Model Comparison
Kimi K3 vs GLM-5.2Which is better in 2026?
Kimi K3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks. GLM-5.2 is 4.1x cheaper per token.
Verdict: Kimi K3 vs GLM-5.2 — which is better?
Kimi K3 (by Moonshot AI) and GLM-5.2 (by Zhipu 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 K3 outperforms in 10 benchmarks (DeepSWE, FrontierSWE, GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam, MCP Atlas, PostTrainBench, Program Bench, SWE-Marathon, Terminal-Bench 2.1, Toolathlon), while GLM-5.2 is better at 0 benchmarks. Kimi K3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
On price, GLM-5.2 is roughly 4.1x cheaper per token on a blended 3:1 input/output basis, which adds up quickly at production volume.
Choose Kimi K3 if…
- you want the strongest raw capability — it leads on 10 of 10 shared benchmarks
- you want the most recent training data — it shipped Jul 2026
Choose GLM-5.2 if…
- cost matters — it's about 4.1x cheaper per token
- you need open weights you can self-host or fine-tune
Performance Benchmarks
Comparative analysis across standard metrics
Kimi K3 outperforms in 10 benchmarks (DeepSWE, FrontierSWE, GPQA, Humanity's Last Exam, MCP Atlas, PostTrainBench, Program Bench, SWE-Marathon, Terminal-Bench 2.1, Toolathlon), while GLM-5.2 is better at 0 benchmarks.
Kimi K3 significantly outperforms across most benchmarks.
Arena Performance
Human preference votes
Pricing Analysis
Price comparison per million tokens
For input processing, Kimi K3 ($3.00/1M tokens) is 3.2x more expensive than GLM-5.2 ($0.95/1M tokens).
For output processing, Kimi K3 ($15.00/1M tokens) is 5.0x more expensive than GLM-5.2 ($3.00/1M tokens).
In conclusion, Kimi K3 is more expensive than GLM-5.2.*
* Using a 3:1 ratio of input to output tokens
Model Size
Parameter count comparison
Kimi K3 has 2047.0B more parameters than GLM-5.2, making it 271.8% larger.
Context Window
Maximum input and output token capacity
Both models have the same input context window of 1,048,576 tokens. Kimi K3 can generate longer responses up to 1,048,576 tokens, while GLM-5.2 is limited to 131,072 tokens.
Input Capabilities
Supported data types and modalities
Kimi K3 supports multimodal inputs, whereas GLM-5.2 does not.
Kimi K3 can handle both text and other forms of data like images, making it suitable for multimodal applications.
Kimi K3
GLM-5.2
Release Timeline
When each model was launched
Kimi K3 was released on 2026-07-16, while GLM-5.2 was released on 2026-06-16.
Kimi K3 is 1 month newer than GLM-5.2.
Jul 16, 2026
1 days ago
1mo newerJun 16, 2026
1 months ago
Knowledge Cutoff
When training data ends
Neither model specifies a knowledge cutoff date.
Unable to compare the recency of their training data.
Provider Availability
Kimi K3 is available from Moonshot AI. GLM-5.2 is available from DeepInfra, Fireworks, FriendliAI, Novita, Together, ZAI.
Kimi K3
GLM-5.2
Outputs Comparison
Key Takeaways
Kimi K3
View detailsMoonshot AI
GLM-5.2
View detailsZhipu AI
Detailed Comparison
Interactive Arena
Judge for yourself.
Run your own prompts against Kimi K3 and GLM-5.2 side-by-side, then vote on the output you prefer.
FAQ
Common questions about Kimi K3 vs GLM-5.2.