Model Comparison

DeepSeek-V3 0324 vs Kimi K2 InstructWhich is better in 2026?

Kimi K2 Instruct shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3 0324 is 1.0x cheaper per token.

Verdict: DeepSeek-V3 0324 vs Kimi K2 Instruct — which is better?

DeepSeek-V3 0324 (by DeepSeek) and Kimi K2 Instruct (by Moonshot AI) are two of the AI models people compare most. Here is how they stack up on benchmarks, price and capabilities, and which one to pick in 2026.

DeepSeek-V3 0324 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (MMLU-Pro), while Kimi K2 Instruct is better at 3 benchmarks (AIME 2024, GPQA, MATH-500). Kimi K2 Instruct shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

Kimi K2 Instruct also accepts a larger context window (200,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose DeepSeek-V3 0324 if…

  • you want predictable pricing at $0.28/M input and $1.14/M output

Choose Kimi K2 Instruct if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 3 of 4 shared benchmarks
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 200,000 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2025
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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

4 benchmarks

DeepSeek-V3 0324 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (MMLU-Pro), while Kimi K2 Instruct is better at 3 benchmarks (AIME 2024, GPQA, MATH-500).

Kimi K2 Instruct shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.

Thu Jun 25 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

DeepSeek-V3 0324 costs less

For input processing, DeepSeek-V3 0324 ($0.28/1M tokens) is 1.8x cheaper than Kimi K2 Instruct ($0.50/1M tokens).

For output processing, DeepSeek-V3 0324 ($1.14/1M tokens) is 2.3x more expensive than Kimi K2 Instruct ($0.50/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Kimi K2 Instruct is more expensive than DeepSeek-V3 0324.*

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

Lowest available price from all providers
Thu Jun 25 2026 • llm-stats.com
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3 0324
Input tokens$0.28
Output tokens$1.14
Best providerNovita
Moonshot AI
Kimi K2 Instruct
Input tokens$0.50
Output tokens$0.50
Best providerFireworks
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

329.0B diff

Kimi K2 Instruct has 329.0B more parameters than DeepSeek-V3 0324, making it 49.0% larger.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3 0324
671.0Bparameters
Moonshot AI
Kimi K2 Instruct
1.0Tparameters
671.0B
DeepSeek-V3 0324
1000.0B
Kimi K2 Instruct

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Kimi K2 Instruct accepts 200,000 input tokens compared to DeepSeek-V3 0324's 163,840 tokens. Kimi K2 Instruct can generate longer responses up to 200,000 tokens, while DeepSeek-V3 0324 is limited to 163,840 tokens.

DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3 0324
Input163,840 tokens
Output163,840 tokens
Moonshot AI
Kimi K2 Instruct
Input200,000 tokens
Output200,000 tokens
Thu Jun 25 2026 • llm-stats.com

License

Usage and distribution terms

DeepSeek-V3 0324 is licensed under MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed), while Kimi K2 Instruct uses MIT.

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

DeepSeek-V3 0324

MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed)

Open weights

Kimi K2 Instruct

MIT

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

DeepSeek-V3 0324 was released on 2025-03-25, while Kimi K2 Instruct was released on 2025-07-11.

Kimi K2 Instruct is 4 months newer than DeepSeek-V3 0324.

DeepSeek-V3 0324

Mar 25, 2025

1.3 years ago

Kimi K2 Instruct

Jul 11, 2025

11 months ago

3mo 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

DeepSeek-V3 0324 is available from Novita. Kimi K2 Instruct is available from Fireworks, Novita.

DeepSeek-V3 0324

novita logo
Novita
Input Price:Input: $0.28/1MOutput Price:Output: $1.14/1M

Kimi K2 Instruct

fireworks logo
Fireworks
Input Price:Input: $0.50/1MOutput Price:Output: $0.50/1M
novita logo
Novita
Input Price:Input: $0.57/1MOutput Price:Output: $2.30/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

DeepSeek
Less expensive input tokens
Higher MMLU-Pro score (81.2% vs 81.1%)
Moonshot AI
Larger context window (200,000 tokens)
Less expensive output tokens
Higher AIME 2024 score (69.6% vs 59.4%)
Higher GPQA score (75.1% vs 68.4%)
Higher MATH-500 score (97.4% vs 94.0%)

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
DeepSeek
DeepSeek-V3 0324
Moonshot AI
Kimi K2 Instruct

FAQ

Common questions about DeepSeek-V3 0324 vs Kimi K2 Instruct.

Which is better, DeepSeek-V3 0324 or Kimi K2 Instruct?

Kimi K2 Instruct shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. DeepSeek-V3 0324 is made by DeepSeek and Kimi K2 Instruct is made by Moonshot AI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does DeepSeek-V3 0324 compare to Kimi K2 Instruct in benchmarks?

DeepSeek-V3 0324 scores MATH-500: 94.0%, MMLU-Pro: 81.2%, GPQA: 68.4%, AIME 2024: 59.4%, LiveCodeBench: 49.2%. Kimi K2 Instruct scores MATH-500: 97.4%, GSM8k: 97.3%, CBNSL: 95.6%, HumanEval: 93.3%, MMLU-Redux: 92.7%.

Is DeepSeek-V3 0324 cheaper than Kimi K2 Instruct?

DeepSeek-V3 0324 is 1.8x cheaper for input tokens. DeepSeek-V3 0324 costs $0.28/M input and $1.14/M output via novita. Kimi K2 Instruct costs $0.50/M input and $0.50/M output via fireworks.

What are the context window sizes for DeepSeek-V3 0324 and Kimi K2 Instruct?

DeepSeek-V3 0324 supports 164K tokens and Kimi K2 Instruct supports 200K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between DeepSeek-V3 0324 and Kimi K2 Instruct?

Key differences include context window (164K vs 200K), input pricing ($0.28 vs $0.50/M), licensing (MIT + Model License (Commercial use allowed) vs MIT). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes DeepSeek-V3 0324 and Kimi K2 Instruct?

DeepSeek-V3 0324 is developed by DeepSeek and Kimi K2 Instruct is developed by Moonshot AI.

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