MiniMax M1 vs Sonar
MiniMax M1 leads Sonar on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, 11.7 to 7.7, and Sonar costs 2.2x less per output token ($1.00 vs $2.20 per million). Updated October 21, 2026; 1 benchmarks have a result for both.
MiniMax M1 or Sonar: which to pick
Neither model has a coding score yet, so the two cannot be ranked on coding.
Pick MiniMax M1 for a larger context window (1M against 127K tokens).
- Shared results
- 1
- MiniMax M1 only
- 28
- Sonar only
- 4
- Like-for-like categories
- 1 of 9
Only benchmarks that tested both models count toward a pick; a result only one model has is shown but not compared.
Which one for your work
Each card is decided by one number both models carry. Where only one has it, the card says so and makes no call.
Coding
Vibe Coding Index, six public coding benchmarks
No call
Neither has a coding score yet.
One side not measured
Intelligence
AA Intelligence Index
MiniMax M1
MiniMax M1 leads, 11.7 against 7.7.
Same board, both measured
Long documents
Listed context window
MiniMax M1
MiniMax M1 takes 1M tokens against 127K.
Listed by OpenRouter
Everyday cost
1K input + 500 output tokens
No call
MiniMax M1 $0.0015, Sonar $0.0015 per turn.
List prices
At a glance
- Coding index
- MiniMax M1 not benchmarked, Sonar not benchmarked.
- Widest category
- Intelligence, 4.0 points apart on average over 1 shared benchmark.
- Widest single gap
- AA Intelligence Index: MiniMax M1 11.7 against Sonar 7.7, 4.0 points apart on a 0 to 100 scale.
- Output price
- MiniMax M1 $2.20 against Sonar $1.00 per million output tokens, 2.2x apart.
- Context window
- MiniMax M1 takes 1M tokens, Sonar 127K.
Benchmark by benchmark
First the score: boards each model leads, per category, where both have a result. Then every board, a category to a fold; bars are each result on a 0 to 100 scale, so compare the two in a row, not one row with another.
| Category | MiniMax M1 | Bars | Sonar | Ties |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intelligence | 1 | 0 | ||
| All shared boards | 1 | 0 |
CodingDirectional onlySix of these boards feed the Vibe Coding Index3 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | MiniMax M1 | Sonar | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| LiveCodeBench (Artificial Analysis run) | Not measured | 29.5% | Only Sonar measured |
| LMArena Text: coding | 1359 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: software and IT | 1359 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 35 boards here | |||
IntelligenceLike-for-likePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index10
| Benchmark | MiniMax M1 | Sonar | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| AA Intelligence Index | 11.7 | 7.7 | MiniMax M1 |
| Neither model has a result on the other 1 board here | |||
Agentic workNot comparablePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index0 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | MiniMax M1 | Sonar | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neither model has a result on 39 boards here | |||
ReasoningDirectional onlyPublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index5 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | MiniMax M1 | Sonar | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPQA Diamond (Artificial Analysis run) | Not measured | 47.1% | Only Sonar measured |
| Humanity's Last Exam (Artificial Analysis run) | Not measured | 4.9% | Only Sonar measured |
| LMArena Text: hard prompts | 1339 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: expert | 1317 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: hard prompts in English | 1353 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 16 boards here | |||
MathDirectional onlyPublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index2 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | MiniMax M1 | Sonar | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| LMArena Text: math | 1361 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: mathematical work | 1363 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 11 boards here | |||
KnowledgeDirectional onlyPublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index5 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | MiniMax M1 | Sonar | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| MMLU Pro (Artificial Analysis run) | Not measured | 68.9% | Only Sonar measured |
| LMArena Text: science | 1354 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: medicine and healthcare | 1355 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: legal and government | 1337 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: business and finance | 1319 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 12 boards here | |||
Web designNot comparablePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index0 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | MiniMax M1 | Sonar | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neither model has a result on 9 boards here | |||
GeneralDirectional onlyPublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index17 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | MiniMax M1 | Sonar | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| LMArena Text | 1343 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: instruction following | 1312 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: creative writing | 1297 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: English | 1363 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: non-English | 1319 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: Chinese | 1360 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: German | 1350 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: Japanese | 1217 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: Korean | 1266 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: French | 1370 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: Spanish | 1353 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: Russian | 1329 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: Polish | 1329 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: multi-turn | 1335 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: longer queries | 1326 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: writing and language | 1311 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| LMArena Text: entertainment and media | 1303 | Not measured | Only MiniMax M1 measured |
| Neither model has a result on the other 29 boards here | |||
Image generationNot comparablePublic boards, shown as published, kept out of the index0 boards, none shared
| Benchmark | MiniMax M1 | Sonar | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neither model has a result on 5 boards here | |||
What each workload costs
Three fixed token mixes at each model's listed price, so per-token rates become a bill.
Chat turn
1K input + 500 output tokens
Same cost
Repository review
50K input + 3K output tokens
MiniMax M1 costs less
Agent loop
200K input + 10K output tokens
MiniMax M1 costs less
Listed OpenRouter rates, without cache or batch discounts. A workload that does not fit a model's context window would need splitting.
Specification differences
The leading value in a row is marked; a row with a missing value names no leader. Our two rows are marked in red.
| Specification | MiniMax M1 | Perplexity Sonar |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | MiniMax | Perplexity |
| Weights | No public weights listed | No public weights listed |
| Released | June 17, 2025 | January 27, 2025 |
| Context window | 1M | 127K |
| Input $/Mtok | $0.40 | $1.00 |
| Output $/Mtok | $2.20 | $1.00 |
| Coding index | Not benchmarked | Not benchmarked |
| Independent measurements behind it | 0 | 0 |
| Cost per solved task | Not computable | Not computable |
| Source | OpenRouter listing | OpenRouter listing |
Questions
Is MiniMax M1 better than Sonar for coding?
Neither model has a coding score yet, so the two cannot be ranked on coding. Pick MiniMax M1 for a larger context window (1M against 127K tokens).
Which is cheaper, MiniMax M1 or Sonar?
MiniMax M1 costs $0.40 per million input tokens and $2.20 per million output tokens; Sonar costs $1.00 and $1.00. Cost per solved task is known for neither of them.
Which has the bigger context window, MiniMax M1 or Sonar?
MiniMax M1, with 1M tokens against 127K.
How many benchmarks is the MiniMax M1 vs Sonar comparison based on?
1 benchmarks have a result for both models as of October 21, 2026. MiniMax M1's coding index rests on 0 independent benchmarks and Sonar's on 0. Where only one model has a result, the page says so instead of naming a winner.