MiniMax M2.5 vs o3
Complete pricing and performance comparison between MiniMax's MiniMax M2.5 and OpenAI's o3.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
MiniMax M2.5
6.7x cheaper input, 6.7x cheaper output
Larger Context
o3
200K vs 128K
Higher Quality
MiniMax M2.5
Score: 42 vs 38
Faster
o3
79 vs 48 tok/s
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | MiniMax M2.5 | o3 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | MiniMax | OpenAI | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $0.3 | $2 | MiniMax M2.5 is 85% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $1.2 | $8 | MiniMax M2.5 is 85% more expensive |
| Context Window | 128K | 200K | 2x difference |
| Max Output | 33K | 100K | |
| Tokenizer | cl100k_base | o200k_base |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | MiniMax M2.5 | o3 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | 42 | 38 | MiniMax M2.5 |
| Output Speed | 48 tok/s | 79 tok/s | o3 |
| Time to First Token | 2.47s | 10.83s | MiniMax M2.5 |
| Value (Quality/$) | 139.7 | 19.2 | 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 | MiniMax M2.5 | o3 | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0007 | $0.0044 | MiniMax M2.5 saves $0.0037 |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.0066 | $0.044 | MiniMax M2.5 saves $0.037 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.066 | $0.440 | MiniMax M2.5 saves $0.374 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $0.660 | $4.40 | MiniMax M2.5 saves $3.74 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $6.60 | $44.00 | MiniMax M2.5 saves $37.40 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $660.00 | $4400.00 | MiniMax M2.5 saves $3740.00 |
Pros & Cons
MiniMax M2.5 Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
- +Higher quality score (42 vs 38)
- +Lower latency (faster first token)
o3 Strengths
- +Larger context window (200K vs 128K)
- +Higher max output tokens
- +Faster output (79 vs 48 tok/s)
When to Use Each Model
Choose MiniMax M2.5 for
- →Budget-conscious projects where cost is the primary factor
- →Tasks requiring maximum accuracy and reasoning
Choose o3 for
- →Long documents, large codebases, or multi-turn conversations
- →Generating long-form content or detailed code
- →Real-time applications, chat, or autocomplete
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, MiniMax M2.5 or o3?
For input tokens, MiniMax M2.5 is 6.7x cheaper at $0.3/1M tokens. For output tokens, MiniMax M2.5 is 6.7x cheaper at $1.2/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), MiniMax M2.5 costs $0.660 vs o3 at $4.40.
What's the context window difference?
MiniMax M2.5 supports 128K context (128,000 tokens), while o3 supports 200K (200,000 tokens). o3 can handle 2x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
Quality Index: MiniMax M2.5 scores 42 vs o3 at 38. Speed: MiniMax M2.5 generates 48 tok/s vs o3 at 79 tok/s. Time to first token: MiniMax M2.5 at 2.47s vs o3 at 10.83s.
When should I choose MiniMax M2.5 over o3?
Choose MiniMax M2.5 when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens, Higher quality score (42 vs 38), Lower latency (faster first token). Choose o3 when you need: Larger context window (200K vs 128K), Higher max output tokens, Faster output (79 vs 48 tok/s).
How much would 10,000 API requests cost?
At 1K input + 300 output tokens per request (typical chat): MiniMax M2.5 = $6.60, o3 = $44.00. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): MiniMax M2.5 = $42.00, o3 = $280.00.