Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 17, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, Claude Sonnet 4.5 delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,524 vs 1,478), while MiniMax M2.5 leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (75.8%), 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
Workhorse Anthropic model: most of Opus coding quality at a mid-tier price.
MiniMax coding model. Tied near the top of official SWE-bench bash-only in Feb 2026.
Currently comparing Claude Sonnet 4.5 vs MiniMax M2.5. Alternative family tiers available.
Δ 46 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 Sonnet 4.5 | MiniMax M2.5 | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +46 | ||
| Coding Elo | +5 | ||
| LiveBench | +3% | ||
| SWE-bench | +5.7% | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +4% | ||
| Time to first token | +10 ms | ||
| Output speed | 88 tok/s | 90 tok/s | +2 tok/s |
| Input price | $0.22/1M | +$2.78/1M | |
| Output price | $0.9/1M | +$14.1/1M | |
| Context window | +795k |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
MiniMax M2.5 is estimated to save $308.80/month ($3,706/year).
Higher SWE-bench (75.8%).
Lower output list price ($0.9/1M).
Lower TTFT (240 ms).
Larger window (1M).
Claude Sonnet 4.5 is the side marked multimodal in the catalog.
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | MiniMax M2.5 | Higher SWE-bench (75.8%). |
| High-volume chat | MiniMax M2.5 | Lower output list price ($0.9/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | Claude Sonnet 4.5 | Lower TTFT (240 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | Claude Sonnet 4.5 | Larger window (1M). |
| Screenshots / vision | Claude Sonnet 4.5 | Claude Sonnet 4.5 is the side marked multimodal in the catalog. |
Most of Opus 4.5 coding at a mid-tier price. Sonnet 5 replaced it as the buy; 4.5 remains a compare baseline.
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