Model Comparison

Kimi K2 Base vs Phi 4 Mini ReasoningWhich is better in 2026?

Phi 4 Mini Reasoning significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Verdict: Kimi K2 Base vs Phi 4 Mini Reasoning — which is better?

Kimi K2 Base (by Moonshot AI) and Phi 4 Mini Reasoning (by Microsoft) 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 Base outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Phi 4 Mini Reasoning is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA). Phi 4 Mini Reasoning significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Choose Kimi K2 Base if…

  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2025

Choose Phi 4 Mini Reasoning if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 1 of 1 shared benchmarks
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Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

1 benchmarks

Kimi K2 Base outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Phi 4 Mini Reasoning is better at 1 benchmark (GPQA).

Phi 4 Mini Reasoning significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Tue Jun 16 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Model Size

Parameter count comparison

996.2B diff

Kimi K2 Base has 996.2B more parameters than Phi 4 Mini Reasoning, making it 26215.8% larger.

Moonshot AI
Kimi K2 Base
1.0Tparameters
Microsoft
Phi 4 Mini Reasoning
3.8Bparameters
1000.0B
Kimi K2 Base
3.8B
Phi 4 Mini Reasoning

License

Usage and distribution terms

Both models are licensed under MIT.

Both models share the same licensing terms, providing consistent usage rights.

Kimi K2 Base

MIT

Open weights

Phi 4 Mini Reasoning

MIT

Open weights

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Kimi K2 Base was released on 2025-07-11, while Phi 4 Mini Reasoning was released on 2025-04-30.

Kimi K2 Base is 2 months newer than Phi 4 Mini Reasoning.

Kimi K2 Base

Jul 11, 2025

11 months ago

2mo newer
Phi 4 Mini Reasoning

Apr 30, 2025

1.1 years ago

Knowledge Cutoff

When training data ends

Phi 4 Mini Reasoning has a documented knowledge cutoff of 2025-02-01, while Kimi K2 Base's cutoff date is not specified.

We can confirm Phi 4 Mini Reasoning's training data extends to 2025-02-01, but cannot make a direct comparison without Kimi K2 Base's cutoff date.

Kimi K2 Base

—

Phi 4 Mini Reasoning

Feb 2025

Outputs Comparison

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Key Takeaways

Moonshot AI

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

Microsoft
Higher GPQA score (52.0% vs 48.1%)

Detailed Comparison

AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Moonshot AI
Kimi K2 Base
Microsoft
Phi 4 Mini Reasoning

FAQ

Common questions about Kimi K2 Base vs Phi 4 Mini Reasoning.

Which is better, Kimi K2 Base or Phi 4 Mini Reasoning?

Phi 4 Mini Reasoning significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Kimi K2 Base is made by Moonshot AI and Phi 4 Mini Reasoning is made by Microsoft. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Kimi K2 Base compare to Phi 4 Mini Reasoning in benchmarks?

Kimi K2 Base scores C-Eval: 92.5%, GSM8k: 92.1%, MMLU-redux-2.0: 90.2%, MMLU: 87.8%, TriviaQA: 85.1%. Phi 4 Mini Reasoning scores MATH-500: 94.6%, AIME: 57.5%, GPQA: 52.0%.

Who makes Kimi K2 Base and Phi 4 Mini Reasoning?

Kimi K2 Base is developed by Moonshot AI and Phi 4 Mini Reasoning is developed by Microsoft.

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