Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 16, 2026
In this head-to-head showdown, MiniMax M2.5 delivers higher overall intelligence and human-preferred responses (Elo 1,478 vs 1,438), while MiniMax M2.5 leads in SWE-bench software engineering benchmarks (75.8%), while MiniMax M2.5 is more budget-friendly at $1.2/1M per 1M output tokens, while Claude Haiku 4.5 provides faster response streaming (175 tok/s). 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 cheap/fast Claude SKU. Official Claude Platform list price $1/$5 per 1M tokens (Anthropic Haiku page).
MiniMax coding model. Tied near the top of official SWE-bench bash-only in Feb 2026.
Currently comparing Claude Haiku 4.5 vs MiniMax M2.5. Alternative family tiers available.
Δ 40 Arena Elo pts
175 tok/s
$1.2 / 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 Haiku 4.5 | MiniMax M2.5 | Advantage Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preference Elo | +40 | ||
| Coding Elo | +90 | ||
| LiveBench | +2% | ||
| SWE-bench | +17.6% | ||
| GPQA Diamond | +2.2% | ||
| Time to first token | +155 ms | ||
| Output speed | 175 tok/s | 90 tok/s | +85 tok/s |
| Input price | $0.3/1M | +$0.7/1M | |
| Output price | $1.2/1M | +$3.8/1M | |
| Context window | +5k |
Simulate monthly production API costs in USD (US Dollar).
MiniMax M2.5 is estimated to save $81.50/month ($978/year).
Higher SWE-bench (75.8%).
Lower output list price ($1.2/1M).
Lower TTFT (95 ms).
Larger window (205k).
Claude Haiku 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 ($1.2/1M). |
| Voice / low-latency UI | Claude Haiku 4.5 | Lower TTFT (95 ms). |
| Long-document RAG | MiniMax M2.5 | Larger window (205k). |
| Screenshots / vision | Claude Haiku 4.5 | Claude Haiku 4.5 is the side marked multimodal in the catalog. |
$1/$5 hosted Claude vs a cheap long-context open sibling. The alternative-to-Sonnet pair that is honest.
Huge window, cheap hosted lists. The Haiku alternative that is actually open-weight.
Tied near the top of official SWE-bench bash-only in Feb 2026. Coding lists should still see it.
Official Anthropic list $1/$5. This is the SKU behind “cheapest Claude alternative” that is still Claude.
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Verified Head-to-Head Telemetry
compare · Aug 16, 2026
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