ZMIME
Comparison · 2 models · Updated Oct 4, 2026

Seed 2.0 Code vs MiniMax-M2.5

Seed 2.0 Code comes out ahead, 57 to 48 on our weighted score, though MiniMax-M2.5 is 45% cheaper per token.

  1. Our pick

    ByteDance Seed

    Seed 2.0 Code

    Released Feb 14, 2026

    57/100
    • ECI—
    • Price$0.475 / $2.37
    • Context262K
    Full specs Remove Seed 2.0 Code

  2. MiniMax

    MiniMax-M2.5

    Released Feb 12, 2026

    48/100
    • ECI146.7
    • Price$0.30 / $1.20
    • Context205K
    Full specs Remove MiniMax-M2.5

  3. Add a model

    Make it a three-way comparison.

01 — Verdict

Seed 2.0 Code is our pick

Seed 2.0 Code is the better all-round choice, scoring 57/100 against MiniMax-M2.5 (48). It leads on inputs & features and context window. MiniMax-M2.5 wins on price. 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 priceMiniMax-M2.5MiniMax-M2.5 $0.525 · Seed 2.0 Code $0.95 per 1M tokens (3:1 blend)
  • Longest contextSeed 2.0 CodeSeed 2.0 Code 262,144 · MiniMax-M2.5 204,800 tokens
  • Widest inputsSeed 2.0 CodeSeed 2.0 Code: Text, Images, Video · MiniMax-M2.5: Text
  • Self-hostingMiniMax-M2.5Publishes downloadable weights
How the score is built
MeasureWeightSeed 2.0 CodeMiniMax-M2.5
Price50%5163
Inputs & features30%8035
Context window20%3732
Overall100%57/10048/100

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.

Seed 2.0 Code vs MiniMax-M2.5 specifications side by side
SpecificationSeed 2.0 CodeByteDance SeedMiniMax-M2.5MiniMax
Capability
Capabilities Index (ECI)—146.7
ECI rank—#66 of 148
Price per million tokens
Input$0.475$0.30 (best)
Output$2.37$1.20 (best)
Cached input$0.095$0.03 (best)
Blended (3:1)$0.95$0.525 (best)
Long-context rateOver 32K: $0.712 / $3.56Same rate
Price sourceOfficial Volcengine Ark APIOfficial MiniMax (minimax.io) API
Limits
Context window262,144 tokens (best)204,800 tokens
Max output131,072 tokens131,072 tokens
Inputs and features
TextYesYes
ImagesYesNo
PDFsNoNo
AudioNoNo
VideoYesNo
ReasoningYesminimal · low · medium · high · xhigh · maxYes
Tool callingYesYes
Structured outputYesNo
Availability
WeightsProprietaryOpen
API model IDdoubao-seed-2-0-code-preview-260215MiniMax-M2.5
API providers1021 (best)
ReleasedFeb 14, 2026Feb 12, 2026
Knowledge cutoff——
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.

  • Seed 2.0 Code$9.50
  • MiniMax-M2.5$5.40
04 — Questions

Which should you choose?

Which is better: Seed 2.0 Code or MiniMax-M2.5?

Seed 2.0 Code is the better all-round choice, scoring 57/100 against MiniMax-M2.5 (48). It leads on inputs & features and context window. MiniMax-M2.5 wins on price. 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, Seed 2.0 Code or MiniMax-M2.5?

MiniMax-M2.5 is cheaper at $0.30 input / $1.20 output per million tokens (official MiniMax (minimax.io) API price). Seed 2.0 Code costs $0.475 input / $2.37 output per million tokens (official Volcengine Ark API price). At a typical mix of three input tokens to one output token, that is $0.525 per million tokens for MiniMax-M2.5 versus $0.95 for Seed 2.0 Code (1.8× as much).

Which scores higher on benchmarks?

There is no independent benchmark that covers both models yet. Seed 2.0 Code has not been scored yet and MiniMax-M2.5 has an ECI of 146.7.

Which is better for coding?

There are no published SWE-bench Verified results for Seed 2.0 Code and MiniMax-M2.5 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?

Seed 2.0 Code has the largest context window at 262,144 tokens, against 204,800 for MiniMax-M2.5. Maximum output per response: Seed 2.0 Code up to 131,072, MiniMax-M2.5 up to 131,072 tokens.

Which can read images, PDFs, audio or video?

Seed 2.0 Code accepts text, images and video; MiniMax-M2.5 accepts text. Seed 2.0 Code handles the widest range of inputs.

Are any of these open source?

MiniMax-M2.5 publishes its weights and can be self-hosted; Seed 2.0 Code is proprietary.

Which is newer?

Seed 2.0 Code is the newest, released Feb 14, 2026. MiniMax-M2.5 came out Feb 12, 2026.

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.

05 — Keep comparing

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