Grok 4.6 vs Kimi K3
Grok 4.6 and Kimi K3 are closely matched at 47.0 and 54.7 on the LLM Stats Score. Grok 4.6 is 2.0x cheaper per token.
xAI · Moonshot AI · Updated for 2026
Which is better?
Grok 4.6 and Kimi K3 are closely matched on the overall LLM Stats Score at 47.0 and 54.7.
In the 3 individual benchmarks reported for both models, Grok 4.6 wins 2; this is a narrower head-to-head signal than the composite indexes.
On price, Grok 4.6 is roughly 2.0x 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.
Based on current LLM Stats indexes, shared benchmarks, pricing, and model metadata for 2026.
Choose Grok 4.6
- you value its reported benchmark strengths — it wins 2 of 3 exact shared results
- cost matters — it's about 2.0x cheaper per token
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Aug 2026
Choose Kimi K3
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
At a glance
The differences that matter most.
Individual benchmarks
10 reported for Grok 4.6 · 31 for Kimi K3
Grok 4.6 outperforms in 2 benchmarks (AA-Briefcase, APEX-Agents), while Kimi K3 is better at 1 benchmark (DeepSWE 1.1).
Grok 4.6 shows notably better performance in the majority of benchmarks.
Human preference
Blind head-to-head votes and playground preference scores
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Grok 4.6 ($2.00/1M tokens) is 1.5x cheaper than Kimi K3 ($3.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, Grok 4.6 ($6.00/1M tokens) is 2.5x cheaper than Kimi K3 ($15.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Kimi K3 is more expensive than Grok 4.6.*
* 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 4.6's 500,000 tokens. Only Kimi K3 specifies output context (1,048,576 tokens).
Input capabilities
Documented input modalities across available providers
Both Grok 4.6 and Kimi K3 support multimodal inputs.
They are both capable of processing various types of data, offering versatility in application.
Grok 4.6
Kimi K3
License
Usage and distribution terms
Grok 4.6 is licensed under a proprietary license, while Kimi K3 uses Kimi K3 License.
License differences may affect how you can use these models in commercial or open-source projects.
Proprietary
Closed source
Kimi K3 License
Open weights
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Grok 4.6 was released on 2026-08-12, while Kimi K3 was released on 2026-07-16.
Grok 4.6 is 1 month newer than Kimi K3.
Aug 12, 2026
2 weeks ago
3w newerJul 16, 2026
1 months ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Grok 4.6 has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2026-02-01, while Kimi K3's cutoff date is not specified.
We can confirm Grok 4.6's training data extends to 2026-02-01, but cannot make a direct comparison without Kimi K3's cutoff date.
Feb 2026
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Provider Availability
Grok 4.6 is available from xAI. Kimi K3 is available from Fireworks, Moonshot AI, Novita, Together.
Grok 4.6
Kimi K3
Outputs Comparison
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Grok 4.6 and Kimi K3 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Grok 4.6 vs Kimi K3.