MiniMax M2.5 vs Qwen 3.5 397B
Complete pricing and performance comparison between MiniMax's MiniMax M2.5 and Alibaba's Qwen 3.5 397B.
Quick Verdict
Cheaper
MiniMax M2.5
2.0x cheaper input, 3.0x cheaper output
Larger Context
MiniMax M2.5
128K vs 128K
Pricing Comparison
| Spec | MiniMax M2.5 | Qwen 3.5 397B | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | MiniMax | Alibaba | |
| Input / 1M tokens | $0.3 | $0.6 | MiniMax M2.5 is 50% more expensive |
| Output / 1M tokens | $1.2 | $3.6 | MiniMax M2.5 is 67% more expensive |
| Context Window | 128K | 128K | Same |
| Max Output | 33K | 33K |
Performance Benchmarks
| Metric | MiniMax M2.5 | Qwen 3.5 397B | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Index | 42 | -- | N/A |
| Output Speed | 48 tok/s | -- | N/A |
| Value (Quality/$) | 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 | MiniMax M2.5 | Qwen 3.5 397B | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
Single request 1K in / 300 out | $0.0007 | $0.0017 | MiniMax M2.5 saves $0.0010 |
10 requests 10K in / 3K out | $0.0066 | $0.017 | MiniMax M2.5 saves $0.010 |
100 requests 100K in / 30K out | $0.066 | $0.168 | MiniMax M2.5 saves $0.102 |
1,000 requests 1M in / 300K out | $0.660 | $1.68 | MiniMax M2.5 saves $1.02 |
10,000 requests 10M in / 3M out | $6.60 | $16.80 | MiniMax M2.5 saves $10.20 |
1M requests/mo 1B in / 300M out | $660.00 | $1680.00 | MiniMax M2.5 saves $1020.00 |
Pros & Cons
MiniMax M2.5 Strengths
- +Cheaper input tokens
- +Cheaper output tokens
Qwen 3.5 397B Strengths
Part of the Alibaba ecosystem
When to Use Each Model
Choose MiniMax M2.5 for
- →Budget-conscious projects where cost is the primary factor
Choose Qwen 3.5 397B for
- →Projects already integrated with Alibaba's ecosystem
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, MiniMax M2.5 or Qwen 3.5 397B?
For input tokens, MiniMax M2.5 is 2.0x cheaper at $0.3/1M tokens. For output tokens, MiniMax M2.5 is 3.0x cheaper at $1.2/1M tokens. At typical usage (1M input + 300K output), MiniMax M2.5 costs $0.660 vs Qwen 3.5 397B at $1.68.
What's the context window difference?
MiniMax M2.5 supports 128K context (128,000 tokens), while Qwen 3.5 397B supports 128K (128,000 tokens). Qwen 3.5 397B can handle 1x more context in a single request.
Which model has better benchmarks?
When should I choose MiniMax M2.5 over Qwen 3.5 397B?
Choose MiniMax M2.5 when you need: Cheaper input tokens, Cheaper output tokens. Choose Qwen 3.5 397B when you need: a Alibaba ecosystem model.
How much would 10,000 API requests cost?
At 1K input + 300 output tokens per request (typical chat): MiniMax M2.5 = $6.60, Qwen 3.5 397B = $16.80. At 10K input + 1K output per request (longer conversations): MiniMax M2.5 = $42.00, Qwen 3.5 397B = $96.00.