Model Comparison

Grok-1.5 vs Kimi-k1.5Which is better in 2026?

Kimi-k1.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Verdict: Grok-1.5 vs Kimi-k1.5 — which is better?

Grok-1.5 (by xAI) 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.

Grok-1.5 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 Grok-1.5 if…

  • you are already invested in the xAI ecosystem

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

Grok-1.5 outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Kimi-k1.5 is better at 3 benchmarks (MathVista, MMLU, MMMU).

Kimi-k1.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Sat Aug 01 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Kimi-k1.5 supports multimodal inputs, whereas Grok-1.5 does not.

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

Grok-1.5

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.

Grok-1.5

Proprietary

Closed source

Kimi-k1.5

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Grok-1.5 was released on 2024-03-28, while Kimi-k1.5 was released on 2025-01-20.

Kimi-k1.5 is 10 months newer than Grok-1.5.

Grok-1.5

Mar 28, 2024

2.3 years ago

Kimi-k1.5

Jan 20, 2025

1.5 years ago

9mo 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

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

xAI

No standout differentiators in the data we have for this pair.

Moonshot AI
Supports multimodal inputs
Higher MathVista score (74.9% vs 52.8%)
Higher MMLU score (87.4% vs 81.3%)
Higher MMMU score (70.0% vs 53.6%)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Grok-1.5 and Kimi-k1.5 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Grok-1.5
✓ Preferred
Kimi-k1.5
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
xAI
Grok-1.5
Moonshot AI
Kimi-k1.5

FAQ

Common questions about Grok-1.5 vs Kimi-k1.5.

Which is better, Grok-1.5 or Kimi-k1.5?

Kimi-k1.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Grok-1.5 is made by xAI 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 Grok-1.5 compare to Kimi-k1.5 in benchmarks?

Grok-1.5 scores GSM8k: 90.0%, DocVQA: 85.6%, MMLU: 81.3%, HumanEval: 74.1%, MMMU: 53.6%. Kimi-k1.5 scores MATH-500: 96.2%, CLUEWSC: 91.4%, C-Eval: 88.3%, MMLU: 87.4%, IFEval: 87.2%.

What are the main differences between Grok-1.5 and Kimi-k1.5?

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

Who makes Grok-1.5 and Kimi-k1.5?

Grok-1.5 is developed by xAI and Kimi-k1.5 is developed by Moonshot AI.

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