GLM-5.3-Flash vs Kimi K3
Kimi K3 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks. GLM-5.3-Flash is 25.3x cheaper per token.
Zhipu AI · Moonshot AI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
GLM-5.3-Flash outperforms in 2 benchmarks (AutomationBench, Toolathlon), while Kimi K3 is better at 6 benchmarks (BabyVision, CharXiv-R, DeepSWE 1.1, Humanity's Last Exam, OfficeQA Pro, Terminal-Bench 2.1). Kimi K3 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
On price, GLM-5.3-Flash is roughly 25.3x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Kimi K3 also accepts a larger context window (1,048,576 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Based on current benchmark, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose GLM-5.3-Flash
- cost matters — it's about 25.3x cheaper per token
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2026
Choose Kimi K3
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 6 of 8 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
GLM-5.3-Flash outperforms in 2 benchmarks (AutomationBench, Toolathlon), while Kimi K3 is better at 6 benchmarks (BabyVision, CharXiv-R, DeepSWE 1.1, Humanity's Last Exam, OfficeQA Pro, Terminal-Bench 2.1).
Kimi K3 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Playground indexes and blind preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, GLM-5.3-Flash ($0.15/1M tokens) is 20.0x cheaper than Kimi K3 ($3.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, GLM-5.3-Flash ($0.50/1M tokens) is 30.0x cheaper than Kimi K3 ($15.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Kimi K3 is more expensive than GLM-5.3-Flash.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
Kimi K3 has 2480.0B more parameters than GLM-5.3-Flash, making it 775.0% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Kimi K3 accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to GLM-5.3-Flash's 1,000,000 tokens. Kimi K3 can generate longer responses up to 1,048,576 tokens, while GLM-5.3-Flash is limited to 131,072 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both GLM-5.3-Flash and Kimi K3 support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
GLM-5.3-Flash
Kimi K3
License
Usage and distribution terms
GLM-5.3-Flash is licensed under MIT, while Kimi K3 uses Kimi K3 License.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
MIT
Open weights
Kimi K3 License
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
GLM-5.3-Flash was released on 2026-08-26, while Kimi K3 was released on 2026-07-16.
GLM-5.3-Flash is 1 month newer than Kimi K3.
Aug 26, 2026
0 days ago
1mo newerJul 16, 2026
1 months ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
GLM-5.3-Flash is available from ZAI. Kimi K3 is available from Fireworks, Moonshot AI, Novita, Together.
GLM-5.3-Flash
Kimi K3
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against GLM-5.3-Flash and Kimi K3 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about GLM-5.3-Flash vs Kimi K3.