Model Comparison
Kimi K2 Instruct vs Kimi K3Which is better in 2026?
Kimi K3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. Kimi K2 Instruct is 12.0x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Kimi K2 Instruct vs Kimi K3 — which is better?
Kimi K2 Instruct (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.
Kimi K2 Instruct outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Kimi K3 is better at 2 benchmarks (GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam). Kimi K3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, Kimi K2 Instruct is roughly 12.0x 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.
Choose Kimi K2 Instruct if…
- cost matters — it's about 12.0x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Choose Kimi K3 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 2 of 2 shared benchmarks
- you process long inputs — it offers a 1,048,576 token context window
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Kimi K2 Instruct outperforms in 0 benchmarks, while Kimi K3 is better at 2 benchmarks (GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam).
Kimi K3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Kimi K2 Instruct ($0.50/1M tokens) is 6.0x cheaper than Kimi K3 ($3.00/1M tokens).
For output processing, Kimi K2 Instruct ($0.50/1M tokens) is 30.0x cheaper than Kimi K3 ($15.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Kimi K3 is more expensive than Kimi K2 Instruct.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
Kimi K3 has 1800.0B more parameters than Kimi K2 Instruct, making it 180.0% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Kimi K3 accepts 1,048,576 input tokens compared to Kimi K2 Instruct's 200,000 tokens. Kimi K3 can generate longer responses up to 1,048,576 tokens, while Kimi K2 Instruct is limited to 200,000 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Kimi K3 supports multimodal inputs, whereas Kimi K2 Instruct does not.
Kimi K3 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
Kimi K2 Instruct
Kimi K3
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Kimi K2 Instruct was released on 2025-07-11, while Kimi K3 was released on 2026-07-16.
Kimi K3 is 12 months newer than Kimi K2 Instruct.
Jul 11, 2025
1.0 years ago
Jul 16, 2026
4 days ago
1.0yr 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 Instruct is available from Fireworks, Novita. Kimi K3 is available from Moonshot AI.
Kimi K2 Instruct
Kimi K3
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Kimi K2 Instruct
View detailsMoonshot AI
Kimi K3
View detailsMoonshot AI
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Kimi K2 Instruct and Kimi K3 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
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FAQ
Common questions about Kimi K2 Instruct vs Kimi K3.