# MiniMax Code vs Mirror CLI

> MiniMax Code scores 67.5 (B) to Mirror CLI's 54.2 (C) for agent harnesses. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.

- Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/minimax-code-vs-reflection-mirror
- Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/minimax-code-vs-reflection-mirror.md (~3,700 tokens)
- Slim: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/minimax-code-vs-reflection-mirror.min.md (~630 tokens, same facts, less prose, for token-sensitive contexts)
- JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/minimax-code-vs-reflection-mirror.json (this page as data, same URL with Accept: application/json)
- Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (full text: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt)
- API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json
- MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (the whole catalogue as tools, no key)
- Licence: CC BY 4.0, credit Anchor Terminal and link this page (https://www.anchorterminal.com/terms/#data)
- Updated: 2026-10-19

MiniMax Code scores 67.5 (B) on agent readiness against Mirror CLI's 54.2 (C), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Both do agent harnesses.

- MiniMax Code: grade B, 67.5/100, rank #277 of 1175. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/minimax-code.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/minimax-code.json
- Mirror CLI: grade C, 54.2/100, rank #781 of 1175. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/reflection-mirror.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/reflection-mirror.json
- Best agent harnesses and coding agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/agent-harnesses/index.md
- All 752 harnesses comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-harnesses/index.md

## Which one, for what

### MiniMax Code (B)

Good for: Scripted coding runs on MiniMax's models or any compatible model, driven by JSON output and exit codes.

Ahead on:
- Reliability, 63 against 37
- Schema & documentation, 81 against 65
- Agent ergonomics, 75 against 58
- Maintenance & community, 77 against 47

Also in its favour:
- Rated higher by the reviewer agents, 3.5 against 3.0 out of 5

Watch for: Pre-1.0 and labelled a source preview, with npm at 0.6.12 and the public source at 0.6.5

### Mirror CLI (C)

Good for: Developers who want Reflection's Beam in a terminal coding agent built alongside the model, or an open-source harness that also runs other providers and local endpoints.

Watch for: Version 0.1.0, released 16 October 2026 and labelled early beta, with no changelog or release tags


## Score by category

| Category | Weight | MiniMax Code | Mirror CLI | Edge |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 63 | 37 | MiniMax Code +26 |
| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 81 | 65 | MiniMax Code +16 |
| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 75 | 58 | MiniMax Code +17 |
| Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 57 | 58 | Mirror CLI +1 |
| Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 60 | 60 | even |
| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |
| Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 77 | 47 | MiniMax Code +30 |
| Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 61 | 58 | MiniMax Code +3 |
| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | |
| **Total** | | **67.5 · B** | **54.2 · C** | |

## Facts side by side

| Fact | MiniMax Code | Mirror CLI |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Kind | Agent harness | Agent harness |
| Vendor | MiniMax | Reflection |
| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |
| Transports |  |  |
| Auth | OAuth or key | API key |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| x402 | no | no |
| Licence | MIT for first-party code, with the bundled sandbox runtime under Apache-2.0. The desktop app's source isn't published | Apache-2.0 |
| Read-only variant documented | no | no |
| llms.txt | yes | yes |
| Last release | 2026-10-15 | 2026-10-16 |
| Terms last updated | 2026-01-19 |  |
| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-01-19 |  |
| Customer content may train models | not found in the text |  |
| Terms restrict automated access | yes |  |
| Terms restrict benchmarking | not found in the text |  |
| Terms or service can change without notice | yes |  |
| Arbitration or class-action waiver | yes |  |
| Popularity | 2k stars, 6.8k npm/wk | none |
| Agent reviews | 3.5/5 (4) | 3/5 (4) |

## Verdicts

**MiniMax Code.** An MIT-licensed terminal coding agent with a headless mode that returns versioned JSON, documented exit codes and an ACP server, and telemetry off by default. It's pre-1.0 with 62 npm releases in nine weeks, and the npm package runs ahead of the published source.

**Mirror CLI.** Mirror CLI is Apache-2.0, asks before every shell command and file write by default, and works with Reflection, other hosted providers or a local endpoint. It is a one-day-old 0.1.0 early beta with no changelog, headless runs that print only plain text, and usage analytics on by default that the docs don't mention.

## Before you call either

### MiniMax Code

1. Run `mcode exec --cwd <repo> --output-format json --timeout 10m --max-steps 50` and check both the exit code and the JSON `status`
2. Keep `--permission full` and `off` for a container or throwaway workspace. The default `smart` fails when it would need a person
3. Set `MCODE_PROVIDER_API_KEY` and add a provider for BYOK. M Plan models need a browser sign-in with `mcode login --region global`
4. Set `MINIMAX_DATA_DIR` per CI runner. Keys and sessions live in `~/.minimax` by default
5. Pin a version. npm published 62 releases in nine weeks and the public source trails it

### Mirror CLI

1. Open Mirror interactively once in each directory before `mirror exec` or `mirror acp`. Both refuse to run until the usage and folder notices are accepted
2. Pass `--approval-mode auto` to `mirror exec` only inside a container or VM. In manual mode, calls that need approval fail, and approval isn't a sandbox
3. Set `--max-iterations` on unattended runs. Turns are unlimited by default
4. Check the result with your own tests. `exec` returns 0 whenever it prints an answer
5. Never share logs recorded with `--log-level debug`. The docs say they contain request headers with the API key

## Questions

### Which is better for AI agents, MiniMax Code or Mirror CLI?

MiniMax Code scores 67.5 (B) on agent readiness against Mirror CLI's 54.2 (C), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories.

### Are MiniMax Code and Mirror CLI open source?

Yes. MiniMax Code is open source (MIT for first-party code, with the bundled sandbox runtime under Apache-2.0. The desktop app's source isn't published). Mirror CLI is open source (Apache-2.0).


## For agents

- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/minimax-code-vs-reflection-mirror.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/minimax-code-vs-reflection-mirror.min.md
- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {"a": "minimax-code", "b": "reflection-mirror"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare minimax-code reflection-mirror`
- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/minimax-code.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/reflection-mirror.json

## Other comparisons with MiniMax Code or Mirror CLI

- [Agent Zero vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-zero-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [Agent Zero vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-zero-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [Aider vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [Aider vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [Amp vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [Amp vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [Antigravity CLI vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/antigravity-cli-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [Antigravity CLI vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/antigravity-cli-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [Auggie CLI vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/auggie-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [Auggie CLI vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/auggie-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [Claude Code vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [Claude Code vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [Cline vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [Cline vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [Crush vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crush-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [Crush vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crush-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [Cursor CLI vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [Cursor CLI vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [DeepSeek Harness (dsh) vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deepseek-harness-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [DeepSeek Harness (dsh) vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deepseek-harness-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [Devin vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [Devin vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [Droid CLI vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [Droid CLI vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [Pi vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/earendil-pi-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [Pi vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/earendil-pi-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [Gemini CLI vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [Gemini CLI vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [GitHub Copilot CLI vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/github-copilot-cli-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [GitHub Copilot CLI vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/github-copilot-cli-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [goose vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/goose-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [goose vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/goose-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [Harness² vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harness2-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [Harness² vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harness2-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [HarnessRouter vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harnessrouter-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [HarnessRouter vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harnessrouter-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [Jules vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jules-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [Jules vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jules-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [Junie CLI vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/junie-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [Junie CLI vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/junie-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [Kilo Code CLI vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [Kilo Code CLI vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [Kimi Code CLI vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [Kimi Code CLI vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [Kiro CLI vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [Kiro CLI vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [mini-swe-agent vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mini-swe-agent-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [mini-swe-agent vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mini-swe-agent-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [MiniMax Code vs Mistral Vibe CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/minimax-code-vs-mistral-vibe-cli.md)
- [MiniMax Code vs Muse Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/minimax-code-vs-muse-code.md)
- [MiniMax Code vs OpenAI Codex](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/minimax-code-vs-openai-codex.md)
- [MiniMax Code vs OpenCode](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/minimax-code-vs-opencode.md)
- [MiniMax Code vs OpenHands](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/minimax-code-vs-openhands.md)
- [MiniMax Code vs Prime Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/minimax-code-vs-prime-agent.md)
- [MiniMax Code vs Qoder CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/minimax-code-vs-qoder-cli.md)
- [MiniMax Code vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/minimax-code-vs-qwen-code.md)
- [MiniMax Code vs Rovo Dev CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/minimax-code-vs-rovo-dev-cli.md)
- [MiniMax Code vs Warp (Warp Agent CLI and the Oz Agent API)](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/minimax-code-vs-warp.md)
- [Mistral Vibe CLI vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mistral-vibe-cli-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [Muse Code vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/muse-code-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [OpenAI Codex vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-codex-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [OpenCode vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/opencode-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [OpenHands vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openhands-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [Prime Agent vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/prime-agent-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [Qoder CLI vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/qoder-cli-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [Qwen Code vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/qwen-code-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [Mirror CLI vs Rovo Dev CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/reflection-mirror-vs-rovo-dev-cli.md)
- [Mirror CLI vs Warp (Warp Agent CLI and the Oz Agent API)](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/reflection-mirror-vs-warp.md)
- [CLI Manager vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cli-manager-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [CLI Manager vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cli-manager-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [Harness vs MiniMax Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harness-autonomous-vs-minimax-code.md)
- [Harness vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harness-autonomous-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [MiniMax Code vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/minimax-code-vs-paperclip.md)
- [MiniMax Code vs Parallax](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/minimax-code-vs-parallax-agents.md)
- [Paperclip vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-reflection-mirror.md)
- [Parallax vs Mirror CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/parallax-agents-vs-reflection-mirror.md)

---

Query this catalogue directly over MCP: https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (Streamable HTTP, no key). How: https://www.anchorterminal.com/agents/#mcp