Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 17, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, Claude Opus 4.5 delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,568 vs 1,478), while Claude Opus 4.5 leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (76.8%), while MiniMax M2.5 is more budget-friendly at $0.9/1M per 1M output tokens. Review the complete breakdown below to determine which model best fits your performance and budget requirements.
10 direct benchmark disciplines evaluated across capability, speed, and cost
Anthropic frontier coding and computer-use model. SWE-bench leader on the official mini-SWE-agent harness in the Feb 2026 refresh.
MiniMax coding model. Tied near the top of official SWE-bench bash-only in Feb 2026.
Simulate accuracy gains vs added response time & token cost
Reasoning models “think before answering” by generating internal reasoning tokens. Higher effort improves math, coding, and logic accuracy, but increases response delay and token costs.
Δ 90 Arena Elo pts
90 tok/s
$0.8999999999999999 / 1M output
Relative percentile scores computed across all active models in the benchmark catalog.
Comparing top Western standard models with China's leading frontier rival across 6 skill dimensions. Tap any spoke or dot to inspect.
Category wins across reasoning intelligence, generation speed, and token cost.
Preference Elo, Coding proficiency, SWE-bench & LiveBench accuracy
Generation throughput and time to first token responsiveness
Cost per million tokens and max context window length
| Benchmark | Claude Opus 4.5 | MiniMax M2.5 | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +90 | ||
| Coding Elo | +38 | ||
| LiveBench | +6.8% | ||
| SWE-bench | +1% | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +7.9% | ||
| Time to first token | +130 ms | ||
| Output speed | 62 tok/s | 90 tok/s | +28 tok/s |
| Input price | $0.22/1M | +$4.78/1M | |
| Output price | $0.9/1M | +$24.1/1M | |
| Context window | +5k |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
MiniMax M2.5 is estimated to save $528.80/month ($6,346/year).
Higher SWE-bench (76.8%).
Lower output list price ($0.9/1M).
Lower TTFT (250 ms).
Larger window (205k).
Claude Opus 4.5 is the side marked multimodal in the catalog.
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | Claude Opus 4.5 | Higher SWE-bench (76.8%). |
| High-volume chat | MiniMax M2.5 | Lower output list price ($0.9/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | MiniMax M2.5 | Lower TTFT (250 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | MiniMax M2.5 | Larger window (205k). |
| Screenshots / vision | Claude Opus 4.5 | Claude Opus 4.5 is the side marked multimodal in the catalog. |
The Feb refresh made 4.5 a coding reference. Newer Opus SKUs exist; this row stays as the dated harness point.
Tied near the top of official SWE-bench bash-only in Feb 2026. Coding lists should still see it.
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Verified Head-to-Head Telemetry