Model Comparison

Kimi K2-Instruct-0905 vs Nova MicroWhich is better in 2026?

Kimi K2-Instruct-0905 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Verdict: Kimi K2-Instruct-0905 vs Nova Micro — which is better?

Kimi K2-Instruct-0905 (by Moonshot AI) and Nova Micro (by Amazon) 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-Instruct-0905 outperforms in 3 benchmarks (GPQA, IFEval, MMLU), while Nova Micro is better at 0 benchmarks. Kimi K2-Instruct-0905 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Choose Kimi K2-Instruct-0905 if…

  • you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 3 of 3 shared benchmarks
  • you want the most recent training data — it shipped Sep 2025
  • you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune

Choose Nova Micro if…

  • you want predictable pricing at $0.03/M input and $0.14/M output

Performance Benchmarks

Comparative analysis across standard metrics

3 benchmarks

Kimi K2-Instruct-0905 outperforms in 3 benchmarks (GPQA, IFEval, MMLU), while Nova Micro is better at 0 benchmarks.

Kimi K2-Instruct-0905 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.

Wed Jul 15 2026 • llm-stats.com

Arena Performance

Human preference votes

Context Window

Maximum input and output token capacity

Only Nova Micro specifies input context (128,000 tokens). Only Nova Micro specifies output context (128,000 tokens).

Moonshot AI
Kimi K2-Instruct-0905
Input- tokens
Output- tokens
Amazon
Nova Micro
Input128,000 tokens
Output128,000 tokens
Wed Jul 15 2026 • llm-stats.com

License

Usage and distribution terms

Kimi K2-Instruct-0905 is licensed under MIT, while Nova Micro uses a proprietary license.

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

Kimi K2-Instruct-0905

MIT

Open weights

Nova Micro

Proprietary

Closed source

Release Timeline

When each model was launched

Kimi K2-Instruct-0905 was released on 2025-09-05, while Nova Micro was released on 2024-11-20.

Kimi K2-Instruct-0905 is 10 months newer than Nova Micro.

Kimi K2-Instruct-0905

Sep 5, 2025

10 months ago

9mo newer
Nova Micro

Nov 20, 2024

1.6 years ago

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
Has open weights
Higher GPQA score (75.1% vs 40.0%)
Higher IFEval score (89.8% vs 87.2%)
Higher MMLU score (89.5% vs 77.6%)
Amazon
Larger context window (128,000 tokens)

Detailed Comparison

Interactive Arena

Judge for yourself.

Run your own prompts against Kimi K2-Instruct-0905 and Nova Micro side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.

Kimi K2-Instruct-0905
✓ Preferred
Nova Micro
Open in Playground
AI Model Comparison Table
Feature
Moonshot AI
Kimi K2-Instruct-0905
Amazon
Nova Micro

FAQ

Common questions about Kimi K2-Instruct-0905 vs Nova Micro.

Which is better, Kimi K2-Instruct-0905 or Nova Micro?

Kimi K2-Instruct-0905 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Kimi K2-Instruct-0905 is made by Moonshot AI and Nova Micro is made by Amazon. The best choice depends on your use case — compare their benchmark scores, pricing, and capabilities above.

How does Kimi K2-Instruct-0905 compare to Nova Micro in benchmarks?

Kimi K2-Instruct-0905 scores MATH-500: 97.4%, MMLU-Redux: 92.7%, IFEval: 89.8%, AutoLogi: 89.5%, MMLU: 89.5%. Nova Micro scores GSM8k: 92.3%, ARC-C: 90.2%, Translation Set1→en COMET22: 88.7%, Translation en→Set1 COMET22: 88.5%, IFEval: 87.2%.

What are the context window sizes for Kimi K2-Instruct-0905 and Nova Micro?

Kimi K2-Instruct-0905 supports an unknown number of tokens and Nova Micro supports 128K tokens. A larger context window lets you process longer documents, conversations, or codebases in a single request.

What are the main differences between Kimi K2-Instruct-0905 and Nova Micro?

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

Who makes Kimi K2-Instruct-0905 and Nova Micro?

Kimi K2-Instruct-0905 is developed by Moonshot AI and Nova Micro is developed by Amazon.

Related comparisons