budget
- Pro$99.99/moLarger monthly points budget
MiniMax · Key features
- MiniMax-M3.1-Flash at $0.15 input and $0.60 output per 1M tokens
- 1M-token context window on M3.1 Flash and M3
- Effort setting on M3.1 Flash, from low to max, to trade thinking depth for cost
- Anthropic- and OpenAI-compatible endpoints, plus the Responses API
- M Plan key usable in Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and OpenCode
- MiniMax Code agent on web, desktop, CLI, iOS and Android
Cons
- M Plan is for individual interactive use, not production traffic
- Usage resets in 5-hour and weekly windows that can cut sessions short
- M2.5 and M2.7 retire on November 18, 2026, forcing migrations
Poe · Key features
- Access to many frontier models in one app
- Image and video generation models
- Custom bots with prompts or APIs
- Group chats with multiple bots
- Creator monetization for bots
- Cross-platform apps
Cons
- Points can run out quickly on top models
- Fewer native features than vendor apps
- Bot quality varies
MiniMax vs Poe: FAQ
Which is cheaper, MiniMax or Poe?
Poe starts at $4.99/mo and MiniMax at $22/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do MiniMax and Poe have a free plan?
Yes, both MiniMax and Poe have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.
Which is better for small businesses, MiniMax or Poe?
MiniMax lists small businesses as a core audience, while Poe is aimed more at creators.