Claude Opus 4.6 vs MiniMax M2.5
Complete pricing and performance comparison between Anthropic's Claude Opus 4.6 and MiniMax's MiniMax M2.5.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
MiniMax M2.5
16.7x cheaper input, 20.8x cheaper output
Larger Context
Claude Opus 4.6
200K vs 128K
Higher Quality
Claude Opus 4.6
Score: 47 vs 42
Faster
Claude Opus 4.6
56 vs 48 tok/s
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | Claude Opus 4.6 | MiniMax M2.5 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Anthropic | MiniMax | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $5 | $0.3 | MiniMax M2.5 is 94% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $25 | $1.2 | MiniMax M2.5 is 95% more expensive |
| Context Window | 200K | 128K | 2x difference |
| Max Output | 32K | 33K |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | Claude Opus 4.6 | MiniMax M2.5 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | 47 | 42 | Claude Opus 4.6 |
| Output Speed | 56 tok/s | 48 tok/s | Claude Opus 4.6 |
| Time to First Token | 1.77s | 2.47s | Claude Opus 4.6 |
| Value (Quality/$) | 9.3 | 139.7 | Higher = better value |
Benchmark data from Artificial Analysis. Quality Index is a composite score across reasoning, coding, and knowledge tasks.
Cost at Scale
Estimated cost at different usage levels (3:1 input-to-output token ratio, typical for chat).
| Usage | Claude Opus 4.6 | MiniMax M2.5 | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.013 | $0.0007 | MiniMax M2.5 saves $0.012 |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.125 | $0.0066 | MiniMax M2.5 saves $0.118 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $1.25 | $0.066 | MiniMax M2.5 saves $1.18 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $12.50 | $0.660 | MiniMax M2.5 saves $11.84 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $125.00 | $6.60 | MiniMax M2.5 saves $118.40 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $12500.00 | $660.00 | MiniMax M2.5 saves $11840.00 |
Pros & Cons
Claude Opus 4.6 Strengths
- +Larger context window (200K vs 128K)
- +Faster output (56 vs 48 tok/s)
- +Higher quality score (47 vs 42)
- +Lower latency (faster first token)
MiniMax M2.5 Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
- +Higher max output tokens
When to Use Each Model
Choose Claude Opus 4.6 for
- →Long documents, large codebases, or multi-turn conversations
- →Tasks requiring maximum accuracy and reasoning
- →Real-time applications, chat, or autocomplete
Choose MiniMax M2.5 for
- →Budget-conscious projects where cost is the primary factor
- →Generating long-form content or detailed code
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, Claude Opus 4.6 or MiniMax M2.5?
For input tokens, MiniMax M2.5 is 16.7x cheaper at $0.3/1M tokens. For output tokens, MiniMax M2.5 is 20.8x cheaper at $1.2/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), Claude Opus 4.6 costs $12.50 vs MiniMax M2.5 at $0.660.
What's the context window difference?
Claude Opus 4.6 supports 200K context (200,000 tokens), while MiniMax M2.5 supports 128K (128,000 tokens). Claude Opus 4.6 can handle 2x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
Quality Index: Claude Opus 4.6 scores 47 vs MiniMax M2.5 at 42. Speed: Claude Opus 4.6 generates 56 tok/s vs MiniMax M2.5 at 48 tok/s. Time to first token: Claude Opus 4.6 at 1.77s vs MiniMax M2.5 at 2.47s.
When should I choose Claude Opus 4.6 over MiniMax M2.5?
Choose Claude Opus 4.6 when you need: Larger context window (200K vs 128K), Faster output (56 vs 48 tok/s), Higher quality score (47 vs 42), Lower latency (faster first token). Choose MiniMax M2.5 when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens, Higher max output tokens.
How much would 10,000 API requests cost?
At 1K input + 300 output tokens per request (typical chat): Claude Opus 4.6 = $125.00, MiniMax M2.5 = $6.60. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): Claude Opus 4.6 = $750.00, MiniMax M2.5 = $42.00.