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
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.
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).
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
Kimi-k1.5
License
Usage and distribution terms
Both models are licensed under proprietary licenses.
Both models have usage restrictions defined by their respective organizations.
Proprietary
Closed source
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.
Mar 21, 2023
3.2 years ago
Jan 20, 2025
1.4 years ago
1.8yr newerKnowledge 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.
Sep 2021
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Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Kimi-k1.5
View detailsMoonshot AI
Detailed Comparison
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FAQ
Common questions about GPT-3.5 Turbo vs Kimi-k1.5.