Model Comparison

Kimi-k1.5 vs Kimi K3Which is better in 2026?

Comparing Kimi-k1.5 and Kimi K3 across benchmarks, pricing, and capabilities.

Verdict: Kimi-k1.5 vs Kimi K3 — which is better?

Kimi-k1.5 (by Moonshot AI) 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.

Choose Kimi-k1.5 if…

  • you are already invested in the Moonshot AI ecosystem

Choose Kimi K3 if…

  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

No common benchmarks found

Kimi-k1.5 and Kimi K3don't have any common benchmark datasets to compare. They may have been evaluated on different testing suites.

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Only Kimi K3 specifies input context (1,048,576 tokens). Only Kimi K3 specifies output context (1,048,576 tokens).

Moonshot AI
Kimi-k1.5
Input- tokens
Output- tokens
Moonshot AI
Kimi K3
Input1,048,576 tokens
Output1,048,576 tokens
Sat Jul 18 2026 • llm-stats.com

Input Capabilities

Supported data types and modalities

Both Kimi-k1.5 and Kimi K3 support multimodal inputs.

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

Kimi-k1.5

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Kimi K3

Text
Images
Audio
Video

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Kimi-k1.5 was released on 2025-01-20, while Kimi K3 was released on 2026-07-16.

Kimi K3 is 18 months newer than Kimi-k1.5.

Kimi-k1.5

Jan 20, 2025

1.5 years ago

Kimi K3

Jul 16, 2026

2 days ago

1.5yr 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

Moonshot AI

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

Moonshot AI
Larger context window (1,048,576 tokens)
Has open weights

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Kimi-k1.5 and Kimi K3 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Kimi-k1.5
✓ Preferred
Kimi K3
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Moonshot AI
Kimi-k1.5
Moonshot AI
Kimi K3

FAQ

Common questions about Kimi-k1.5 vs Kimi K3.

Which is better, Kimi-k1.5 or Kimi K3?

Kimi-k1.5 (Moonshot AI) and Kimi K3 (Moonshot AI) each have strengths in different areas. Compare their benchmark scores, pricing, context windows, and capabilities above to determine which fits your needs.

How does Kimi-k1.5 compare to Kimi K3 in benchmarks?

Kimi-k1.5 scores MATH-500: 96.2%, CLUEWSC: 91.4%, C-Eval: 88.3%, MMLU: 87.4%, IFEval: 87.2%. Kimi K3 scores MathVision: 97.8%, DeepSearchQA: 95.0%, GPQA: 93.5%, CharXiv-R: 91.3%, BrowseComp: 91.2%.

What are the context window sizes for Kimi-k1.5 and Kimi K3?

Kimi-k1.5 supports an unknown number of tokens and Kimi K3 supports 1.0M tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between Kimi-k1.5 and Kimi K3?

Key differences include licensing (Proprietary vs Unknown). See the full comparison above for benchmark-by-benchmark results.

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