Pairwise benchmark snapshot · Aug 16, 2026
This page compares Claude Opus 4.8 (Anthropic) and MiniMax M2.5 (MiniMax) using the latest snapshots we have as of Aug 16, 2026. On preference Elo, Claude Opus 4.8 is ahead by 120 points (1,598 vs 1,478; seed-bootstrap (Aug 16, 2026)). On SWE-bench coding, Claude Opus 4.8 resolves 78.4% versus 75.8% (seed-bootstrap (Aug 16, 2026)). MiniMax M2.5 streams faster (90 tok/s) while MiniMax M2.5 is the cheaper output token ($0.9/1M). Claude Opus 4.8 has the larger context window (1M tokens). Every cell below is a dated snapshot from a named public source — we do not invent missing scores, and we do not run SWE-bench ourselves.
Anthropic
Claude Opus 4.8Prior Opus generation still billed at $5/$25. Kept as a compare baseline against Opus 5.
MiniMax
MiniMax M2.5MiniMax coding model. Tied near the top of official SWE-bench bash-only in Feb 2026.
Instant pairwise benchmark recalculation across 400+ LLMs
Category wins across intelligence, speed, and pricing efficiency.
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
Each spoke is a skill. Farther from the center is better (0–100th percentile). Tap any dot to inspect details.
120 pts advantage
24 tok/s faster
$24.10/1M cheaper
Simulate monthly production API costs based on published $/1M tokens.
MiniMax M2.5 is estimated to save $528.80/month ($6,346/year).
Higher SWE-bench (78.4%).
Lower output list price ($0.9/1M).
Lower TTFT (250 ms).
Larger window (1M).
Claude Opus 4.8 is the side marked multimodal in the catalog.
| Target Workload | Recommended Pick | Evaluation Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Repo / coding agents | Claude Opus 4.8 | Higher SWE-bench (78.4%). |
| 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 | Claude Opus 4.8 | Larger window (1M). |
| Screenshots / vision | Claude Opus 4.8 | Claude Opus 4.8 is the side marked multimodal in the catalog. |
Opus 4.8 still bills $5/$25. We keep it so Opus 5 vs 4.8 is a real generation delta, not marketing.
Tied near the top of official SWE-bench bash-only in Feb 2026. Coding lists should still see it.
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The real PNG is generated at /compare/claude-opus-4-8-vs-minimax-m2-5/opengraph-image for crawlers.
Verified head-to-head card
