ZMIME
Comparison · 2 models · Updated Oct 4, 2026

MiniCPM5-2B vs North Mini Code

North Mini Code comes out ahead, 71 to 53 on our weighted score, and it is the cheaper option too.

  1. OpenBMB

    MiniCPM5-2B

    Released Sep 6, 2026

    53/100
    • ECI—
    • Price$0.124 / $0.743
    • Context131K
  2. Our pick

    Cohere

    North Mini Code

    Released Jun 9, 2026

    71/100
    • ECI—
    • PriceFree / Free
    • Context256K
  3. Add a model

    Make it a three-way comparison.

01 — Verdict

North Mini Code is our pick

North Mini Code is the better all-round choice, scoring 71/100 against MiniCPM5-2B (53). It leads on price, inputs & features and context window. The score weighs price 50%, inputs & features 30%, context window 20%. None of the shared benchmarks cover every model here yet, so capability is left out of this verdict.

  • CapabilityNot enough dataNo independent benchmark covers every model here yet
  • Lowest priceNorth Mini CodeNorth Mini Code Free · MiniCPM5-2B $0.279 per 1M tokens (3:1 blend)
  • Longest contextNorth Mini CodeNorth Mini Code 256,000 · MiniCPM5-2B 131,072 tokens
  • Widest inputsSame inputsMiniCPM5-2B: Text · North Mini Code: Text
  • Self-hostingAll open weightsEvery model here can be downloaded and run on your own hardware
How the score is built
MeasureWeightMiniCPM5-2BNorth Mini Code
Price50%76100
Inputs & features30%3545
Context window20%2436
Overall100%53/10071/100

Left out because at least one model lacks the data: capability. The remaining weights were rescaled.

02 — Side by side

Every spec in one table

Highlighted cells lead their row. Dashes mean the data is not published.

MiniCPM5-2B vs North Mini Code specifications side by side
SpecificationMiniCPM5-2BOpenBMBNorth Mini CodeCohere
Capability
Capabilities Index (ECI)——
ECI rank——
Price per million tokens
Input$0.124Free (best)
Output$0.743Free (best)
Cached input——
Blended (3:1)$0.279Free (best)
Long-context rateSame rateSame rate
Price sourceMedian of 1 providersOfficial Cohere API
Limits
Context window131,072 tokens256,000 tokens (best)
Max output131,072 tokens (best)64,000 tokens
Inputs and features
TextYesYes
ImagesNoNo
PDFsNoNo
AudioNoNo
VideoNoNo
ReasoningYesYeshigh
Tool callingYesYes
Structured outputNoYes
Availability
WeightsOpenapache-2.0Open
API model ID—north-mini-code-1-0
API providers12 (best)
ReleasedSep 6, 2026Jun 9, 2026
Knowledge cutoff—Sep 23, 2025
03 — Cost

What would a month cost?

Enter your expected volume in millions of tokens. List prices only; caching and batch discounts would lower these.

  • MiniCPM5-2B$2.73
  • North Mini CodeFree
04 — Questions

Which should you choose?

Which is better: MiniCPM5-2B or North Mini Code?

North Mini Code is the better all-round choice, scoring 71/100 against MiniCPM5-2B (53). It leads on price, inputs & features and context window. The score weighs price 50%, inputs & features 30%, context window 20%. None of the shared benchmarks cover every model here yet, so capability is left out of this verdict.

Which is cheaper, MiniCPM5-2B or North Mini Code?

North Mini Code is cheaper at Free input / Free output per million tokens (official Cohere API price). MiniCPM5-2B costs $0.124 input / $0.743 output per million tokens (median across 1 API provider). North Mini Code is listed as free.

Which scores higher on benchmarks?

There is no independent benchmark that covers both models yet. MiniCPM5-2B has not been scored yet and North Mini Code has not been scored yet.

Which is better for coding?

There are no published SWE-bench Verified results for MiniCPM5-2B and North Mini Code yet, so there is no like-for-like coding score. Test both on a sample of your own tasks. Both support tool calling for agent workflows.

Which has the bigger context window?

North Mini Code has the largest context window at 256,000 tokens, against 131,072 for MiniCPM5-2B. Maximum output per response: MiniCPM5-2B up to 131,072, North Mini Code up to 64,000 tokens.

Which can read images, PDFs, audio or video?

MiniCPM5-2B accepts text; North Mini Code accepts text. They handle the same number of input types.

Are any of these open source?

Yes, both publish their weights (apache-2.0), so you can self-host them.

Which is newer?

MiniCPM5-2B is the newest, released Sep 6, 2026. North Mini Code came out Jun 9, 2026. Knowledge cutoff: North Mini Code Sep 23, 2025.

How do you decide the winner?

Each model gets a 0–100 score on capability (50%, independent benchmark results); price (25%, blended price per million tokens (3 input : 1 output), log scale); inputs & features (15%, image, PDF, audio and video input, tool calling, structured output and reasoning); context window (10%, maximum tokens per request, log scale). Dimensions missing for any model are dropped and the remaining weights rescaled, so every model is judged on the same evidence. Specs and prices come from public model listings and the labs’ own API pages; capability scores come from independent benchmark runs. Data updated Oct 4, 2026.