Model Comparison

Claude Sonnet 4.6 vs Kimi K2.6

Kimi K2.6 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Kimi K2.6 is 3.5x cheaper per token.

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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

6 benchmarks

Claude Sonnet 4.6 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (Humanity's Last Exam), while Kimi K2.6 is better at 5 benchmarks (BrowseComp, GPQA, MMMU-Pro, SWE-Bench Verified, Terminal-Bench 2.0).

Kimi K2.6 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Mon Apr 20 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Kimi K2.6 costs less

For input processing, Claude Sonnet 4.6 ($3.00/1M tokens) is 3.2x more expensive than Kimi K2.6 ($0.95/1M tokens).

For output processing, Claude Sonnet 4.6 ($15.00/1M tokens) is 3.8x more expensive than Kimi K2.6 ($4.00/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Claude Sonnet 4.6 is more expensive than Kimi K2.6.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Mon Apr 20 2026 • llm-stats.com
Anthropic
Claude Sonnet 4.6
Input tokens$3.00
Output tokens$15.00
Best providerAnthropic
Moonshot AI
Kimi K2.6
Input tokens$0.95
Output tokens$4.00
Best providerUnknown Organization
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Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Kimi K2.6 accepts 262,144 input tokens compared to Claude Sonnet 4.6's 200,000 tokens. Kimi K2.6 can generate longer responses up to 262,144 tokens, while Claude Sonnet 4.6 is limited to 64,000 tokens.

Anthropic
Claude Sonnet 4.6
Input200,000 tokens
Output64,000 tokens
Moonshot AI
Kimi K2.6
Input262,144 tokens
Output262,144 tokens
Mon Apr 20 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both Claude Sonnet 4.6 and Kimi K2.6 support multimodal inputs.

They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.

Claude Sonnet 4.6

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Kimi K2.6

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Claude Sonnet 4.6 is licensed under a proprietary license, while Kimi K2.6 uses Modified MIT License.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

Claude Sonnet 4.6

Proprietary

Closed source

Kimi K2.6

Modified MIT License

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Claude Sonnet 4.6 was released on 2026-02-17, while Kimi K2.6 was released on 2026-04-20.

Kimi K2.6 is 2 months newer than Claude Sonnet 4.6.

Claude Sonnet 4.6

Feb 17, 2026

2 months ago

Kimi K2.6

Apr 20, 2026

0 days ago

2mo newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.

Unable to compare the recency of their training data.

No cutoff dates available

Provider Availability

Claude Sonnet 4.6 is available from Anthropic. Kimi K2.6 is available from Moonshot AI, Novita.

Claude Sonnet 4.6

anthropic logo
Anthropic
Input Price:Input: $3.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $15.00/1M

Kimi K2.6

moonshot logo
Unknown Organization
Input Price:Input: $0.95/1MOutput Price:Output: $4.00/1M
novita logo
Novita
Input Price:Input: $0.95/1MOutput Price:Output: $4.00/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

Anthropic
Higher Humanity's Last Exam score (49.0% vs 36.4%)
Moonshot AI
Larger context window (262,144 tokens)
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights
Higher BrowseComp score (86.3% vs 74.7%)
Higher GPQA score (90.5% vs 89.9%)
Higher MMMU-Pro score (80.1% vs 75.6%)
Higher SWE-Bench Verified score (80.2% vs 79.6%)
Higher Terminal-Bench 2.0 score (66.7% vs 59.1%)

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Anthropic
Claude Sonnet 4.6
Moonshot AI
Kimi K2.6

FAQ

Common questions about Claude Sonnet 4.6 vs Kimi K2.6

Kimi K2.6 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Claude Sonnet 4.6 is made by Anthropic and Kimi K2.6 is made by Moonshot AI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.
Claude Sonnet 4.6 scores Tau2 Telecom: 97.9%, Tau2 Retail: 91.7%, GPQA: 89.9%, MMMLU: 89.3%, SWE-Bench Verified: 79.6%. Kimi K2.6 scores V*: 96.9%, AIME 2026: 96.4%, MathVision: 93.2%, HMMT Feb 26: 92.7%, GPQA: 90.5%.
Kimi K2.6 is 3.2x cheaper for input tokens. Claude Sonnet 4.6 costs $3.00/M input and $15.00/M output via anthropic. Kimi K2.6 costs $0.95/M input and $4.00/M output via moonshot.
Claude Sonnet 4.6 supports 200K tokens and Kimi K2.6 supports 262K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.
Key differences include context window (200K vs 262K), input pricing ($3.00 vs $0.95/M), licensing (Proprietary vs Modified MIT License). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.
Claude Sonnet 4.6 is developed by Anthropic and Kimi K2.6 is developed by Moonshot AI.