Model Comparison
Claude Sonnet 4.6 vs MiniMax M2.5
MiniMax M2.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. MiniMax M2.5 is 11.4x cheaper per token.
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Claude Sonnet 4.6 outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while MiniMax M2.5 is better at 2 benchmarks (BrowseComp, SWE-Bench Verified).
MiniMax M2.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Claude Sonnet 4.6 ($3.00/1M tokens) is 10.0x more expensive than MiniMax M2.5 ($0.30/1M tokens).
For output processing, Claude Sonnet 4.6 ($15.00/1M tokens) is 12.5x more expensive than MiniMax M2.5 ($1.20/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Claude Sonnet 4.6 is more expensive than MiniMax M2.5.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
MiniMax M2.5 accepts 1,000,000 input tokens compared to Claude Sonnet 4.6's 200,000 tokens. MiniMax M2.5 can generate longer responses up to 1,000,000 tokens, while Claude Sonnet 4.6 is limited to 64,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Claude Sonnet 4.6 supports multimodal inputs, whereas MiniMax M2.5 does not.
Claude Sonnet 4.6 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
Claude Sonnet 4.6
MiniMax M2.5
License
Usage and distribution terms
Claude Sonnet 4.6 is licensed under a proprietary license, while MiniMax M2.5 uses MIT.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Proprietary
Closed source
MIT
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Claude Sonnet 4.6 was released on 2026-02-17, while MiniMax M2.5 was released on 2026-02-12.
Claude Sonnet 4.6 is 0 month newer than MiniMax M2.5.
Feb 17, 2026
1 months ago
5d newerFeb 12, 2026
1 months ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
Claude Sonnet 4.6 is available from Anthropic. MiniMax M2.5 is available from MiniMax.
Claude Sonnet 4.6
MiniMax M2.5
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Claude Sonnet 4.6
View detailsAnthropic
MiniMax M2.5
View detailsMiniMax
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about Claude Sonnet 4.6 vs MiniMax M2.5