comparison
GLM 4.6 vs MiniMax M2.5
Token pricing, context window and real monthly cost, side by side. MiniMax M2.5 is the cheaper of the two for a typical workload — about 2.6× less.
Positioned by published specs — size, context and modality — not measured performance; a smaller model can sometimes outperform a larger one on your task.
MiniMax M2.5 and GLM 4.6 are the same class (Mid) on size & context, so they're plausible substitutes — decide on price, modality and provider fit.
| metric | GLM 4.6 | MiniMax M2.5 |
|---|---|---|
| Input / 1M | $0.50 | $0.15 |
| Output / 1M | $2.00 | $0.90 |
| Context | 205K | 205K |
| Technical class | Mid | Mid |
| Cost @ typical workload | $350/mo | $135/mo |
| Modality | Text only | Text only |
| Price source | routed | routed |
| Provider | Z.AI | MiniMax |
Snapshot . Cost uses a typical workload; tune it in the calculator. How we measure →
Which should you pick?
On a typical workload, MiniMax M2.5 costs $135/mo against GLM 4.6's $350/mo — roughly 2.6× cheaper. But the ranking depends on your output-to-input ratio: output is the pricier direction for both, so an output-heavy job (code generation, long answers) widens the gap while an input-heavy one (summarization, retrieval) narrows it. Both share the same context window, so that's not a deciding factor here. By technical class — a spec read of size and context, not measured capability — both are Mid, so this is a like-for-like price decision.
These are list and routed market prices, not measured outcomes. Two models at the same rate can still cost different amounts to finish the same task, because verbose or reasoning-heavy models emit more tokens. That gap is exactly what measured cost-per-task captures. The technical-class read above is likewise spec-based — size, context and modality, not measured performance — so a smaller model can still outperform a larger one on your specific task.
Frequently asked questions
Is GLM 4.6 or MiniMax M2.5 cheaper?
For a typical workload (1,500 input + 500 output tokens × 200,000 requests/month), MiniMax M2.5 costs $135/mo versus $350/mo for GLM 4.6 — about 2.6× less. Because output is priced higher than input, the winner can flip if your workload writes much more or less than this; check your own numbers in the calculator.
What's the main difference between GLM 4.6 and MiniMax M2.5?
On price, GLM 4.6 is $0.50/$2.00 per 1M (in/out) and MiniMax M2.5 is $0.15/$0.90. By technical class (size & context) they're the same — both Mid. Both carry the same context window.
More comparisons
- GPT-5.4 mini vs GLM 4.6
- GPT-5.4 mini vs MiniMax M2.5
- GLM 4.6 vs GPT-5.4 nano
- GPT-5.4 nano vs MiniMax M2.5
- Claude Haiku 4.5 vs GLM 4.6
- Gemini 2.5 Pro vs GLM 4.6
Related
- GLM 4.6 and MiniMax M2.5 — full specs and price history.
- API cost calculator — compare on your own workload.
- All comparisons — the full head-to-head index.