Playing a Game of Wits with MiniMax III: Integrating the MiniMax Model on PC Using Claude Code

Author: BruceBlue

A netizen asked me why I chose MiniMax. The reason is simple: large volume, unlimited use, and decent results!

Then I looked at my quota… I can’t even use it all (I bought the Max Coding Plan)! I also subscribed to Claude quotas in Cursor and Gemini (Antigravity), but they’re just sitting idle. I couldn’t accept that: why not include Claude Code, this ultimate terminal tool, and get it for free too?

I only do this because I don’t want to buy Claude Pro. Opus 4.6 consumes tokens too quickly—$500 a month isn’t enough—and it’s not very friendly to users in China. MiniMax M2.5 is super fast, cost-effective, and just the right replacement!

I’ve tried all the tutorials online, but they mostly don’t work. So I decided to write a complete guide from scratch, especially for those who don’t want to buy Claude Pro and just want to use MiniMax. Compatible with Mac and Windows, it takes just a few minutes to set up!

Why bother with this (Benefits of connecting Claude Code to MiniMax API)

Purely for obsessive-compulsive users + freebie lovers:

No need to buy Claude Pro! Save money

• Official Claude Pro costs at least $19/month with token limits. We use the surplus MiniMax API, bypass login and subscription, with zero marginal cost.

Maximize your MiniMax quota

• Bought Coding Plan but can’t use it all? Just dump everything into Claude Code—no waste, no extra cost!

Faster, more stable, no lag

• MiniMax M2.5 responds faster than official Opus, no more worries about network issues or “model not found” errors.

Ultimate terminal experience

• Run commands directly in your project folder, with context auto-loading the entire directory—10x better than web version! Perfect for coding, debugging, building small tools.

Explosive capabilities, unbeatable cost-performance

• M2.5 in Claude Code easily beats Opus 4.6—great for automation scripts, small tools, web crawlers.

Switch back to official Claude anytime

• Just type /model to switch back to official (if you buy Pro later). Very flexible.

In short: free, money-saving, fast, and easy to use—this is the real “battle of wits” victory!

Setup: How to open terminal on different systems

Since many are new to terminal, I’ll teach the most basic operations so even beginners can follow!

Mac users (easiest):

• Press Cmd + Space to open Spotlight Search
• Type “Terminal” or “终端”
• Hit Enter to open the black window (Terminal!)

Windows users (recommended PowerShell):

• Press Win key
• Type “PowerShell”
• Right-click “Windows PowerShell” → Run as administrator (important! needed for installation) (or just search “Terminal” to open the new Windows Terminal)

Linux / WSL users:

• Just open “Terminal” or press Ctrl+Alt+T.

Step 1: Install Claude Code (no Claude Pro needed!)

Important reminder: since we’ll fully proxy with MiniMax later, installing Claude Code doesn’t require a Claude Pro subscription. That’s the point of this setup!

Recommended installation method (latest official way in 2026, no Node.js needed, more stable):

(Note: npm method is deprecated officially, but still works for now)

Step 2: Get MiniMax API Key

Log in to MiniMax API Platform → Subscribe to Coding Plan on the left → Choose a plan and purchase → Create a new Key and record it (needed below)

PS: If there’s a free MiniMax API, that’s also fine.

Step 3: Create configuration file (the most critical step! tricks to skip login)

Copy the following content entirely (replace <你的MiniMax_Key> with your actual key):

Save and exit (nano: Ctrl+O → Enter → Ctrl+X; Windows: save and close directly).

Add an extra file to skip login (super important! must-have if not buying Pro):

Step 4: Clear old Anthropic environment variables (to prevent conflicts!)

Step 5: Fully restart and launch

• Close all terminal windows
• Open a new terminal/PowerShell, navigate to your project folder

Type claude to start

• When prompted, select Trust This Folder

Very important: since we’ve configured MiniMax proxy + skip login file, this launch won’t show the official login window, it will go straight in!

Step 6: Verify

Type /model, you should see MiniMax-M2.5 selected. Then type something like hello, no errors, smooth!

If you’re in mainland China (IP in China), change ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL to:

Leave other settings unchanged.

Want to temporarily switch back to official Claude? Just type /model → select Default (Opus 4.6) (assuming you have Claude Code Key locally).

After setup: real feelings

Once done, Claude Code can directly display and call MiniMax.

M2.5 in Claude Code is super fast, cost-effective, and can easily beat Opus 4.6! Its coding capabilities are insane—I had it help me write automation scripts the same day, so satisfying.

The whole process feels like a battle of wits with MiniMax and Claude Code. MiniMax’s Coding Plan and membership are separate; Claude Code also promotes user memberships everywhere. But since I have the large-volume, unlimited MiniMax Coding Plan, I’ll keep freeloading—so worth it! Truly awesome! 😋