Model Comparison

GPT-3.5 Turbo vs Kimi-k1.5Which is better in 2026?

Kimi-k1.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Verdict: GPT-3.5 Turbo vs Kimi-k1.5 — which is better?

GPT-3.5 Turbo (by OpenAI) and Kimi-k1.5 (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.

GPT-3.5 Turbo outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Kimi-k1.5 is better at 3 benchmarks (MathVista, MMLU, MMMU). Kimi-k1.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Choose GPT-3.5 Turbo if…

  • you want predictable pricing at $0.50/M input and $1.50/M output

Choose Kimi-k1.5 if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 3 of 3 shared benchmarks
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jan 2025

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

3 benchmarks

GPT-3.5 Turbo outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Kimi-k1.5 is better at 3 benchmarks (MathVista, MMLU, MMMU).

Kimi-k1.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Tue Jun 09 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Only GPT-3.5 Turbo specifies input context (16,385 tokens). Only GPT-3.5 Turbo specifies output context (4,096 tokens).

OpenAI
GPT-3.5 Turbo
Input16,385 tokens
Output4,096 tokens
Moonshot AI
Kimi-k1.5
Input- tokens
Output- tokens
Tue Jun 09 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Kimi-k1.5 supports multimodal inputs, whereas GPT-3.5 Turbo does not.

Kimi-k1.5 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.

GPT-3.5 Turbo

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Kimi-k1.5

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Both models are licensed under proprietary licenses.

Both models have usage restrictions defined by their respective organizations.

GPT-3.5 Turbo

Proprietary

Closed source

Kimi-k1.5

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

GPT-3.5 Turbo was released on 2023-03-21, while Kimi-k1.5 was released on 2025-01-20.

Kimi-k1.5 is 22 months newer than GPT-3.5 Turbo.

GPT-3.5 Turbo

Mar 21, 2023

3.2 years ago

Kimi-k1.5

Jan 20, 2025

1.4 years ago

1.8yr newer

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

GPT-3.5 Turbo has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2021-09-30, while Kimi-k1.5's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm GPT-3.5 Turbo's training data extends to 2021-09-30, but cannot make a direct comparison without Kimi-k1.5's cutoff date.

GPT-3.5 Turbo

Sep 2021

Kimi-k1.5

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion

Key Takeaways

Larger context window (16,385 tokens)
Supports multimodal inputs
Higher MathVista score (74.9% vs 0.0%)
Higher MMLU score (87.4% vs 69.8%)
Higher MMMU score (70.0% vs 0.0%)

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
OpenAI
GPT-3.5 Turbo
Moonshot AI
Kimi-k1.5

FAQ

Common questions about GPT-3.5 Turbo vs Kimi-k1.5.

Which is better, GPT-3.5 Turbo or Kimi-k1.5?

Kimi-k1.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GPT-3.5 Turbo is made by OpenAI and Kimi-k1.5 is made by Moonshot AI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does GPT-3.5 Turbo compare to Kimi-k1.5 in benchmarks?

GPT-3.5 Turbo scores DROP: 70.2%, MMLU: 69.8%, HumanEval: 68.0%, MGSM: 56.3%, MATH: 43.1%. Kimi-k1.5 scores MATH-500: 96.2%, CLUEWSC: 91.4%, C-Eval: 88.3%, MMLU: 87.4%, IFEval: 87.2%.

What are the context window sizes for GPT-3.5 Turbo and Kimi-k1.5?

GPT-3.5 Turbo supports 16K tokens and Kimi-k1.5 supports an unknown number of tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between GPT-3.5 Turbo and Kimi-k1.5?

Key differences include multimodal support (no vs yes). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes GPT-3.5 Turbo and Kimi-k1.5?

GPT-3.5 Turbo is developed by OpenAI and Kimi-k1.5 is developed by Moonshot AI.