Model Comparison
Grok-3 Mini vs Kimi K3Which is better in 2026?
Kimi K3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Grok-3 Mini is 17.1x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Grok-3 Mini vs Kimi K3 — which is better?
Grok-3 Mini (by xAI) and Kimi K3 (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-3 Mini outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Kimi K3 is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA). Kimi K3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Grok-3 Mini is roughly 17.1x 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.
Choose Grok-3 Mini if…
- cost matters — it's about 17.1x cheaper per token
Choose Kimi K3 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Grok-3 Mini outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Kimi K3 is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA).
Kimi K3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Grok-3 Mini ($0.30/1M tokens) is 10.0x cheaper than Kimi K3 ($3.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, Grok-3 Mini ($0.50/1M tokens) is 30.0x cheaper than Kimi K3 ($15.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Kimi K3 is more expensive than Grok-3 Mini.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Kimi K3 accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to Grok-3 Mini's 128,000 tokens. Kimi K3 can generate longer responses up to 1,048,576 tokens, while Grok-3 Mini is limited to 8,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Both Grok-3 Mini and Kimi K3 support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Grok-3 Mini
Kimi K3
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Grok-3 Mini was released on 2025-02-17, while Kimi K3 was released on 2026-07-16.
Kimi K3 is 17 months newer than Grok-3 Mini.
Feb 17, 2025
1.4 years ago
Jul 16, 2026
2 days ago
1.4yr newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Grok-3 Mini has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2024-11-17, while Kimi K3's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Grok-3 Mini's training data extends to 2024-11-17, but cannot make a direct comparison without Kimi K3's cutoff date.
Nov 2024
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Provider Availability
Grok-3 Mini is available from xAI. Kimi K3 is available from Moonshot AI.
Grok-3 Mini
Kimi K3
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Kimi K3
View detailsMoonshot AI
Grok-3 MiniKimi K3Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Grok-3 Mini and Kimi K3 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about Grok-3 Mini vs Kimi K3.