MiniMax M3 FREE in VS Code & Claude Code | 1M Context, Agentic AI & Multimodal Coding

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:00]Today we are talking about MiniMax M3, which is currently launched and one of the newest AI model designed for coding and agentic workflow. Most AI coding models are fighting for small benchmark improvement. MiniMax M3 is trying something different. 1 million context window, native multimodality, and focus on agentic workflow that can work across huge code base. What actually MiniMax M3 provide other than its previous model?

[00:00:28]We are going to use it for free today.

[00:00:31]By the way, it is paid, but in this video, I'll show you how you can use it for free. Before that, I'll make you clear what these three things is. First, it support the massive 1 million token context window, allow it to understand large code base document and project file without losing context. Second, it offer the native multimodal capabilities, meaning it can work with text, code, image, and visual context within the same workflow. Third, it built for agentic AI era, where model don't just answer prompt, but can plan, reason, and execute complex tasks over multiple steps. If you can see the MiniMax M3 benchmark, then it will perform far better than its previous model. Its benchmark is like to like similar to Opus ChatGPT and Gemini, but most important point is its price is too much low. 0.6 million for 1 million token for input and $2.4 for 1 million output token. If you want to pay it, but in this today's video, I'll show you how you can use it for free for a limited time. If you can see SWE benchmark, terminal benchmark, and vibe benchmark, which is most important for coding, it will perform well, similar to Opus ChatGPT and Gemini. If you want to compare it widely to other model, its previous model Cloud Opus Gemini, then if you can see this is the coding index, this is the core agentic index, this is the GUI, this is the multi-model index, and this is the reasoning index. Each index is similar, like to like similar, not similar, like to like similar. In some index Minimax is higher, in some index Cloud is higher. It will work perfectly. At the same time, its price is too low, 0.67 for 1 million token.

[00:02:28]And this is the Minimax architecture. If you want to know, you can explore it.

[00:02:33]Now, after this all, I'll show you how you can use it for free. Open Code Gen provide it free for limited time. If you can go to the open code.ai, then here you can see it will mention it will be free for certain time. Just create the account and click on Gen, then it will see Open Code provide some model for free. Just like Mimo, Minimax, M3 free.

[00:03:00]You can see the actual data here in usages at the time of 2 June, time of video recorded, currently Minimax M3 is free. And it will not for unlimited time, it will for limited time. Use it until it will paid. Then, in this today's video, I'll show you how you can use it inside the Open Code, how you can use it in Cloud Code, and at the same time how you can use it inside the Visual Studio Code as well. First, go to the API key section and create the new API key if you didn't have any previous API key. After this all, let's start how we can use it. To use Minimax inside your Open Code, first you need to install it if not installed yet. Copy this command and paste it inside your terminal. Within some time, it will install in your system. Check, version will be displayed, then it will confirm Open Code is installed in your system.

[00:03:57]After it will successfully install in your terminal PowerShell, you need to open the Open Code here. Open Code. Just type Open Code and press the enter. Then Open Code interface is open. Now it is open here. And currently I'm using MiniMax M3 for free. This is your first time, then it will not reflected here.

[00:04:18]You need to set it. Click the forward slash and connect. Connect will be here, if not search it. Then press enter and here will be the Open Code. Then again hit enter. Here you need to provide the API key that we have created it here.

[00:04:34]Copy the API key and paste it here and hit the enter. Now you can see MiniMax M3 for free. Similarly, Deep Seek before flash is also free here. Select the MiniMax M3, then you can easily use it inside the Open Code. Let's start to interact it here. Hi. Hi. How are you?

[00:04:56]Doing well. If you can see, here it will show how many token will be used and how many percent is it. And I'll also mention which model is it. Which model is it? I'm provided by Open Code MiniMax M3 free. By this way you can easily use MiniMax M3 for free inside your Open Code. And it will powerful. You can explore it and learn something awesome.

[00:05:21]Click control and C to exit this mode.

[00:05:24]After that, I'll show you how you can use it inside the Cloud Code. Everyone wants to use Cloud Code. We can also use MiniMax M3 inside the Cloud Code as well. If you have not installed Cloud, then copy the command it will provided here and paste it in your terminal and press the enter. It will automatically install it in your system. And check if this is installed or not cloud version.

[00:05:51]If version will be displayed here, then it will install in your system. After it will install in your system, you need to open this cloud folder. You can easily open this cloud folder from Visual Studio code as well, but I'm going to open it from here code.cloud folder. By this way, you can easily open this dot cloud folder. It will be created on any directory. If you are using this code command for first time in your terminal, then you need to set up the environment for it. Press the command shift P in your VS code, then you need to install this code command in path. After you have select this, if it will not appear, search the shell, then it will be displayed here shell command install code command in path. After you have click it, then it will be installed here. Then you can easily use this code command from your terminal, from your power shell. After that, just press enter, then dot cloud folder is open inside the Visual Studio code. I have already used it, that's why this environment is set it here, but didn't worry, if you are using it for the first time, then this setting.json file is not here. If not, didn't worry, just create it from here. Give the name setting.json. You need this this code here. I'll provide this code is in the video description and all the link that I have used in this video will be provided in the video description. Only one things you need to change, which will be Anthropic API key. You need to use your API key that we have created from the open code. This API key. Copy this API key and paste it here, then it will be ready. Just save it, then close VS code. Now, you are ready to use Minimax M3 free model inside your Claude code. Type Claude and press the enter.

[00:07:50]Claude will be open in your system. If you are using first time, then it might ask some other question just like which mode do you want to use? Then, without any hesitation, use any mode that you are want. It will mention Claude code will be able to read, edit, execute file here. Do you want to give permission?

[00:08:08]Yes. If you set the API key for the first time, then it will also ask, "Do you want this new API key?" Then, also select yes. It will recommend no, but also select yes. I have already used it, that's why it will not show this option in my system. After that, it will already reflect the Minimax M3 here. If not, then again type {slash} and model. From here, you can easily choose any model that you want.

[00:08:34]Here, let's start to interact. Hi. Here, you can see it will respond in 6 seconds. Again, let's ask which model is it? Which model is it? You are using Minimax M3 free version. It will quick as well, okay? From here, you can use Minimax and you can create your project as well. If you want to explore more, explore it. I'll show you how you can use it inside the VS Code as well. To exit from here, again press Ctrl C twice. Then, you are exit from Claude code. Now, we have already used Minimax in open code and Claude code. Last, we are going to use it inside the Visual Studio Code. Select any folder that you want or create new folder and select it.

[00:09:15]If you are using it for the first time, go to the extension section and here it will provide Claude code for VS Code powered by anthropic.com. Install it.

[00:09:26]After you have installed it, it will be reflected here as well and here as well.

[00:09:31]You can click on anywhere that you want.

[00:09:34]I'm clicking on here and again click the forward slash and model. It will show switch model. I have already choose MiniMax M3. If you are first time, default it will select this default model. Select it from here. Now you are easily using MiniMax inside your Visual Studio Code. Can see "Hi, how can I help you today?" Which model is it? This is the snake game that I have created. Go live. Can see this is the snake game.

[00:10:03]I'll give one prompt here. This is my simple snake game. Can you modify it and make a one interactive user interface?

[00:10:12]Okay, let's see how is it work? How much time it will take? Within the one second it will start to read. I'll select this full interactive panel. If it is confused, then it will ask us which things do you want to prefer? Now, I think it will completed all the tasks and it will modify my index.html file.

[00:10:32]Now index.html file is 638 line. I'll save it and let's see how is it look like, okay? You can see it look like very professional than previous. It look like a one real snake game. Here from here we can set the speed. We can set the border. You can see from here we can set the light mode and dark mode and sunset as well. We can also reset the history. Here it will show the time.

[00:11:00]Best I like it. It will awesome, man. It will work perfectly. If you think it will be too much speed, then you can set speed as well. Now it is too much fast.

[00:11:09]Let's make it slow. Now it is slow. By this way you can easily use MiniMax M3 model in your VS Code which is trending in current time. Use this model until it will free. I don't know how much time it will free. Use it until it will be free.

[00:11:26]Okay, that's it for today's video. We'll meet you on the next video.