MiniMax M2.5 vs o4 Mini
Complete pricing and performance comparison between MiniMax's MiniMax M2.5 and OpenAI's o4 Mini.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
MiniMax M2.5
3.7x cheaper input, 3.7x cheaper output
Larger Context
o4 Mini
200K vs 128K
Higher Quality
MiniMax M2.5
Score: 42 vs 33
Faster
o4 Mini
140 vs 48 tok/s
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | MiniMax M2.5 | o4 Mini | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | MiniMax | OpenAI | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $0.3 | $1.1 | MiniMax M2.5 is 73% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $1.2 | $4.4 | MiniMax M2.5 is 73% more expensive |
| Context Window | 128K | 200K | 2x difference |
| Max Output | 33K | 100K | |
| Tokenizer | cl100k_base | o200k_base |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | MiniMax M2.5 | o4 Mini | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | 42 | 33 | MiniMax M2.5 |
| Output Speed | 48 tok/s | 140 tok/s | o4 Mini |
| Time to First Token | 2.47s | 32.98s | MiniMax M2.5 |
| Value (Quality/$) | 139.7 | 30.1 | 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 | o4 Mini | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0007 | $0.0024 | MiniMax M2.5 saves $0.0018 |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.0066 | $0.024 | MiniMax M2.5 saves $0.018 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.066 | $0.242 | MiniMax M2.5 saves $0.176 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $0.660 | $2.42 | MiniMax M2.5 saves $1.76 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $6.60 | $24.20 | MiniMax M2.5 saves $17.60 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $660.00 | $2420.00 | MiniMax M2.5 saves $1760.00 |
Pros & Cons
MiniMax M2.5 Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
- +Higher quality score (42 vs 33)
- +Lower latency (faster first token)
o4 Mini Strengths
- +Larger context window (200K vs 128K)
- +Higher max output tokens
- +Faster output (140 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 o4 Mini 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 o4 Mini?
For input tokens, MiniMax M2.5 is 3.7x cheaper at $0.3/1M tokens. For output tokens, MiniMax M2.5 is 3.7x cheaper at $1.2/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), MiniMax M2.5 costs $0.660 vs o4 Mini at $2.42.
What's the context window difference?
MiniMax M2.5 supports 128K context (128,000 tokens), while o4 Mini supports 200K (200,000 tokens). o4 Mini can handle 2x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
Quality Index: MiniMax M2.5 scores 42 vs o4 Mini at 33. Speed: MiniMax M2.5 generates 48 tok/s vs o4 Mini at 140 tok/s. Time to first token: MiniMax M2.5 at 2.47s vs o4 Mini at 32.98s.
When should I choose MiniMax M2.5 over o4 Mini?
Choose MiniMax M2.5 when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens, Higher quality score (42 vs 33), Lower latency (faster first token). Choose o4 Mini when you need: Larger context window (200K vs 128K), Higher max output tokens, Faster output (140 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, o4 Mini = $24.20. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): MiniMax M2.5 = $42.00, o4 Mini = $154.00.