Model Comparison

Grok 4.5 vs Kimi K2.6Which is better in 2026?

Grok 4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Kimi K2.6 is 2.1x cheaper per token.

Verdict: Grok 4.5 vs Kimi K2.6 — which is better?

Grok 4.5 (by xAI) and Kimi K2.6 (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 4.5 outperforms in 3 benchmarks (GDPval-AA, GPQA, SWE-Bench Pro), while Kimi K2.6 is better at 0 benchmarks. Grok 4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

On price, Kimi K2.6 is roughly 2.1x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.

Grok 4.5 also accepts a larger context window (500,000 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.

Choose Grok 4.5 if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 3 of 3 shared benchmarks
  • you process long inputs — it offers a 500,000 token context window
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026

Choose Kimi K2.6 if…

  • cost matters — it's about 2.1x cheaper per token
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

3 benchmarks

Grok 4.5 outperforms in 3 benchmarks (GDPval-AA, GPQA, SWE-Bench Pro), while Kimi K2.6 is better at 0 benchmarks.

Grok 4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Tue Jul 21 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Pricing Analysis

Price comparison per million tokens

Kimi K2.6 costs less

For input processing, Grok 4.5 ($2.00/1M tokens) is 2.7x more expensive than Kimi K2.6 ($0.75/1M tokens).

For output processing, Grok 4.5 ($6.00/1M tokens) is 1.7x more expensive than Kimi K2.6 ($3.50/1M tokens).

In conclusion, Grok 4.5 is more expensive than Kimi K2.6.*

* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens

Lowest available price from all providers
Tue Jul 21 2026 • llm-stats.com
xAI
Grok 4.5
Input tokens$2.00
Output tokens$6.00
Best providerxAI
Moonshot AI
Kimi K2.6
Input tokens$0.75
Output tokens$3.50
Best providerDeepinfra
Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue→

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Grok 4.5 accepts 500,000 input tokens compared to Kimi K2.6's 262,144 tokens. Only Kimi K2.6 specifies output context (131,072 tokens).

xAI
Grok 4.5
Input500,000 tokens
Output- tokens
Moonshot AI
Kimi K2.6
Input262,144 tokens
Output131,072 tokens
Tue Jul 21 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both Grok 4.5 and Kimi K2.6 support multimodal inputs.

They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.

Grok 4.5

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Kimi K2.6

Text
Images
Audio
Video

License

Usage and distribution terms

Grok 4.5 is licensed under a proprietary license, while Kimi K2.6 uses Modified MIT License.

License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.

Grok 4.5

Proprietary

Closed source

Kimi K2.6

Modified MIT License

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Grok 4.5 was released on 2026-07-16, while Kimi K2.6 was released on 2026-04-20.

Grok 4.5 is 3 months newer than Kimi K2.6.

Grok 4.5

Jul 16, 2026

5 days ago

2mo newer
Kimi K2.6

Apr 20, 2026

3 months ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Grok 4.5 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-02-01, while Kimi K2.6's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Grok 4.5's training data extends to 2026-02-01, but cannot make a direct comparison without Kimi K2.6's cutoff date.

Grok 4.5

Feb 2026

Kimi K2.6

—

Provider Availability

Grok 4.5 is available from xAI. Kimi K2.6 is available from DeepInfra, Fireworks, Moonshot AI, Novita, Together.

Grok 4.5

xai logo
xAI
Input Price:Input: $2.00/1MOutput Price:Output: $6.00/1M

Kimi K2.6

deepinfra logo
Deepinfra
Input Price:Input: $0.75/1MOutput Price:Output: $3.50/1M
fireworks logo
Fireworks
Input Price:Input: $0.95/1MOutput Price:Output: $4.00/1M
moonshot logo
Unknown Organization
Input Price:Input: $0.95/1MOutput Price:Output: $4.00/1M
novita logo
Novita
Input Price:Input: $0.95/1MOutput Price:Output: $4.00/1M
together logo
Together
Input Price:Input: $1.20/1MOutput Price:Output: $4.50/1M
* Prices shown are per million tokens

Outputs Comparison

Notice missing or incorrect data?Start an Issue discussion→

Key Takeaways

xAI
Larger context window (500,000 tokens)
Higher GDPval-AA score (51.4% vs 40.1%)
Higher GPQA score (93.0% vs 90.5%)
Higher SWE-Bench Pro score (64.7% vs 58.6%)
Moonshot AI
Less expensive input tokens
Less expensive output tokens
Has open weights

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Grok 4.5 and Kimi K2.6 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Grok 4.5
✓ Preferred
Kimi K2.6
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
xAI
Grok 4.5
Moonshot AI
Kimi K2.6

FAQ

Common questions about Grok 4.5 vs Kimi K2.6.

Which is better, Grok 4.5 or Kimi K2.6?

Grok 4.5 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Grok 4.5 is made by xAI and Kimi K2.6 is made by Moonshot AI. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Grok 4.5 compare to Kimi K2.6 in benchmarks?

Grok 4.5 scores GPQA: 93.0%, Terminal-Bench 2.1: 83.3%, Artificial Analysis Coding Agent Index v1.1: 76.0%, SWE-Bench Pro: 64.7%, AA-Omniscience Index: 63.0%. Kimi K2.6 scores V*: 96.9%, AIME 2026: 96.4%, MathVision: 93.2%, HMMT Feb 26: 92.7%, GPQA: 90.5%.

Is Grok 4.5 cheaper than Kimi K2.6?

Kimi K2.6 is 2.7x cheaper for input tokens. Grok 4.5 costs $2.00/M input and $6.00/M output via xai. Kimi K2.6 costs $0.75/M input and $3.50/M output via deepinfra.

What are the context window sizes for Grok 4.5 and Kimi K2.6?

Grok 4.5 supports 500K tokens and Kimi K2.6 supports 262K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between Grok 4.5 and Kimi K2.6?

Key differences include context window (500K vs 262K), input pricing ($2.00 vs $0.75/M), licensing (Proprietary vs Modified MIT License). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

Who makes Grok 4.5 and Kimi K2.6?

Grok 4.5 is developed by xAI and Kimi K2.6 is developed by Moonshot AI.

Related comparisons