Model Comparison
Kimi K2 0905 vs Qwen3 MaxWhich is better in 2026?
Kimi K2 0905 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Kimi K2 0905 is 1.5x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Kimi K2 0905 vs Qwen3 Max — which is better?
Kimi K2 0905 (by Moonshot AI) and Qwen3 Max (by Alibaba Cloud / Qwen Team) 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.
Kimi K2 0905 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Qwen3 Max is better at 0 benchmarks. Kimi K2 0905 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Kimi K2 0905 is roughly 1.5x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Kimi K2 0905 also accepts a larger context window (262,144 input tokens), making it the stronger choice for long documents and large codebases.
Choose Kimi K2 0905 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
- cost matters — it's about 1.5x cheaper per token
- you process long inputs — it offers a 262,144 token context window
Choose Qwen3 Max if…
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Dec 2025
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Kimi K2 0905 outperforms in 1 benchmarks (GPQA), while Qwen3 Max is better at 0 benchmarks.
Kimi K2 0905 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Kimi K2 0905 ($0.60/1M tokens) is 1.2x more expensive than Qwen3 Max ($0.50/1M tokens).
For output processing, Kimi K2 0905 ($2.50/1M tokens) is 2.0x cheaper than Qwen3 Max ($5.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Qwen3 Max is more expensive than Kimi K2 0905.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
Qwen3 Max has 0.0B more parameters than Kimi K2 0905, making it 0.0% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Kimi K2 0905 accepts 262,144 input tokens compared to Qwen3 Max's 256,000 tokens. Kimi K2 0905 can generate longer responses up to 262,144 tokens, while Qwen3 Max is limited to 131,072 tokens.
License
Usage and distribution terms
Both models are licensed under proprietary licenses.
Both models have usage restrictions defined by their respective organizations.
Proprietary
Closed source
Proprietary
Closed source
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Kimi K2 0905 was released on 2025-09-05, while Qwen3 Max was released on 2025-12-15.
Qwen3 Max is 3 months newer than Kimi K2 0905.
Sep 5, 2025
10 months ago
Dec 15, 2025
7 months ago
3mo newerKnowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
Kimi K2 0905 is available from Novita. Qwen3 Max is available from Novita.
Kimi K2 0905
Qwen3 Max
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Kimi K2 0905
View detailsMoonshot AI
Qwen3 Max
View detailsAlibaba Cloud / Qwen Team
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Kimi K2 0905 and Qwen3 Max side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about Kimi K2 0905 vs Qwen3 Max.