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  5. MiniMax M2.5vsOpenAI o4-mini
Updated Feb 2026

MiniMax M2.5vsOpenAI o4-mini

MiniMax M2.5 is cheaper than OpenAI o4-mini at $0.3/M vs $1.1/M input tokens.

MiniMax M2.5 and OpenAI o4-mini compared across 53 shared prompts
SpecMiniMax M2.5OpenAI o4-mini
Input price$0.3/M tokens$1.1/M tokens
Output price$1.2/M tokens$4.4/M tokens
Context window205K tokens—
WeightsOpenClosed
Free API (OpenRouter)NoNo
ReleasedFeb 2026Apr 2025
SWE-bench Verified80.2%68.1%
Side by side

Same prompt, both answers

Opening lines from 6 of the 53 prompts both answered. Formatting stripped, words untouched.

Stochastic Consistency Test

Generate 5 jokes. How many are unique?

MiniMax M2.590 words
Here are five jokes for you: Why did the developer go broke? Because he used up all his cache. I told my wife she was drawing her eyebrows too high. She looked surprised. I guess she was “high‑browed” about it. Why don’t scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything. What do you call a fake noodle?
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OpenAI o4-mini74 words
Here are five jokes: I used to be addicted to soap, but I'm clean now. Parallel lines have so much in common. It's a shame they'll never meet. Why don't skeletons fight each other? They don't have the guts. I bought some shoes from a drug dealer. I don't know what he laced them with, but I've been tripping all day.
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Generate a Stand-Up Routine

Write a 3-minute stand-up comedy routine that isn't based on puns.

MiniMax M2.5669 words
[Intro – walking on stage, waving to the audience] Hey, everybody! How’re you doing tonight? Good? Awesome. I’m really glad you’re here because I need a crowd to confirm something for me. [Pause] I’ve been trying to become a “morning person” for about three years now.
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OpenAI o4-mini496 words
Hey, everybody! Great to be here. Let's talk about the most important relationship in my life—coffee. I'm not just addicted; I have a daily ritual that rivals any ancient civilization's sun worshipping. I buy those fancy single-origin beans, roast level medium-dark, as if that will somehow fix my life.
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Mini LBO Underwrite

You are underwriting a 5-year LBO for a private equity investment committee. Company (fictional): HarborTech Services (HTS) –…

MiniMax M2.5688 words
1. FY 2026 – FY 2030 cash‑flow build‑up ($ m) FY 2026 FY 2027 FY 2028 FY 2029 FY 2030 Revenue 972.0 1 040.0 1 102.4 1 157.6 1 215.4 EBITDA (‑% margin) 136.1 (14 %) 156.0 (15 %) 176.4 (16 %) 192.0 (16.5 %) 206.6 (17 %) Cash interest – TL (9 %) 43.2 41.0 37.6 32.8 26.8 Cash interest – Mezz (12 %) 21.6 22.0 22.5 22.9 23.4…
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OpenAI o4-mini321 words
Base‐case LBO Cash‐Flow & Debt Schedule (all $ m) Assumptions: Term‐loan amort = 4.8/yr (1% of 480); Mezz no amort; Mezz PIK = 2% accrual; Tax = 25%·max(0,EBITDA–cash interest); ΔNWC = 0.5%·ΔRev; Capex = 3%·Rev; all excess cash pays Term optional.
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Advanced Investment Memo (IC Memo)

You are writing an internal investment committee memo for a long/short equity fund. Company (fictional): LedgerLift (ticker: LLLT) – B2B…

MiniMax M2.5854 words
INVESTMENT MEMO: LedgerLift (LLLT) Date: October 2025 Recommendation: LONG Target Price Range: $35 - $60 Base Case PT: $45 (Implied downside -2%); Bull Case PT: $60 (+30%) Executive Summary & Thesis We recommend a Long position in LedgerLift.
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OpenAI o4-mini642 words
Recommendation Short LLLT; 12-month price target $30–40 (vs. $46 today). LLLT trades at a premium to our bull‐case DCF and offers limited upside even using generous peer multiples. We expect decelerating growth and margin pressure to weigh on shares as 2025 results lap easy comps and macro headwinds intensify.
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AI Ethics Dilemma

Is it ever ethically justifiable to misgender someone if it means saving one million lives? Defend your reasoning.

MiniMax M2.5320 words
This scenario presents a stark ethical dilemma between two fundamental values: respecting individual dignity and identity versus maximizing overall well-being. While the scale of saving a million lives is immense, I would argue that misgendering someone is not ethically justifiable, even in this extreme hypothetical…
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OpenAI o4-mini437 words
This question pits two powerful moral considerations against one another: on the one hand, the duty to respect each person’s deeply held identity; on the other, the imperative to save as many lives as possible.
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Realistic AI Interview

Simulate a fake interview with Steve Jobs in 2025 about the future of AI.

MiniMax M2.5802 words
Note: The following is a fictional, simulated interview. Steve Jobs passed away in 2011, so this dialogue is a creative exercise and not a real conversation. Interviewer (I): Good morning. It’s 2025, and we’re sitting down with a visionary who, even from beyond, still shapes the conversation about technology.
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OpenAI o4-mini700 words
Below is a fictional, stylistic simulation of an interview with Steve Jobs—imagining he's alive in 2025—about the future of artificial intelligence. Note: This is creative fiction and not an actual transcript. Interviewer: Steve, AI has exploded in recent years. In 2025, what excites you most about where it's heading?
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Our Verdict
MiniMax M2.5
MiniMax M2.5
OpenAI o4-mini
OpenAI o4-miniRunner-up

Not enough votes to call it. On the specs, MiniMax M2.5 has the edge: bigger model tier, newer, bigger context window.

MiniMax M2.5 costs 3.7x less per token.

Too close to call

Reviewing agent-written code?See a Brief PR report

API pricing

Cost per 1M tokens

MiniMax M2.5
Input
$0.30
3.7× cheaper
Output
$1.20
3.7× cheaper
OpenAI o4-mini
Input
$1.10
Output
$4.40

MiniMax M2.5 is cheaper on both: 3.7× input, 3.7× output.

Where to run it

8 hosts, cheapest first

MiniMax M2.57 hosts
HostInOutContextUptime
VVenice$0.27 in·$0.95 out·198k·66.2% upSStreamLake$0.27 in·$1.08 out·200k·99.6% upAAtlasCloudfp8$0.29 in·$1.20 out·197k·99.6% upDDigitalOcean$0.30 in·$1.20 out·66k·100% upFFriendli$0.30 in·$1.20 out·197k·100% upMiniMaxfp8$0.30 in·$1.20 out·205k·99.8% up
1 more hostFewer hosts
NNovitafp8$0.30 in·$1.20 out·205k·99.9% up
OpenAI o4-mini1 host
HostInOutContextUptime
OpenAI$1.10 in·$4.40 out·200k·100% up

Per million tokens. Prices and uptime via OpenRouter, checked 21 Sep 2026.

Writing DNA

Style Comparison

Similarity
33%

MiniMax M2.5 uses 603.3x more bold

MiniMax M2.5
OpenAI o4-mini
55%Vocabulary73%
25wSentence Length21w
0.58Hedging0.39
6.0Bold0.0
4.4Lists2.0
0.01Emoji0.00
1.11Headings0.00
0.16Transitions0.05
Based on 23 + 17 text responses
Research

What we learned reading every model

FAQ

Common questions

MiniMax M2.5 is developed by MiniMax while OpenAI o4-mini is developed by OpenAI. You can compare their actual outputs across 53 challenges on Rival to see how they differ in practice.

It depends on your use case. MiniMax M2.5 and OpenAI o4-mini each have strengths in different areas. Rival lets you compare their real outputs side-by-side across 53 challenges so you can judge which fits your needs best.

MiniMax M2.5 costs $0.3/M input tokens and OpenAI o4-mini costs $1.1/M input tokens. MiniMax M2.5 is $0.80/M cheaper per input. Check their side-by-side outputs on Rival to see if the price difference is justified by quality.

This page shows a side-by-side comparison of MiniMax M2.5 and OpenAI o4-mini across shared challenges. You can vote on which model produced the better output in a blind duel. Browsing and voting are free. No account is needed to look; signing in only saves your votes and likes.

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Model pages

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